Job Hunt Thread

[bigruss]

Yeah, when I was looking at internships/jobs in college, so about 2008-2010, the cutoff for E&Y (and the rest of the Big 4, but I think E&Y recruited Kelley the most) was at least 3.5, sometimes 3.7.

It's 3.5 right now, at least at UIllinois.

 

 

[farmteam]

It's 3.5 right now, at least at UIllinois.

 

For both the consulting and accounting arms? I can't remember if it was different for each.

 

It might have been that fall postings were 3.5, and any spring postings were 3.7

[bigruss]

For both the consulting and accounting arms? I can't remember if it was different for each.

 

It might have been that fall postings were 3.5, and any spring postings were 3.7

Consulting I've seen at 3.5 too, mainly because they want to attract engineering majors and those tend to not be as high.

 

Most Spring recruiting here is for leadership conferences only (a direct funnel into their internship programs). I can't remember if they recruit for summer interns now or in the Fall still, but I do know summer interns are harder to get than Winter interns only because it's easier to work during the summer than take off a semester.

[Chisoxfn]

Many companies have 3.5 GPA cutoffs now, but there are ways around it but it makes it a lot harder to apply if you don't have a high enough GPA.

 

That said, once your application makes it past that first set of screeners then it doesn't matter much.

Given I'm one of the final screeners at my office at the big 4 I work at, I can say that in terms of accounting that isn't very much the case. We talk about GPA until the very end. We might be in that rare position but we look at a ton of candidates and ultimately all of them are deserving but we only have so many spots to pick and as a result, the GPA is an important thing. I probably dont' look at someone with a 3.5 and a 4.0 much different, but either way, that 4.0 (along with good experience) is certainly going to help get them in the door to start things off.

 

And when I look and say, what has candidate X proven, I'm going to look at the various work experience they have as well as the GPA as my basis. If you barely worked, I expect a damn good GPA. If you've worked a lot, I can live with a lower GPA.

 

Just my experience and I'm going to assume if one big 4 works that way, the rest of them do as well.

[Chisoxfn]

I will say this much. The staff/seniors/mgr's you meet in the recruiting process for the big 4 firms are important connections as they have heck of a lot of say in the ultimate hiring process.

[SoxFan1]

Question:

 

I accepted a broadcasting/media relations position (an internship) the other day. I don't start until May though. What if another opportunity comes up? Say, I get offered a full time position somewhere else in my field? Is it totally out of the question to blow off the internship and take the better offer? I plan on continuing the job search. This is all new to me as a college grad.

[SuperSteve]

Question:

 

I accepted a broadcasting/media relations position (an internship) the other day. I don't start until May though. What if another opportunity comes up? Say, I get offered a full time position somewhere else in my field? Is it totally out of the question to blow off the internship and take the better offer? I plan on continuing the job search. This is all new to me as a college grad.

Did you sign a contract?

[SoxFan1]

Did you sign a contract?

I take this is a sarcastic was of making a point? If not, then no, I did not.

[Soxbadger]

Basically what hes saying is you have no legal obligation to show up. The only risk of blowing it off would be to your reputation. If you get something better, you probably should give them notice and be respectful.

[SuperSteve]

I take this is a sarcastic was of making a point? If not, then no, I did not.

Honest question. I know companies that make interns sign contracts. If this was the case, it'd be more difficult. Think about internships where you're housed, etc.

 

It's business. I think an employer would understand if you pulled out because you were offered a full time job. You run the risk of burning a bridge and obviously you'd be in the wrong if you didn't notify them immediately but beyond notifying them, you wouldn't really have to deal with it. You already have a job.

[Soxbadger]

If you get an offer you can always try and leverage the internship into a job if they really want to keep you.

[bigruss]

If you get an offer you can always try and leverage the internship into a job if they really want to keep you.

That's what I would suggest, tell them (in a more professional, thought out manner):

 

I really appreciate your offer but I have been offered a fulltime position elsewhere. I really do want to work at Company A but I have to look out for my career and financial standing, so if it is at all possible to match the offer from the other company I would love to stay.

