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PricewaterhouseCoopers Interview Questions & Reviews in Washington, DC Area

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Web: www.pwcglobal.com | HQ: New York, NY

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Updated Oct 26, 2011 – Interview questions and reviews posted anonymously by interview candidates.
Ratings are reflective of location and job title.

Difficulty Rating [?] Based on 19 ratings

2.7

“Average” Interview

Interview Experience [?] Based on 19 ratings

Positive	68%
Neutral	32%
Negative	0%

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1–10 of 19 PricewaterhouseCoopers Interviews

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4.0

Difficult Interview

Overall Neutral Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Oct 2011 in McLean, VA (took 2 weeks)

First, I applied through my university and was selected to interview on campus. It was a very relaxed interview and I thought I did well. I received an email about a week later inviting me to the McLean office for a day of interviews. There were about 12 candidates there for only 3 positions and it was stressful. The interviews were much tougher this time around. I'm currently waiting to hear back.

Interview Questions

Describe a situation where you were part of a team that experienced trouble and what did you do?

Answer Question

Tell me about your leadership role in a group project.

Answer Question

Other Details

I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.

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Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Received and Accepted Offer

Interviewed Nov 2010 in McLean, VA (took 4+ weeks)

The hiring process was similar to that of all of the "Big Four" accounting firms that I interviewed with, in that it consisted of a round of on-campus interviews, followed by a second round of in-office interviews. The people that I met throughout were a wide variety of PWC employees from all levels of the corporation, and I felt like I got a better understanding of what the culture there was like than at some of the other firms where I did not get to meet as many employees.

I ultimately chose PWC because I felt that of the firms I received offers from (there were 7 of them), they had the best mixture of work ethic and being laid back. I did not speak to anyone who was not very welcoming.

Interview Questions

What exactly do you think my average day is like at PWC?

View Answers (1)

Other Details

I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview, a Personality Test and a Background Check.

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Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Neutral Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Mar 2011 in McLean, VA (took a day)

Phone interview with HR person and hiring manager. They mostly asked about "fit" questions and "walk through" your resume.

Interview Questions

Why consulting?

Answer Question

Other Details

I got the interview through a Recruiter and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview.

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Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

View Comments (1)

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Received and Accepted Offer

Interviewed Nov 2010 in McLean, VA (took 2 months)

The first round interview consisted of a one-on-one interview with a manager in the industry vertical that I was interested in within the Advisory Practice. The interview was a very standard behavioral type where he assessed my personality and experience by asking questions about my resume. About halfway through the interview, I was asked to role play with the manager as if I was a lead consultant on a particular issue.

The second round interview consisted of an in-office, all-day event where each interviewee was assigned a mentor who took us to the interview locations and answered any informal questions. All the interviewees went to a conference room to do an "ice breaker." After that we all had individualized interview and tour schedules for the day. One important piece of advice: the mentor also submits feedback on your fit within the organization. The three final-round interviews were also behavioral, but the partners and directors asked more specific questions about my interest in consulting, PwC, and experience that would make me well suited for the company.

Interview Questions

Why are you interested in PwC?

Answer Question

Tell me about yourself

Answer Question

What do you know about consulting? What do consultants do?

Answer Question

Negotiation Details

There really is minimal negotiation room for recent graduates.

Other Details

I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview and a Personality Test.

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Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

2.0

Easy Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Received and Accepted Offer

Interviewed Nov 2010 in Washington, DC (took 3 weeks)

I go to one of their target school, applied to their System Process Assurance (not merged with internal audit as Risk Assurance).

Everything was very standard, applied through the school's system, got invited to a couple of pre-interview meet & greet sessions, first round (was interviewed by a partner from another office). Waited 2 weeks to hear back, got into second round, which is an office visit.

The office visit wasn't well set up as the other big three. (There was no one to greet you at the hotel, no information package, no breakfast) But other than these minor details, everything else was standard. Stayed at Ritz-Carlton for a night, and was taken out to a nice restuarant. The dinner was part of the interview process, they want to assess how you interact in a casual yet professional manners, and see if you can hold a conversation. The next morning was the office visit and 3 interviews with managers, directors or partners.

All the interviews were behavioral in nature. Because I had a summer intership experience in a relevant industry, I feel that they were pretty confident in my capability, so they didn't really ask me any tough questions. The 4 interviews (including the first round) were all like conversation, we shared our backgrounds, discusses a little bit about the cloud computing trends, even movies and classes I'm taking in college. I know my case may not be typical, but i really like the experience, despite the office visit wasn't set up as nicely as the other big 3 in terms of minor details.

