KPMG AU -changed Graduate Programs & Internships

What it does: KPMG is one of the ‘Big Four’ professional services firm. The six broad divisions that
we specialise in are Audit Assurance & Risk Consulting, Management Consulting, Deals Tax & Legal,
KPMG Enterprise, Innovation, Solutions & Ventures and KPMG Strategy. We provide services to
organisations across a wide range of industries, government, and not-for-profit sectors.
Staff stats: We operate in 147 countries and have more than 219,000 people working in our offices
around the world. We have approximately 6,700 people, including over 400 partners, with offices
around the country.
The good bits: KPMG's Graduate Program offers an excellent learning and development pathway
that supports you with ongoing training, structured development programs and dedicated mentors.
We also offer a Vacationer program for students in their penultimate year and Foundations program
for students in their pre-penultimate years.
The not so good bits: The hours can sometimes be slightly longer in busy periods but during those
times the entire team works together as one collaborative group and supports each other. In
addition to this, the firm recognises and rewards you for these long hours that you spend working on
client projects.
Hiring grads with degrees in:  All disciplines

KPMG story

KPMG came into being in 1987, when a variety of accounting firms in London, Amsterdam and New York, came together in one of the 1980’s largest ‘mega-mergers’.

Nowadays, KPMG Australia is part of a global network which spans over 147 countries that provide advisory, enterprise, tax and auditing services to a wide range of industries, government departments and not for profits.

KPMG Australia is an employer that provides the opportunity to assist organisations ranging from mid-sized family businesses to blue-chip multinationals. KPMG enables you to help your clients solve complex challenges, steer change, disrupt sectors and grow. We are collaborative and innovative and deliver genuine, sustainable value to our clients. 

Corporate Citizenship

As a leader in Corporate Citizenship, KPMG harnesses the energy and capabilities of our people to empower positive change for our community. To enable this, we have a Corporate Citizenship team that help us live our KPMG Story by investing in our community and contributing to causes to improve society. We have a Social Impact Framework to ensure we continue to focus on Australia’s most pressing problems and to concentrate our efforts on initiatives where we can have the greatest impact. Our strategy revolves around four pillars – Indigenous Australia, Climate Change, Skills for the Future and Mental Health.

We utilise our skills and resources in partnership with Indigenous Australia, to bring about prosperity, positive recognition, and to foster reconciliation. We work with organisations to tackle mental health issues and improve people’s wellbeing and productivity. We are committed to equipping disadvantaged people with the right skills for a successful future. And finally, we advocate increasing the understanding of climate change impacts on Australia's economy, environment and society to encourage meaningful action while decreasing our firm's environmental impacts.

Indigenous Australia 

KPMG has a decade-long, proud commitment to Indigenous Australia, as demonstrated by the achievement of an Elevate level Reconciliation Action Plan. Through firm-wide Indigenous procurement targets and work undertaken by KPMG Indigenous Services, the firm is supporting the development of a dynamic and sustainable Indigenous business sector. KPMG has a long-standing relationship with the Jawun Program, providing expertise to Indigenous organisations and communities to build capacity and support self-determination. Our strong partnerships with the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience and the KPMG Indigenous tertiary scholarship program supports students on their education and career development journey. The KPMG Indigenous Network (KIN) provides a platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colleagues to connect across the country and access personal and professional development opportunities.

Reconciliation Action Plan

Pride@KPMG

At KPMG we are proud of our people and work towards ensuring our culture is one where everyone can reach their full potential regardless of gender or sexuality. Pride@KPMG is our employee network for LGBTQ+ employees and allies. The purpose of the network is to help create an inclusive culture for LGBTQ+ employees through influencing policy update, education and awareness of the challenges and barriers faced by employees with diverse sexuality or genders and connecting LGBTQ+ employees in a safe and inclusive environment. Pride@KPMG also aims to be an ally and supporter of people with intersex variations and welcomes everyone to be a part of creating change through Pride@KPMG. We are founding members of ACON’s Pride in Diversity initiative, a bronze employer for 2019 Australian Workplace Equality Index, and supporters of Out for Australia and the Pinnacle Foundation. Some of our continued areas of focus support for Trans and Gender Diverse employees, support and visibility of LGBTQ+ women and developing our LGBTQ+ talent.