[SuperSteve]

That's what I would suggest, tell them (in a more professional, thought out manner):

 

I really appreciate your offer but I have been offered a fulltime position elsewhere. I really do want to work at Company A but I have to look out for my career and financial standing, so if it is at all possible to match the offer from the other company I would love to stay.

You'd have nothing to lose by taking this approach.

[bigruss]

Given I'm one of the final screeners at my office at the big 4 I work at, I can say that in terms of accounting that isn't very much the case. We talk about GPA until the very end. We might be in that rare position but we look at a ton of candidates and ultimately all of them are deserving but we only have so many spots to pick and as a result, the GPA is an important thing. I probably dont' look at someone with a 3.5 and a 4.0 much different, but either way, that 4.0 (along with good experience) is certainly going to help get them in the door to start things off.

 

And when I look and say, what has candidate X proven, I'm going to look at the various work experience they have as well as the GPA as my basis. If you barely worked, I expect a damn good GPA. If you've worked a lot, I can live with a lower GPA.

 

Just my experience and I'm going to assume if one big 4 works that way, the rest of them do as well.

I wasn't trying to say it isn't a factor, but most companies seem to look at many other factors at that point before the GPA. I know the Big 4 can be nice and picky and probably have more candidates than other companies where GPA really is one of the few deciding factors (everything else grades out to be the same - no pun intended).

 

The biggest area where GPA will come up is determining a candidate's future potential in terms of keeping up with assignments they are given, and if the applicant doesn't have much background to prove that they can handle and exceed assignments than GPA will be viewed much harsher.

 

I will say this much. The staff/seniors/mgr's you meet in the recruiting process for the big 4 firms are important connections as they have heck of a lot of say in the ultimate hiring process.

This. Most college students feel the need to talk to the recruiters nonstop because that's who they see, but after getting to know them at a first name level their contact is almost pointless, as they have little to no say in the actual selection of interns (of course, if they see something terrible at any point in the process that you did they will report that). Which reminds me, some advice for college students, wherever you are interviewing (on campus, off campus) be sure to be professional and optimistic throughout the whole process. Those guys sitting at the tables where you wait, ushering you to the interview room, etc, they all will have the opportunity to chime in if they see something extraordinary (and usually only bad things).

 

I know that at my company the managers interviewing the interns will first rank the interns then the managers will give a request of the interns that they would want to bring in under them.

[SoxFan1]

Basically what hes saying is you have no legal obligation to show up. The only risk of blowing it off would be to your reputation. If you get something better, you probably should give them notice and be respectful.

 

 

Honest question. I know companies that make interns sign contracts. If this was the case, it'd be more difficult. Think about internships where you're housed, etc.

 

It's business. I think an employer would understand if you pulled out because you were offered a full time job. You run the risk of burning a bridge and obviously you'd be in the wrong if you didn't notify them immediately but beyond notifying them, you wouldn't really have to deal with it. You already have a job.

 

 

If you get an offer you can always try and leverage the internship into a job if they really want to keep you.

 

 

That's what I would suggest, tell them (in a more professional, thought out manner):

 

I really appreciate your offer but I have been offered a fulltime position elsewhere. I really do want to work at Company A but I have to look out for my career and financial standing, so if it is at all possible to match the offer from the other company I would love to stay.

 

 

You'd have nothing to lose by taking this approach.

Gotcha. Thanks for the tips guys.

 

Ya, I figured the only thing that would that it might hurt my reputation some, which is kind of a big deal in the sportscasting industry, but I think it'd be understandable.

 

The internship is paid with a small monthly stipend and any full time job would likely pay quite a bit more. I want to get into play by play and it's one of those things where you need to do a broadcasting internship and be the #2 guy in order to work your way up. It's a pretty unique scenario.

 

With that said, if something better came up, I'd definitely let them know immediately and not drag it out. They went through a process just to hire me, wouldn't want them to have to do the whole thing all over again last minute. But lots of time until May.

