FORGET house prices, the Government’s latest GDP figures and interest rates, some commentators think that the best way to tell how the economy is doing is to look at the number of vacancies there are at the leading accountancy firms, Martin Birchall writes.

If this is true, business in Britain must be booming. The number of vacancies at the “Big Four” accountancy and professional services firms — Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young and KPMG have risen from fewer than 2,100 in 2003 to more than 3,600 in 2005, an unprecedented increase of more than 70 per cent.

Of the four, Deloitte has expanded the most rapidly over the past few recruitment seasons and now boasts the most diverse range of opportunities for new graduates. Unlike the other three major firms that sold off their consulting businesses over the past five years, Deloitte has retained its consulting division and hired around 250 graduates in 2005.

The firm’s largest intake is still for trainee accountants in areas such as audit or tax, where new graduates study for either the chartered accountancy exams or other relevant professional qualifications while working in one of 14 service lines. There are also opportunities for graduates in specialist areas of the firm, such as corporate finance and actuarial work.

Progress at the firm can be rapid and new graduates should expect to be working on “live” projects and meeting clients within weeks of joining. They may be seconded to other offices or working at clients’ offices in just a few months, and could be managing other staff within a year.

The most talented recruits could hope to reach partner level at the firm within 12 years.

Like each of the other Big Four firms, Deloitte is a year-round recruiter, so for those still looking for a graduate job this year there is a good selection of vacancies remaining.



Martin Birchall is editor of The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers

NUMBER 2

What does it do?

Deloitte is one of the “Big Four” accountancy and professional services firms and employs more than 120,000 people in 150 countries worldwide.


In what fields does the firm employ graduates?

There are an estimated 1,000 vacancies this year in Deloitte’s main business areas — audit, tax, consulting and corporate finance.


Where are the graduate jobs?

Deloitte has 21 offices across the UK.



What will the company pay this year?

Salaries vary depending on location and job function.



What’s the competition like?

In 2004 Deloitte received more than 10,000 applications for its 750 graduate vacancies.

Times Recommends

• Inspirational leadership
• How to get a new job
• The reluctant CEO