Inclusion & Diversity site

Cultural Diversity

KPMG Australia has team members from around the world, with a rich environment of ethnic, religious and cultural diversity and languages. This brings together a wealth of skills, experiences and perspectives that makes KPMG a great place to work, and provides a diversity of innovations and resources for our clients. 

We’re strengthening our focus on cultural diversity at leadership levels, creating career development opportunities, the importance of role models from different backgrounds and building our cultural IQ across the firm. We hold forum events across the country to create opportunities for everyone to share stories about their cultural identity, as well as offering facilities for our people to engage in prayer and quiet contemplation during the working day and cultural/religious leave.

Gender Equality

As an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality, KPMG is focused on achieving our targets for women in partnership by December 2020. Our CEO, Gary Wingrove participates in Male Champions of Change, is a WGEA Pay Equity Ambassador and signed the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles. A leadership development and sponsorship program is changing the gender balance in senior levels at KPMG. The KPMG Bird-Walton program is designed to empower high potential women with the confidence to take action when career opportunities arise and increase their organisational impact, which includes how senior male leaders use their own power and reputational capital to effectively advocate for women.

Achieving Gender Equity at KPMG

Flexibility

Getting the right balance between personal and professional life can be tough. But being fit, healthy and happy improves work performance and morale. Our fair and flexible work practices support this. Our programs and practices improve work balance and demonstrate our commitment to support the careers of our people.

Working flexibly at KPMG

People with Disability

We promote access, inclusion and awareness and aim to focus on people’s abilities and how we can help them succeed through workplace adjustments, flexibility, agile working or a longer-term health management plan. We’re committed to creating an environment that values the skills that people with a range of disabilities can bring to both our work and workplace culture.

KPMG Perks

Recruitment Process

KPMG is excited to offer ‘KPMG Career Launchpad’ – an application and interview experience for students to launch their career.

Before you read the below, have you checked out our graduate website where we help you navigate your career options?

We offer opportunities in our Vacationer and Graduate programs across our offices nationally. Once you’ve decided which business group you'd like to start your KPMG career pathway with, you’ll need to submit your application to be part of the KPMG Career Launchpad experience.

1. Application phase

An exciting KPMG career starts with a simple online application. We'll ask you some questions about your experiences to date, and why you've chosen to apply to KPMG. Be sure to do your research, have your CV ready and check your application for any typos. You can only apply to one location but you will have the ability to select up to four preferences of business groups on your application form. After completing the application, you’ll be emailed confirmation details on your submission. If you do not receive this, please email gradrecruiting@kpmg.com.au.

2. Abilities assessments

Once you've submitted your application online, you'll be invited to complete two online assessments. The first is a game-based assessment that gives us some insight into your ability to evaluate and make decisions based on different types of information. You will also be required to complete an interactive assessment which measures emotional intelligence, perception and understanding. This helps us to understand how you perceive emotions and your ability to understand the connection between emotions and situations. Both assessments should take you less than an hour to complete, and you’ll need to complete them within 48 hours so we can progress your application to the next stage.

3. Video interview

After you've successfully completed our online assessments, we’ll send you a link to complete a video interview. The video interview shouldn’t be longer than around 10 minutes. We'll ask you to answer a few questions about yourself using an online video interview tool. Don't worry, the questions aren't tricky (and you get the chance to practice using the video tool beforehand). This will give us a chance to 'virtually' meet you and understand more about your motivations for applying to KPMG. You should expect to be able to introduce yourself with impact and prepare to answer behavioural style questions as you would during a typical interview. We’d strongly encourage you to do your research, be able to articulate why you’re passionate about joining KPMG and show that you have an understanding of the line of work that you’re interested in and the services that we provide.

