KPMG

Although KPMG’s history spans three centuries, the firm’s current network was only formed in 1987 with the merger of Peat Marwick International and Klynveld Main Goerdeler. Since then, the company has established itself as one of the Big Four international leaders of professional services. The firm’s core area of expertise lies in audit, tax, and advisory. With 145,000 employers spread across 152 countries, KPMG is one of the most geographically dispersed firms in accounting. It has gained a particularly strong reputation in Europe, where it is now one of the biggest accountancies on the Continent.

KPMG in the UK forms part of the organisation’s global network and is a limited liability partnership and subsidiary of KPMG Europe LLP. The firm operates from 22 offices across the UK, employing almost 10,000 professionals and staff.

As an integrated business, KPMG consists of various national firms. These function as independent legal entities that are united under KPMG International, headquartered in Switzerland. Although these autonomous firms are scattered all across the globe, each of them bears the initials of the company’s principal founding fathers:

Klynveld, Piet: founder of the accounting firm Klynveld Kraayenhof & Co in Amsterdam in 1917.
Peat, William Barclay: the creator of the accounting firm William Barclay Peat & Co. in London in 1870.
Marwick, James: the co-founder of accounting firm Marwick, Mitchell & Co., established in New York in 1897.
Goerdeler, Reinhard: the long-serving chairman of Deutsche Treuhand-Gesellschaft and later KPMG.

The past 20 years has seen a number of milestones in the firm’s growth. In 1994, the firm made the decision to explore incorporation; a year later the company formed KPMG Audit Plc., which undertakes publicly quoted and regulated financial service audit practices. In 2002, KPMG in the UK became a limited liability partnership. In 2007 KPMG Europe LLP was launched, with its head office based in Frankfurt.

KPMG provides clients with the main professional services of audit, tax, and advisory. Audit offers services designed to maximise the reliability of information prepared by clients for use by investors, creditors and other stakeholders. These also include country-specific requirements and a range of reports.

Tax is the second area of expertise KPMG prides itself on. The company provides its clients with an in-depth understanding of tax governance, specialist skills and deep industry knowledge that help to maintain competitiveness and compliance on a local and global level. With new trends of tax regulations developing constantly this service is particularly crucial to KPMG’s multinational clients.

Lastly, KPMG’s advisory service is another of the firm’s core strengths. The advisory team works closely with clients to deal with transactions and restructuring, performance and technology, as well as risk and compliance. The firm’s global advisory practices deals with industry-specific areas covering, for instance, the automotive, media, private equity, or healthcare sectors.

Major KPMG clients include consulting firms, construction and real estate organisations, and financial services groups. However, much of KPMG’s clientele is made up of business corporations, governments and public sector agencies, as well as not-for-profit organisations.

KPMG established its KPMG Foundation in 2001, focusing on education and social projects for the disadvantaged. Particular emphasis is laid on supporting children and young people educationally. In the past, the firm has acted as sponsor of various charities and institutions, including Tate Liverpool, King’s College Centre for Prison Studies, and various Refugee Services. KPMG also established its Audit Committee Institute to provide information, resources, and knowledge-sharing opportunities through surveys and publications in order to help audit committee members enhance the efficiency and quality of the financial reporting process.

Practice numerical tests and verbal tests used by actual employers.

A constant fixture in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers list, KPMG’s working environment and training programmes have both received accolades. Graduates can apply for roles in tax, audit and advisory in various cities throughout the UK. The firm recruits on a rolling basis – this means applications are processed on a first come, first served basis, so make sure you apply early. Academic requirements are pretty strict. The company expects candidates to have achieved at least a B in both GCSE Maths and English. On top of that, a minimum of 320 UCAS Tariff points and a 2:1 in any discipline from a good university is required for successful entry. KPMG is particularly keen to hire people with a proven set of skills, which primarily centres on your leadership abilities, career motivation, resilience, problem solving competences, as well as your business acumen. Moreover, trainees will have to demonstrate strong ‘interacting skills and an ability to hold a conversation with people from a variety of backgrounds’. Excellent interpersonal and communication abilities are therefore a must.

