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FAQs

FAQs

You have questions. We have the answers! Scan our FAQs for important information about KPMG. If you can’t find what you are looking please contact us here. Remember though, we do recruit on a rolling basis across all roles, so if your question is holding up applying for a role we’d suggest you submit your application and include your query in your application and we can follow up.

This is the one question we get asked the most and the answer is there isn’t any one thing we look for in particular. We want our people to be their authentic selves and bring different ways of thinking to our teams. We take your whole application into consideration; your CV, application answers, assessments, video and face to face interactions with us. We want to get to know you as a person, as your application will be viewed by the Talent Acquisition Team and KPMG Leaders. If we had one tip, it would be to really focus on what KPMG means to you. Whether that is finding a value of ours that aligns with your own values, or meeting someone from KPMG and having a great experience with them; we want you to really articulate how you can help us to fuel prosperity.

We host and attend loads of events on campus each year. You’ll find a link to our Eventbrite page here where you can find out about upcoming events. Also keep an eye on our social media channels where we’ll also post about last minute events during the year!

Absolutely not. If anything this will be a great addition to your CV and your application with us. Be sure to tell us what you liked and what you learnt from that experience.

Any and all experience counts to us at KPMG. Whether you have gained some exposure in business, retail or hospitality we want to hear about it.
The skills you will have learned in different industries will transfer across roles as you progress through your career. You should definitely
include any work experience on your CV.

Applications for our graduate roles and summer intern positions, opened on Monday 16th March 2020. We don’t publish a closing date as we recruit on an ongoing basis from March 16th and as soon as we have filled roles in a particular location or service line application details for that role will be removed from our website. We’ll also announce when we open on our social media channels, so be sure to follow us on Linked In, Facebook and Instagram.

Early! We recommend you apply for a role as soon as you can to avoid missing out on your preferred division or location. Assessment days take place throughout late February and March in all locations so you’ll need to be available to attend one of our offices during this period if you’re successful.

Definitely. If you are overseas but planning to return to New Zealand, you can apply following our usual recruitment process. We would ask that you mention this somewhere in your application, so that we can take this into account when we are planning our assessment days.

After you click ‘Submit’ on your application, you’ll receive an automated email to confirm we have received this. Please supply us with the email address you use most often, and check your email regularly, so that you don’t miss any correspondence from us. Be sure to check your junk inbox too, just in case!

Explore our teams within KPMG and the type of work you could be doing as an intern or graduate in those teams. We have lots of information here on the website to show you what the roles are like and also how what you have studied could be relevant to a role with us!

Then take look at our vacancies list, and choose the role you’d like to apply for. We list our roles by Office, Team and whether it is a graduate or intern role (e.g Wellington – Audit – Intern).

As this is a really hectic time for us, we ask that you only apply for one role per application round, so please make sure the role you actually apply to is your first preference. In your application, we do give you the option to state additional preferences either for team or location, and you can list as many as you like! If you apply for multiple roles, all of your applications may unfortunately be rejected.

To apply you’ll upload your CV and unofficial academic transcript, and complete our online application form (which includes two specific questions about why you want to work for KPMG and how you can help us to fuel prosperity). We don’t ask for a cover letter!

If you’re looking for a summer internship, you can be in any year of university. That said, we generally encourage people to apply in their second-to-last year of study. For graduate positions, you’ll be in your final year of study when you apply. It is a great idea to apply for a summer intern position, as we often offer our interns a graduate position based on their performance over the summer.

No! We welcome and encourage applications from all university faculties! The one thing we would say though, is that if you’re looking to apply for Audit or Enterprise we usually would like you to meet the pre-requisites to start your CAANZ or CPA studies when you join us. If you are unsure whether you meet the requirements speak to us on campus or at one of our open evenings or contact CPA or CAANZ and they can inform you of the current eligibility requirements if this is a path you wish to follow.

For our Advisory practice, we are open to all disciplines too! If you’re interested in Tax you may have studied some law too, and we can support you to complete further professional qualifications in this area.

Grades are not the be-all-and-end-all at KPMG. We’re looking for students with a well-rounded CV that includes work experience, extracurricular activities, and leadership experience or community involvement. We consider a B average and above to be a solid GPA, however you will also have a chance to tell us in your application whether you feel anything has impacted your studies! If you feel something has set you back, tell us about it

Yes, KPMG New Zealand welcomes applications from international students. You’ll just need to meet the following criteria:

  • You must be currently enrolled in a full-time degree at a New Zealand university, or, prior to joining KPMG for a graduate role, you must have completed one academic year of your degree at a New Zealand University.
  • You must be able to attend one of our assessment days (i.e. you will be in New Zealand during February and March).
  • You’ll need to provide a copy of your passport and visa/work permit during the application process
  • We suggest you contact the New Zealand Immigration Department for more information about working in New Zealand.

Our video interview stage is not designed to trip you up or catch you out throughout the application process. We view this as an extension of your CV and gives you the chance to bring your CV to life and tell us why KPMG is the place for you.

Our video interviewing tool will ask you 2 questions, and film you answering them. You also get a practice question to get used to the style of the tool and get comfortable using the system.