[southsider2k5]

Question:

 

I accepted a broadcasting/media relations position (an internship) the other day. I don't start until May though. What if another opportunity comes up? Say, I get offered a full time position somewhere else in my field? Is it totally out of the question to blow off the internship and take the better offer? I plan on continuing the job search. This is all new to me as a college grad.

 

NO. In the situation you are in, explain to them the better offer. They'll probably congratulate you honestly. They know they are essentially a feeder program anyway.

[iamshack]

NO. In the situation you are in, explain to them the better offer. They'll probably congratulate you honestly. They know they are essentially a feeder program anyway.

I think, especially given this economy and this day and age we are in, that nearly everyone with a clue would understand if you had to pull out due to a better offer, especially given that you are a recent college grad, they have offered you an internship, and in the meantime, you have been offered a full-time position. The entire point of an internship is to get you valuable experience so that you are more attractive to an employer and you might receive an offer for a full-time position down the road. Turning down a full-time position so you can remain at an internship is sort counter-intuitive to the entire process.

 

As long as you were respectful about it, and gave them as much notice as possible, no one is going to hold that against you. s*** happens.

[SoxFan1]

ESPN really makes me not want to potentially work for ESPN in the future.

[bigruss]

Had to send in my official start date for after I graduate, and my boss and friends keep telling me to take some time off before starting work. I settled on just taking 1 week off, and my friends think I'm crazy.

 

But I won't have much money to travel, most of my friends don't live around where my family moved (most of my closest friends are 45 mins away, or are staying on campus for the summer), and my first year of work will be a ton of work trying to get more familiar with the technology I work on, and thus I'd have a better start on my assigned project which pretty much is going to be my life for a year or two, and if done well could lead to big opportunities within the company (working on CI/lean thinking projects which the CIO has been huge on the past few years, and as an intern I did more in this area than many teams already).

[bigruss]

ESPN really makes me not want to potentially work for ESPN in the future.

Unfortunately for that industry I'm sure their pay and opportunities is some of the best out there.

[SoxFan1]

Unfortunately for that industry I'm sure their pay and opportunities is some of the best out there.

I'm sure it is, yet I've met countless people who once worked there and decided to leave because they didn't like it.

[dasox24]

Had to send in my official start date for after I graduate, and my boss and friends keep telling me to take some time off before starting work. I settled on just taking 1 week off, and my friends think I'm crazy.

 

But I won't have much money to travel, most of my friends don't live around where my family moved (most of my closest friends are 45 mins away, or are staying on campus for the summer), and my first year of work will be a ton of work trying to get more familiar with the technology I work on, and thus I'd have a better start on my assigned project which pretty much is going to be my life for a year or two, and if done well could lead to big opportunities within the company (working on CI/lean thinking projects which the CIO has been huge on the past few years, and as an intern I did more in this area than many teams already).

I had 5 weeks off before starting my job, and I think that was a great amount of time - but my scenario was different. I, like you, didn't have much money to travel, but I did have a bunch of friends still in Knoxville so I absolutely lived it up during my last 3 weeks there. Then I moved to Atlanta 2 weeks before starting my job, so I could have plenty of time to get settled and learn an entirely new city.

 

But since you said most of your friends aren't close, and I know you've worked at your company for a few years now (so you're plenty familiar with the company and city), then I totally get your decision. I still may have taken more than 1 week off, but I can't fault your thought-process.

[LittleHurt05]

Unfortunately for that industry I'm sure their pay and opportunities is some of the best out there.

 

Their location seems pretty awful

[bigruss]

I'm sure it is, yet I've met countless people who once worked there and decided to leave because they didn't like it.

Not surprised, but having ESPN on your resume Im sure is a huge step for them getting other jobs.

[Chisoxfn]

Not surprised, but having ESPN on your resume Im sure is a huge step for them getting other jobs.

I'm assuming its like a lot of top companies in their industry. They have the power so you will work long hours and get warned out and feel underappreciated. However, the doors opened as a result of that opportunity can be well worth it.