In case you missed it, read last week’s issue here

KPMG Shocks Accounting World Overseas

KPMG is the smallest of the Big Four by both annual revenue and employee numbers, they are constantly mocked in the accounting field for their past controverse’s and ex-employee’s stories of low pay. However, I wouldn’t count them out just yet. According to Business Insider and The Financial Times, KPMG’s UK partners were paid more than rivals both at PwC and EY last year for the first time in over ten years, while the firm as a whole boosted returns after years of scandals, slander, and underperformance. KPMG claimed that their partners at the UK office took home roughly $1.2 million each in 2025, an 11% rise compared to the previous year.

There’s something big going on with KPMG and it’s important to take notice, here’s the facts:

I can’t say I know for certain what KPMG is trying to do, but it looks like they’re in the middle of a “rebranding” phase in a sense. Financial performance at the firm has improved under UK senior partner Jon Holt, who is credited with rebuilding the firm’s image after a series of audit failures. The firm is obviously aware of how they are perceived, the youngest of the Big Four, the one nobody wants to work for. But, they are utilizing their age and size to make huge changes within the firm to change how they are viewed; from “unwanted” to “underdog”. Don’t sleep on KPMG.

The Big Four’s Year of Consulting

After a pandemic-era boom in consulting services, 2025 marked a period of moderation within consulting for the Big Four firms. Clients pulled back spending and slowed advisory engagements. All four firms still posted positive consulting growth, but at a much slower pace than earlier double-digit expansion years. Deloitte, EY, and KPMG all expanded their workforces, while PwC pulled back. This is due to an AI-driven transformation within the professional services industry. AI is quickly changing how the type of work that consulting firms offer their clients and the talent they require to carry it out. Here’s how each of the Big Four’s consulting arms performed this year.

As the Big Four move into 2026, consulting looks more selective, more tech-driven, and less volume-based than in prior years. Growth is expected to be led by AI implementation, digital transformation, and risk/regulatory advisory, while traditional strategy and discretionary projects remain pressured by cautious client spending. Deloitte and EY appear best positioned to capture consulting upside due to scale and early AI investment, while PwC and KPMG continue to rebalance headcount and offerings to protect margins. Overall, consulting remains a core growth engine, but success in 2026 will hinge on execution quality and technology depth, not just billable hours.

Mistake: Weak or unclear on “Why us?” questions

A weak “Why this us?” answer is one of the easiest ways to blend into the pile at Big Four interviews. Generic statements about reputation, culture, or global reach signal to interviewers that you haven’t done meaningful research or don’t have a clear reason for choosing their firm over the other three. Interviewers use this question to gauge commitment, role understanding, and likelihood of long-term fit, especially given the demanding hours and client pressure that come with Big Four roles. If your answer sounds interchangeable across Deloitte, EY, PwC, and KPMG, it raises doubts even if the rest of your interview is solid.

A strong answer combines three elements: a firm-specific differentiator, a clear connection to the actual work of the role, and a personal proof point from your experience. This might mean referencing Deloitte’s scale in tech implementation, EY’s transformation focus, PwC’s industry specialization, or KPMG’s audit quality emphasis and explaining why that matters to the kind of work you want to do. Tying this to a class, internship, or conversation with someone at the firm makes the answer believable rather than rehearsed. The goal is to show intentionality: that you understand what makes the firm distinct and why that distinction genuinely fits you.

In Big Four or public accounting recruiting, missing a deadline can eliminate you instantly, firms have structured recruitment cycles with strict cutoffs for summer internships, full-time offers, and off-cycle applications. Staying organized means maintaining a central calendar that tracks application submissions, interview dates, networking events, career fairs, and follow-up reminders. Use tools like Google Calendar, Notion, or Excel to color-code deadlines by firm or type of activity, and set alerts at least a week in advance. Organization also extends to document management: have tailored resumes, cover letters, transcripts, and references ready for each firm so you can submit quickly without scrambling.

Being organized not only prevents missed opportunities but also reduces stress and improves your interview performance, because you can focus on preparation instead of logistics. Recruiters notice when candidates are timely, prepared, and responsive, it’s a subtle way to demonstrate professionalism, reliability, and attention to detail, traits that are highly valued in accounting and consulting roles.

The Top 10 Schools Hired by Deloitte

Morgan Stanley, like other top investment banks, recruits heavily from a select group of universities known as "target schools." These institutions have strong finance programs, extensive alumni networks, and established relationships with the firm. While Morgan Stanley does not publicly disclose a ranked list of schools, industry analyses and recruiting trends provide insight into the top institutions they hire from.

Deloitte recruits from a wide range of universities — including many public flagship state schools, regional private colleges, and technical institutions beyond just these top targets. The list above focuses on programs where Deloitte is notably a top or frequent employer based on placement and campus recruiting data

The Big Four accounting firm are known for being prestigious, the best of the best. Similar to bulge bracket investment banks, they’re hard to get into, cutthroat, ruthless. However, each one of them is different from the rest. They’re culture, environment, ethics, history, future, all different. One might be easier to land a role in, but will prove to be more difficult to keep it. Explore you’re options, don’t set your eyes on one set-in-stone goal and close off other options. Cast a wide net.

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My name is Braunsen Bax, I’m a honors finance and accounting student-athlete at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois (45 mins outside of Chicago). I graduated from Walton High School in Marietta Georgia. Outside of the classroom I compete in the throws events for the Track & Field team, 35 time NCAA DIII national champions. I’ve had a love of finance and the business world since my sophomore year of high school and started Campus Capital to share that love with my community and like minded individuals in a similar position, with similar goals. My mission is to help people like me shape their futures to ensure they reach their goals while being up to date and educated in the Finance industry.