We recommend you do the video somewhere quiet, free from distractions and somewhere you can really focus. Be sure to dress as if you were attending an interview! Our biggest tips are to be enthusiastic, remember to smile, try to relax, and let your personality shine through.

Our online abilities assessments feature verbal, numerical and abstract questions in addition to a short situational judgement section which gives a glimpse of your working style. We will email you with a link to take you straight to these, and they take approx. twenty minutes to complete.

If you have any technical issues, reach out to us and we can fix this for you.

If you’re successful in reaching the next stage, we’ll get in touch to let you know next steps. This will usually be via email.

If your application is not successful in reaching the next stage, you’ll receive an email from us. Due to the large number of applications we receive, unfortunately we can’t provide individual feedback if your initial online application is unsuccessful. However, if you are unsuccessful at any later stage in the process, you will be offered an optional one-on-one feedback call with a member of our Talent Acquisition Team. You’ll receive a link to our Calendly page where you will be able to book in a slot that suits you. Feedback calls are scheduled in early-mid April.

If you are invited to attend an assessment day, you’ll spend a half day in the office you have applied to. There will be an individual component, group work, presentation and interview with a KPMG leader. You’ll also have a tour of the office and we finish the day with a networking function too.

Absolutely! We want you to see and experience the office you could be potentially working in. If you do require any travel bookings, one of the KPMG talent team will give you a call to get this organised for you. Please note the only exception to this is if we host a national assessment day in one location.

You don’t need to prepare as such – we’ll explain everything on the day, and give you all the support and equipment you need. There’ll also be plenty of opportunities to ask questions of our Partners, Managers and current graduates; so have a think about what you would like to know. Our only other advice is to get a good night’s sleep the night before, and arrive with an enthusiastic mind-set, ready to enjoy the day!

You will receive a phone call within 48 hours of an assessment day to let you know the outcome. You’ll get a call whether you’ve been successful or not, so keep your phone at the ready! If for any reason we need to go over this timeframe, we will let you know via email, and keep you updated each step of the way.

Tons of support! You will be paired up with a Buddy who will show you around including where all the awesome local lunch places are and answer any questions – they often become lifelong friends! We also hold national inductions so you will meet your whole cohort across New Zealand, and not to mention Grad Camp which is our Graduate induction trip that shows you what we’re all about. You’ll also have a performance manager who you’ll have regular catch ups with and they will guide you through your new role. We have an in-house team dedicated to your learning and development too. They will not only support you through your professional qualifications, but also with your personal career planning.

We’re big on collaboration at KPMG, and we have an open door policy. Our Leaders, (including our Chairman, Ross Buckley) are always willing to provide you with professional guidance, and offer the benefit of their experience. They understand what it’s like to be starting out, because they were a grad once too!

Ready to Fuel your Future?

Early Career

We recruit on an ongoing basis from early March each year. As soon as we have filled roles in a particular location or service line, application details for that role will be removed from our website. We’ll also announce when we open on our social media channels, so be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Early! We recommend you apply for a role as soon as you can to avoid missing out on your preferred division or location

Definitely. If you are overseas but planning to return to New Zealand, you can apply following our usual recruitment process. We would ask that you mention this somewhere in your application, so that we can take this into account when we are planning interviews or assessment days.

Do your research! We have lots of information here on the careers website to inform you of what it would be like to join our various teams/roles, and how what you have studied could be relevant to a role with us!

Make sure from our list of vacancies you choose the role that is most suited to your skillset and where your passions lie. We list our roles by Office, Team and whether it is a graduate or intern role (e.g. Wellington – Audit – Intern)

We ask that you only apply for one role per application round, so please make sure the role you apply for is your first preference. In your application, we do give you the option to state additional preferences either for team or location, and you can list as many as you like!

To apply all you need to upload is your CV and unofficial academic transcript, as well as completing our online application form. No need for a cover letter!

We welcome and encourage applications from all university faculties!

For our Private Enterprise and Audit divisions, we usually would like you to meet the pre-requisites to start your CAANZ or CPA studies when you join us. However, we are open to hearing from students who may not be on that pathway also.

If you are unsure whether you meet the requirements, please contact CAANZ or CPA and they can inform you of the current eligibility requirements if this is a path you wish to follow.

Yes, KPMG New Zealand welcomes applications from international students. However, you will need to meet the following criteria:
• You must be currently enrolled in a full-time degree at a New Zealand university, or, prior to joining KPMG for a graduate role, you must have completed one academic year of your degree at a New Zealand University.
• You’ll need to provide a copy of your passport and visa/work permit during the application process.
• We suggest you contact the New Zealand Immigration Department for more information about working in New Zealand.

Our video interviewing tool will ask you 2 questions, and film your answers to these questions. You will get a practice question to enable you to get used to the style of the tool and ensure you are comfortable using the system.

We view these video answers as a great way for our teams to get to know you as a person, and for you to tell us why KPMG is the place for you. We recommend you do the video somewhere quiet, free from distractions and somewhere you can really focus. Be sure to dress as if you were attending an interview! Our biggest tips are to be enthusiastic, remember to smile, be relaxed, and let your personality shine through.

