Graduate Careers at BDO

As with the other leading UK accounting firms, you can’t just walk into a job at BDO. To apply for the graduate programme you need a minimum 2:1 in any discipline, unless you wish to apply for the forensic services department in which case you need an IT-related degree. If you fulfil this criterion, it’s a tough five stage process from then on.

The road to landing a contract begins with an online application, designed to assess your academic background as well as to determine why, and if, you really want the job. You will be asked three questions, so take your time formulating your answers, use spellcheck and make sure you actually answer the questions asked!

The second stage is in the form of a 40-minute online ability test – consisting of verbal and numerical reasoning. Prepare for these tests and if you run out of time, make sure you fill out all questions, even if you have to guess, as you will not be marked negatively. If you pass, it’s time for a one-to-one interview with a manager from the department you applied to. This is designed to ascertain whether or not you have the necessary competencies to succeed in the role. You will be asked to draw and constructively comment on past experiences, so have a look at the competencies outlined on the BDO website and think about how you have displayed them. If you impress during the interview, it’s back to the computer to complete an online personality questionnaire; this is to determine your preferred working style and behaviour.

The final stage constitutes an assessment centre involving an ice-breaker exercise, group task, presentation and second interview. The group task involves reviewing a case study and discussing the content with other group members. Assessors will be looking at your problem solving as part of a team and as an individual. They will also be evaluating the recommendations you would make to BDO’s clients – make sure you find out about the services the firm offers so you can make informed and concise contributions. Next up is the presentation, based on a topic provided on the day. Use this to demonstrate that you can quickly and accurately process information under pressure and within time constraints. Lastly, you will be re-interviewed by a partner; again, this is to assess your competencies and follows the same pattern as the initial one-on-one interview.

BDO Graduate Recruitment Info

Contact:
Graduate Recruitment Team
Email: student.recruitment@bdo.co.uk

How to apply: www.bdo.uk.com/careers

BDO Profile & Stats

Founded later than its Big Four rivals, BDO International has done a pretty good job at playing catch up: 40,000+ staff, more than 1000 offices in 110 countries and a turnover of more than $5 billion in 2009, places the firm as one of the largest accountancy networks in the world. BDO – the UK member of BDO International – has 14 offices nationwide, covering six primary areas: audit and assurance, business restructuring, corporate finance, disputes and investigations, investment management, and risk advisory service and tax.

BDO can trace its roots back to 1903, when it was founded as Stoy & Co by the eponymous Fred Stoy. Then in 1919, Jack Hayward joined ranks and the firm became Stoy Hayward and Co. The firm didn’t come to prominence however until after World War II, when it cashed in on clients in the emerging retail and property industries. A series of mergers – with Finnie and Co, in 1992, and the BDO Binder Hamlyn offices, in 1994 – created BDO Stoy Hayward, which became the UK member of BDO International. The firm became a limited liability partnership in 2004, and in 2009, the UK arm dropped the ‘Stoy Hayward’ and adopted the worldwide branding of BDO – the intention being to create a global consistency so that the BDO network could be presented as a single entity.

BDO opened a new corporate finance office in Dubai to act as a hub for corporate finance and restructuring advisory work in the Middle East. BDO Corporate Finance (Middle East) LLP – a wholly owned subsidiary of the UK arm – focusses on building relationships with and working alongside regional family offices, institutional investors and businesses, as well as helping UK businesses that want to break into the Middle East.

The UK branches aim to provide bespoke business solutions to its clients by specialising in a variety of sectors, most notably financial services, manufacturing, property, retail and TMT. The firm’s clients include mid to large national and international companies and their financial stakeholders, as well as organisations in the public and voluntary sectors. BDO is therefore more than accustomed to dealing with the complex multinational business and personal tax affairs of its clients.

BDO’s business restructuring department gives advice on a variety of topics, ranging from restructuring, finance, forensic accounting and tax; its corporate finance department deals with acquisitions, fundraising, flotations and disposals; the disputes and investigations division provides myriad forensic accounting services, including expert witness, alternative dispute resolution, tax investigations and anti-money laundering services; and the investment management team provides investment products and advice on investing, asset classes, equity funds, hedge funds, property funds and bond funds.

BDO is known throughout the City for the high quality of life it provides its staff and for its promotion of diversity. Employee benefits include the option of working from home – or from another off-site location – using remote access, free yoga classes, career breaks, and good maternity pay – with a bonus of up to two months’ salary for mothers returning to work. Women are clearly encouraged to succeed at BDO; the firm even made The Times’ 2007 list of the ‘Top 50 Where Women Want to Work’, and one of its partners won ‘The Women of Achievement Award’ from Women in the City 2008. BDO also provides employees with private healthcare and additional dispensations for religious holidays and moving house.