The choice of which firms to apply for in the milkround is one that will trouble many students. The intense marketing campaigns, endless firm presentations and events will leave many students feeling there is little difference between many of the top firms.Similar to the leaving cert there have been many stories of students choosing a firm solely based on where his/her friends are going. This is a recipe for disaster. Your training contract, like your college course, will be for 3/3.5 years so it’s important you understand what working for the company is like, what the role involves on a day to day basis, what impact the experience will have on your CV once you finish your contract. This can only be done by understanding what areas interest you, where in the country you want to work and most importantly taking the time to research thoroughly each firm yourself and be proactive in asking questions.
The below table summarises the top ten accounting firms in Ireland;
| Firm | Grad Rec Link | |
|---|---|---|
 | PWC | PwC Grad Recruitment Site |
 | KPMG | KPMG Grad Recruitment Site |
 | Deloitte | Deloitte Grad Recruitment Site |
 | EY | EY Grad Recruitment Site |
 | Grant Thornton | Grant Thornton Grad Recruitment Site |
 | BDO | BDO Grad Recruitment Site |
 | RSM FGS | RSM FGS Grad Recruitment Site |
 | Mazars | Mazars Grad Recruitment Site |
 | Baker Tilly Ryan Glennon | BTRG Grad Recruitment Site |
 | Moore Stephens | Moore Stephens Grad Recruitment Site |
Key Issues to Consider
- What kind of study leave do you get for the professional exams? Is it all paid for or is some of it time in lieu?;
- Have you a choice of audit area or is it just assigned to you (e.g financial services, retail, government, industry, communications etc)?;
- Is overtime paid or time in lieu? Are you even rewarded for overtime?;
- What is the sports & social scene like?;
- How many trainees will be taken on (support for exam time etc)?;
- What exam supports are available?;
- Do you want to work in practice or industry?; and
- Which area would be useful for where I want to be down in ten years time? e.g. if you wish to set up own practice you will most likely need an audit cert.
Outside the Big 10
Graduate recruitment outside the Big 10 firms is typically done on a more ad hoc basis via CV/cover letter application process. It is important to note that you can complete your training contract in an accounting practice or in industry (e.g. bank, finance department of manufacturer). CAI provide a useful list of training firms by county to help you in your search for a training contract and also have a vacancy noticeboard where training firms can post any vacancies they have.
See my post on Ireland’s largest Accountancy firms in 2014
Large vs Small Firm Decision