If you have any technical issues, reach out to us and we can fix this for you.

Our online ability assessments feature verbal, numerical and abstract questions in addition to a short situational judgement section which gives us a glimpse of your working style in a corporate environment. We will email you with a link to take you straight to these, and they take approximately twenty minutes to complete.

If you have any technical issues, reach out to us and we can fix this for you.

If you’re successful in reaching the next stage, we’ll get in touch to let you know next steps. If your application is not successful in reaching the next stage, you’ll receive an email from us with feedback and tips to aid you if you decide to apply again in the future.

Due to the large number of applications we receive, unfortunately we can’t provide individual feedback if your initial online application is unsuccessful. However if you are attend an assessment day or interview, you will be offered an optional one-on-one feedback call with a member of our Graduate Experience team. You’ll receive a link to our Calendly page where you will be able to book a time that suits you

Absolutely! We want you to experience the office you could be potentially working in. If you do require any travel bookings, one of the KPMG Grad Experience team will reach out to you via email or phone to get this organised for you.

Please note due to Covid-19 restrictions we may need to hold virtual interviews instead. We will ensure to give you enough notice and information about this at the time.

Both our virtual and in-person assessment days are approximately half a day long and include an individual component, group work, a presentation and an interview with a KPMG leader.

If we are able to, we will hold our assessment days in-person in the office you have applied to. As well as the above, the in-person days also include a tour of the office and finish with a networking function so you can meet some of the team you have applied to work with.

You will be notified before your assessment day if it will be virtual or in person and given all the information needed for the day.

You don’t need to prepare as such – we’ll explain everything on the day, and give you all the support and equipment you need. There’ll also be plenty of opportunities to ask questions of our Partners, Managers and Grads; so have a think about what you would like to know. Our only other advice is to get a good night’s sleep the night before, and arrive with an enthusiastic mind-set, ready to enjoy the day!

You will be notified of the outcome via phone call or email within 48 hours of an assessment day. If for any reason we need to go over this timeframe, we will let you know via email and keep you updated along the way.

Tons of support! You will be paired up with a Buddy who will show you around, answer any questions and show you where all the awesome local lunch places are too. You will attend a national induction upon starting at KPMG where you get a chance to meet your whole grad or intern cohort, learn about KPMG’s values, receive your laptop and much more. As a graduate, you will also attend Grad Camp, a key part of your induction where you will meet your cohort and be introduced to KPMG and our culture.

You’ll also have a performance manager who you’ll have regular catch ups with and they will guide you through your new role. We have an in-house team dedicated to your learning and development too. They will not only support you through your professional qualifications, but also with your personal career planning.

We’re big on collaboration at KPMG, and we have an open door policy. Our Leaders, (including our Chair, CEO, and Partners) are always willing to provide you with professional guidance, and offer the benefit of their experience. They understand what it’s like to be starting out, because they were a grad once too!

We host and attend numerous events on campus and virtually each year. You’ll find a link to our Eventbrite page here where you can find out about upcoming events. Also keep an eye on our social media channels where we’ll also post about last minute events during the year!

General

Take a look at some of our thought leadership on our corporate website here. You can also find us on our LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram to learn more about KPMG NZ.

Depending on your preference for a bigger city, a smaller town or perhaps somewhere close to the beach, our 7 office locations across New Zealand will tick one of those boxes. Click here to view our office locations.

Flexible working looks different for everyone and we are happy to discuss what may work for you during the recruitment process. Further information can also be found here.

Our goal is to build a stronger and more successful firm for today and tomorrow that reflects the diversity of our New Zealand communities. We nurture excellence from within and we invite excellence to join us. Click here to find out more about our approach to Inclusion & Diversity.

We’re happy to assist you! Please either reach out to us on +64 9 367 5800  or email us at [email protected].

When you are applying for a role with KPMG, as part of our declaration form we ask if you require any assistance in this regard. If you select yes and are invited for an interview, we will contact you to understand how we can support you.

We thrive on supporting our people grow their careers and everyone’s path is different! The success of your career is what you make of it and as a team, we are right behind you every step of the way!

You’ll have access to a range of resources to develop your career – whether this be through leadership development programmes, technical courses or working with subject matter experts whilst on a client engagement, you’ll be able to challenge yourself every day.

We encourage you to participate in annual goal setting as well as regular career conversations with your performance manager, where you can share where your passion and interests lie.

Depending on your skills and experience, there are opportunities to work on a range of cross-divisional engagements and we encourage internal mobility within KPMG. To hear from our people about their career stories and pathways, head to our Career Stories page found here.

We are sorry to hear if you are experiencing technical difficulties. Please email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as possible to offer support.

International

You can browse our current global opportunities here. You can also contact our Global Mobility team email: [email protected]

We are guided by Immigration New Zealand as to who can obtain a visa to work. If we are not able to consider your application due to visa constraints, we will advise you upon reviewing your application.

In light of the Covid19 pandemic, we are adapting constantly to a changing set of circumstances in New Zealand and globally. Where we are able to support you relocate to New Zealand, we will discuss your individual situation with you and work through options that will mutually benefit you and KPMG.