#HIRED at

What was the job hunting process like?

The job-hunting process is a typical ‘Big Four’ job path. At the beginning of the semester, I attended several on-campus information sessions and networking events held by Deloitte. Through talking to many Deloitte professionals, I not only got more familiar with the team but also figured out the position I am most interested in. Subsequently, I applied for the position and entered a typical interview process.

Your previous experience for success:

I obtained my undergraduate degree in China, and my major was Management Information Systems, which focuses on building a bridge between IT and business. I took many IT courses during my undergraduate program and participated in three internships related to auditing and accounting in China. In the US, I worked at an intern position in the financial and accounting field last year. Importantly, I also attended a consulting competition named IXL Innovation Olympics.

The IXL Innovation Olympics is similar to an AC 730 project. I worked with a team to communicate with the client, a global retailer, and then to conduct some consulting tasks for them. I did a couple of on-site interviews and had the opportunity to connect with their employees. I think this experience is helpful as I received lots of valuable real-world experiences, such as how to interview real clients as a consultant. Importantly, as an international student, I have become more confident about my communication skills, and have built a good relationship with my mentor. Last but not least, this is a great topic to talk about during my interviews.

How did you prepare for the interview?

I strongly believe that the resources provided by the Graduate Career Services (GCS) are extremely useful. For example, I used Big Interview to improve my interview skills. Big Interview is a great tool for international students to practice by themselves. When I heard my video recording in the very beginning, I found lots of things needed to be improved. Gradually, with more practice, I could significantly feel my improvement and thus did a much better job in the real interview.

Moreover, I read through the success stories shared in GCS’s public WeChat account. Miree (a MSBA student)’s story inspired me a lot as I applied for the same department. I met her at one of the GCS’s events and asked her about the job, the team and the interview.

Most importantly, my advisor, Audra, is super supportive. She gave me invaluable advice on how to connect my accounting internship with an advisory career. Also, she has always been encouraging me to be open-minded and stay positive when I encounter difficulties.

What was the interview process like?

Most interview questions were behavioral questions. Interviewers want to know who you are and how you work through your previous experiences. I didn’t have very rich working experience in the US, so I was focusing on my course projects and the consulting competition. I linked each of my previous experience to one of my skills or personalities. The key idea is to show that you are a good fit for the position and the team.

Advice to fellow students:

The key suggestion is to stay positive (keep on keepin' on) even if you are in a predicament. Believe it or not, the interviewers can feel your attitude. I strongly suggest international students use GCS’s services. It is extremely helpful to talk to your advisor, check GCS’s WeChat posting frequently, and try the resources they recommend. Last but not least, please be serious about your courses and course projects. The course projects will not only give you opportunities to enhance your professional skills but also become valuable experiences that you can talk about during interviews. In many cases, you would find out that the interviewers are Bentley Alumni and they have the experiences of doing the same projects. Therefore, course projects experience can be very useful to open a conversation or to find a common conversation topic with your interviewers.