I'm still deciding if I should take the offer, the relatively low starting pay is a concern.

Interview Questions

They asked me about the other competing offers.

View Answers (1)

This may not be a question. But I had a long conversation (about 15 mins) with a director, we talked about the SAS 70, SOX and other regulations, and debated a little bit about their purposes. I really like the intellectual conversation, and I feel the director felt the same way, and they might have differentiated me from other applicants.

Answer Question

Other Details

The interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.

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Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Oct 2010 in McLean, VA (took 2 weeks)

I met with a VP for an on campus interview. It was a typical behavioral and resume interview. The questions were not very difficult.

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time you displayed skills in leadership?

Answer Question

Other Details

I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.

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Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

2.0

Easy Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Received and Accepted Offer

Interviewed Jul 2008 in Washington, DC (took 2 days)

Applied for the position via online job posting. Received an email to schedule a phone interview. After the phone interview had 3 back to back interviews with directors of the company. Interview was conversational, discussion about the resume, director's had very similar questions. It was very laid back. After the interview, associates took a few of us to lunch. Dont let your guards down, they are also interviewers.

Interview Questions

Why would you want to work for pwc?

Answer Question

Other Details

The interview consisted of a Phone Interview and a Group/Panel Interview.

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Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

2.0

Easy Interview

Overall Neutral Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Feb 2010 in Washington, DC (took 2 days)

Comfortable setting and good people. Clearly, one individual was threatened by me, however, which I believe led to my not being offered a position. In fact, I believe I was being considered to help expand businss in the area where this person was the lead. All of the four others wqith whom I spoke were very positive. The climate was generally very professional, other than the one reflected by the one individual -- who didn't appear to have an interest and was going through the motions. I was surprised, but then understood!

Interview Questions

None -- no difficult questions.

Answer Question

Other Details

I got the interview through an Employee Referral and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.

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Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

2.0

Easy Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Received and Accepted Offer

Interviewed Jul 2008 in McLean, VA (took 2 weeks)

Had an initial phone conversation where the recruiter asked what I was looking for. I was coming from an engineering manufacturing company where I had a background in Continuous Improvement and Supply Chain Management. Followed by an in-person interview with two senior associates, and a manger. After that initial round of interviews, I was called the next day to set up a final interview with a Managing Director. Usually they have you interview with Managers and a Director and the final round with a Partner, but I guess this team was different.

I received a call the next business day with a verbal offer where I negotiated for a sign-on bonus. I received the written offer later that afternoon and accepted the offer.

Interview Questions

Why do you want to leave your current position?

Answer Question

Negotiation Details

It was over the phone with the recruiter. She offered me a base and I asked for more. She said she would check with the Managing Director and came back about 10 minutes later saying that the MD approved a sign-on bonus, but that was as high as they would go.

Other Details

I got the interview through an Employee Referral and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview and a Background Check.

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Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Neutral Experience

Received and Declined Offer

Interviewed Mar 2010 in Washington, DC (took 1 week)

I was initially contacted by recruiter via a professional networking site. After following up on their request for a conversation, I had some discussion with recruiter over 2 days due to my current working schedule. He seemed legit and after some discussion about the company, salary range, and general job description, I decided it was legit and indicated it was OK to share my resume with several hiring managers.

I was told I would not hear anything for at least a week, however within 48 hours, I was contacted about being interviewed for several positions at once. I don't like these types of situations, but the HR specialist was persistent and I relented.

The organization and planning of the interview was very fast, everything was done via e-mail - scheduling, directions, forms to fill out, etc. It was structured, before and during the day of interview.

I was there for a 2.5 hr block, meeting with 3 employees - a manager, and 2 junior staff. It was never clear what the relationship might be, so perhaps they were just throwing out questions to see what I would go after. The interview was pretty much superficial discussion of technology after meeting the manager. I really enjoyed speaking with the manager and we hit it off very well. After that, I was very bored at the level of discussion and wanted to simply leave. I knew that I was not interested and despite a verbal offer, I simply declined to be considered further.

A good environment for a jr to mid level technology consultant. Do not confuse them with the audit practice which is a very different process. Make sure you are clear on who you are working with.