4. Final stage – KPMG Launchpad

The final stage of our recruitment process involves an invitation to attend our KPMG Career Launchpad, in the office location you’ve expressed an interest in. This is an interactive assessment day where you’ll have the opportunity to hear from inspiring leaders and network with a range of business representatives and graduates who can give you further insight into what it’s like to work at KPMG. You’ll work with others on an interesting case study, and participate in an interview with your relevant business group. Your interview will be behavioural-based and it will take place with a partner or director, or a senior manager or manager from the business group you've expressed interest in. This interview will take approximately 30 minutes and will allow us to find out more about you. Your interviewers will ask you questions about your life, your time at university, your extra-curricular activities and any work experience you've acquired. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions to people who know what it’s like to work at KPMG!

5. Our offer

If you're successful at the final stage of our process, you'll be contacted by KPMG and a written offer of employment will be forwarded to you. If you have any questions about our offer, or about working at KPMG, then we encourage you to talk to your local Graduate Recruitment Consultant.

Career prospects 

With divisions across different professional services industries, there are countless career opportunities available to you. Graduates will complete a 12-month learning pathway program, with some having the opportunity to rotate through other teams within their division. During the program you will complete graduate-focused and division-specific learning, giving you the knowledge and experience to start your professional career – we want to set you up for success!

After completing the graduate program and working in your team for a while, you may eventually feel like a change. After you have gained some experience, you have the option to apply to other teams for a lateral transfer or to move to another national office. If you’re up for a real challenge, we have secondment opportunities available to clients and to KPMG offices overseas which you can apply for also. With a diverse set of divisions and clients, you’ll never feel like you’re stuck in the same place at KPMG.

The vibe of the Place 

One of our biggest points of difference that we are proud of is our culture, and you will hear this a lot within the office about why people choose to work at KPMG. 

KPMG is committed to providing an environment which enables everyone to succeed – a safe space for our people to bring their whole selves to work – where inclusion is at the heart of our values. Our culture influences how we interact with our colleagues, clients and the broader community. We believe our diversity of thought, backgrounds and experiences strengthens relationships and delivers meaningful benefits to our people and clients. It also makes KPMG a vibrant and interesting place to work.

Underpinning our culture are our flexible work practices that enable you to work in a way that fits in with the life you want to live. There are opportunities for people to be part of employee resource groups and networks that support more inclusive workplaces for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colleagues, LGBTIQ+ people, people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds, Women and People with Disabilities.  

You can expect lots of challenging and diverse tasks, a structured learning pathway program, and plenty of opportunities to be involved in social events with your colleagues. We have beautiful offices around the country which advocate an ‘everyone agile’ environment, which means you have the ability to sit wherever you like to enjoy the view. This means you might sit with your team one day, or choose to sit amongst new people the next. You can also expect to dress for your day – some days you might have client meetings and you’ll put on your fancy pants, and others you might choose to tone it down to be more business casual. When we say no two days are the same, it applies to the type of work you do, where you sit and what you might wear!

Learning & Development

Graduate Learning Pathway

KPMG’s Graduate Pathway is a 12-month development program that not only supports the build of key capabilities and role-specific learning but is one that promotes:

• collaboration and connectedness through ongoing touchpoints 
• strong relationships through networking opportunities
• leadership development
• Understanding of KPMG, self and our clients

The 12-month graduate pathway is underpinned by divisional specific learning and is structured to enable flexibility in scope as you are ultimately responsible for your own learning journey with support provided to assist you in deciding what you want to learn.

Vacation Learning Pathway

KPMG’s Vacationer Pathway is a 6 to 8-week development program that not only supports the build of key capabilities but also provides you with a taste of what a graduate role could look and feel like at KPMG.  You should expect to:

• learn about KPMG’s business areas and more on the type of work we do for our clients
• develop connections with your nominated mentor (Performance Development Manager) and Buddy, who is a peer in your team
• network with our people at all levels of the Firm and in particular with current graduates
• participate in learning through face to face workshops and online platforms
• build strong relationships through networking opportunities.