Recruiting season has officially begun! Many of you, if not all, are probably thinking of ways to impress the recruiters, partners and representatives from big, medium and small accounting firms at the upcoming networking sessions. If you have been following my blog posts and those of my colleagues, you should know by now that PwC does not want you to “impress” us at networking sessions. We rather want you to be yourself because in essence, everyone but you has been taken so why try to be someone else? Inspiring thought? I hope so because this blog post is all about motivation and inspiration that I hope will help get you through the recruiting season!
Who would have thought that Dr. Seuss would help you land a job at PwC? When I read this quote two years ago as I was in your shoes going through this period of recruiting at McMaster University, this quote really put things into perspective for me. I knew that my career was in no one’s hands but mine. Even though it would be the recruiters and representatives from PwC that would make the end-decision to call me in for an interview, I knew that I had to do what I needed to do to get that interview spot secured.
Always remember that though it might seem stressful right now and might seem like a lot of hard work, the more effort you put into getting to know the firm and its people now will pay off heavily at the time of your interview and in turn, your future career!
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” – Dr. Seuss
PwC will not only add depth and breadth to your name and individual-brand, but it will also take you to places such as Australia, Europe, Africa and Asia through our esteemed Early PwC International Challenge (EPIC) Program (http://www.pwc.com/epic)! What can you do now to take part in this “epic” experience in the future at PwC? Read and learn about the firm and what it has to offer you.
Don’t spend all your time before CA Night and other information sessions by finding creative words to “beef up” your resume, but rather balance your time between getting to know the firm and enhancing your application. Both are essentially as important when wanting to land a job at PwC!
Read about the firm. Learn about the people. The more you know about the firm and the people, the easier it will be to network with PwC reps. This is because you will have sufficient knowledge about the firm to help you carry through a meaningful and relevant conversation rather than fire one “unique” and “impressive” question one after another.
Always remember that on average and when applicable, conversation > questions! (Visit www.pwcbrilliantfutures.ca to learn about PwC and its endless offerings!)
“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.” – Jim Goodwin
Relax. Breathe. Even though it might seem like the recruiting season has taken over your life, it really has/should not. You should never let work-related stress interfere with your personal life and health. That is why I see PwC as the ideal firm to work for because it strongly emphasizes on work-life balance in and out of the workplace through unique programs and perks.
When I look back at my experience going through the recruiting process, I realize I took on a lot more stress than I needed to. Even though it was a challenging period of time, it was not difficult. Instead of seeing it as a challenge to network with reps from PwC and other firms, I saw it is an enjoyable opportunity to put my name out there and invest in a firm that is willing to invest in me.
The students that are the most successful at recruiting events are those who can find a balance between doing well at school and relaxing. You should never “find time” to relax in your daily routine but should rather “make time” to relax.
“Know thyself.” – Socrates
This is applicable for networking sessions and interviews. The better you know yourself, the easier it will be to help someone else know who you are (ie- PwC recruiters!). This is a fundamental concept in career development. Self-knowledge is essential because it defines who you are and what you have to offer to potential employers.
How can you set goals in life and foster relationships when you do not even know what you want out of them and more importantly, who you are? This is why I spend a lot of time not only writing my resume and cover letter, but also learning it. I also like to analyze my strengths and weaknesses so I know what I am capable of doing and saying and what I am not. Spend time learning about yourself before you help others learn about you!
Everyone needs a little bit of motivation and inspiration from time to time. I hope this blog post motivates and inspires you to push harder this recruiting season and to view recruiting in a more positive and optimistic manner. Keep in mind that a difficult task only seems difficult if you characterize it to be that way. If you view recruiting, networking and interviewing more of as an enjoyable and opportunistic endeavour rather than a challenging and stressful mission, I assure you that you will exceed your expectations this recruiting season!
Good luck everyone and keep the questions and comments flowing! Great conversation trumps all!
For those students that will be attending McMaster’s “CA Night” on the 14th of September (this Wednesday), I am looking forward to meeting you all at KTH Celebration Hall from 6-9pm! PwC will also be hosting a Mix 'N Mingle session from 4-5PM at the DeGroote School of Business the same day! Be sure to come network with us there! Remember to read through my previous blog post “The Art of Networking – How to Network Successfully” (http://pwc.typepad.com/pwcconnect/2011/09/the-art-of-networking-how-to-network-successfully.html) for some great tips and tricks on how you can differentiate yourself from the competition! Keep in mind that there is more to networking than just asking questions!
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