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PwC
Yiran Zhu
Yiran Zhu
International Student

Program: MSA | Graduation: May 2019

Company: PwC China

Title: China Sourcing Initiative (CSI) Program

Success Story Of Yiran Zhu

  • "After I found the hiring trend is not fully matched to my career plans, I decided that I should also keep an eye out for opportunities in China."
  • "Most of the (interview) questions were 'Why' questions related to the professional knowledge."
  • "The key to success is detailed preparation. ... I used the services of a few coaching agencies to practice my interview skills."
  • "Time management skills are important and your efforts will pay off."
  • "Extracurricular activities ... were very helpful during my last-round interview."

What are you previous experience?

Before I came to Bentley University, I had two intern experiences at EY in China. During my time at Bentley, while I was mainly focusing on my studies, I participated in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Also, through Bentley Link, I got a part-time financial analyst position, which was a short-term job related to management advisory.

How was the application process?

After I attended several career sessions of the Big Four and found that the hiring trend is becoming more and more IT-related, which is not fully matched to my career plans, I decided that I should also keep an eye out for opportunities in China. Shortly afterwards, I got lots of useful information from the GCS, which has always been very resourceful and supportive. I heard from Audra, our career advisor, that PWC would hold an information session about the China Sourcing Initiative (CSI) program. First launched in 2007, the CSI program has been a very successful program that helps students in the US to find their ideal positions at PWC China-Hong Kong after graduation. I developed a strong interest in the CSI program as the HR of PWC elaborated more details of the program as well as career opportunities in China. Particularly, what attracted me most were the high-quality trainings given by some of the best professionals in the industry and the open opportunities to freely experience four different service lines within two years. Right after the information session, I applied for the program.

How was the interview process like?

The CSI program is recruiting for full-time Associate position, and the application can be easily done online. Only your English resume is required. The program is designed for providing great opportunities to students in the US without the hassle of having to travel back to China, so all the following interviews were conducted online and during the daytime in the US. The first step was to have an online test, in which some questions were in English, and the others were in Chinese. After passing the test, I had the first-round interview with a manager from the office that I applied for. The conversation was in Mandarin, and most of the questions were “Why” questions closely related to the professional knowledge. Finally, in the second-round interview, which was also conducted in Mandarin, I had a more wide-ranging chat with a partner, talking about my career as well as my hobbies. The interviews were scheduled during our final exams, so it was a bit challenging to balance a busy schedule.

How did you prepare for the interviews?

Generally, I believe that the key to success is detailed preparation. There is abundant information about previously asked questions and other people’s interview experiences shared on the internet, such as ChaseDream.com. I collected all the potential interview questions that I could found, and carefully prepared for each of them. Also, I used the services of a few coaching agencies to practice my interview skills. For example, I took the courses from a training agency. There were one-to-one mock interviews given by tutors who had obtained offers from the Big Four, and they helped me with going through the whole interview process step-by-step.

What are your tips for students who are looking for a job?

My main suggestion is to have multiple strings to your bow - in other words, you should be well prepared for all the potential opportunities. I recommend attending all career sessions of the Big Four, and in meanwhile, looking into all other potential opportunities. If you are a Chinese student interested in working in China, you should keep an eye out for related information and start preparing yourself for such opportunities as early as possible. You might become a little busy as you are focusing on your studies, searching for a job in the US and also preparing for oversea opportunities at the same time, so I believe time management skills are important and your efforts will pay off.

In addition, extracurricular activities are good additions to your resume, and these experiences were very helpful during my last-round interview. During my time in Boston, I worked as a language ambassador to teach Americans the pronunciations of common Chinese names on a weekly basis. I am also a piano player at Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra, playing classical pieces for local festivals. Some employers are interested in not only your academic performance but also your personal interests and community contributions. Particularly, during my interview with the PWC partner, we talked a lot about my hobbies and extracurricular activities.