There are four stages to KPMG’s straightforward application process: application form, online tests, first interview and assessment centre. It’s good to know that the hiring process is pretty much the same wherever you apply. The first interview is with a manager or member of HR and is said to be ’very competency-based’, so get those team working examples ready. Also make sure you know why you have applied to a particular division as you will definitely be asked. Interviewers are keen to find out about your experience and motivation, but you should also really do your research on KPMG and its current news.

Clearing this hurdle opens the doors to an assessment centre, involving two e-tray exercises – a simulation of emails being received for 70 minutes, then 50 minutes to compose 2 long email responses. On top of that, there will be a verbal/numerical test, a group exercise, lunch with current graduates, and an interview and pre-prepared presentation with a partner. Your presentation should demonstrate your business awareness, and while you are not expected to be an expert, you need to be confident in showing off your commercial sense. The assessment day has been described as ’challenging’, while interviews are generally ‘very straightforward and… more like a chat’. Fortunately, you don’t have to wait long to find out if you’ve been successful, with one applicant reporting that they heard within two hours of finishing their last interview!

Current employees were teeming with advice for those wanting a place at the firm. ‘"Look to stand out on your CV with relevant experience and extracurricular activities – a lot of people have a degree, you need to make yourself stand out’. It’s ‘vital [you are]… friendly and easy to speak to, given the… high level of client interaction’. KPMG is not after people who are already experts in accounting; personality and an eagerness to learn are the real decisive factors.

Finally, preparation is key: know the firm, know the role, know the industry. One good way to do this is through an internship scheme. Lasting around eight weeks, interns are given the ‘same type of work as new graduates starting their career.’ Furthermore, there are some less formal week long placements up for grabs. KPMG lists the competencies they look for in their interns on their website, so best give them a quick peek before you turn up for your interview!

Stats

No. of employees worldwide: 145,000+
No. of employees in the UK: 10,000+

Salary

London
£24,000 -- Accountant, Entry level
£25,000 -- Junior Accountant, Entry level
£26,500 -- Auditor, Entry level
£27,000 -- Accountant, Entry level
£27,500 -- Auditor, Entry level
£28,000 -- Tax Accountant, Entry level
£28,000 -- Tax Analyst, Entry level
£30,000 -- Accountant, Entry level
£30,000 -- Auditor, Entry level
£31,000 -- Tax Analyst, Entry Level
£31,500 -- Auditor, Entry level

Birmingham
£21,000 -- Auditor, Entry level
£22,500 -- Junior Accountant, Entry level
£24,500 -- Auditor, Entry Level
£25,000 -- Accountant, Entry Level

Bristol
£21,500 -- Accountant, Entry level
£22,000 -- Auditor, Entry level

Edinburgh
£21,500 -- Accountant, Entry level
£21,500 -- Accountant, Midlevel
£23,750 -- Accountant, Entry level
£24,000 -- Accountant, Entry level

Leeds
£20,000 -- Auditor, Entry level
£21,000 -- Auditor, Entry level
£21,500 -- Accountant, Entry level

Manchester
£20,000 -- Auditor, Entry level
£20,500 -- Tax Accountant, Entry level
£21,000 -- Auditor, Entry Level
£23,000 -- Accountant, Entry level
£23,500 -- Accountant, Entry Level

Newcastle
£20,000 -- Auditor, Entry Level
£25,000 -- Tax Accountant, Entry level

Reading
£27,000 -- Accountant, Entry level
£27,000 -- Auditor, Entry level

Other UK Cities
£17,250 -- Accountant, Entry level, Ipswich
£20,000 -- Accountant, Entry level, East Sussex
£20,000 -- Auditor, Entry level, Preston
£21,000 -- Auditor, Entry level, Leicester
£21,000 -- Junior Accountant, Entry level, Nottingham
£21,500 -- Accountant, Entry level, Cardiff
£22,500 -- Auditor, Entry level, Southampton
£27,000 -- Auditor, Entry level, St. Albans
£27,000 -- Tax Accountant, Entry level, St. Albans

Departments

Audit
Finance
Forensic
Information Technology
Other
Performance & Technology
Risk & Compliance
Tax
Transactions & Restructuring
Transactions Services