I went through campus recruiting. I wanted to work in the NYC office, but had to go through my local office's recruitment and then receive a referral to NYC. I did not go to any GT events on campus, I stopped by their tabling once, and spoke with the recruiter at the career fair. Selected for an on campus interview.
The night before the interview GT had a social as all the accounting firms do. The social consisted for an hour and a half scavenger hunt, then a hour and a half social. I don't know what student has three hours to fork over in the middle of the week. I did not attend the scavenger hunt but went to the social. Laugh and talked with the recruiter briefly, a staff member extensively and she introduced me to a partner in the service line I wanted to work. He and I spoke about accounting, the position and then general things. The day of the interview I will be honest, I was like 30 mins late! However, they made me feel very welcomed, and assured me that it was okay. (Really great people). The interview was brief since I was so late! Asked me about my resume, why I wanted to work in NYC. Maybe a week later received an email congratulating me on receiving an office visit to GT NYC.
Office visit:
All the interviewees (like 30 of us) were first waiting in the lobby wondering what was happening. We were finally lead to a big conference room with goody bags, and assigned seats. After we walked around the room (mind you there are like 30 of us, the two recruiters, and the 30 office buddies all in this one big conference room) looking for our seat as the same time our office buddy was looking for us. The recruiters were frantically trying to pass out each interviewee's interview schedule. As all of this is going on you have to opportunity to grab some breakfast and talk to your buddy for a little bit. A partner comes in talks about how great GT has been for him. He came Anderson blah, blah, blah.
After the presentation my buddy and I were off to my first interview, we laughed and talked a little bit, asked him some questions about what he does, how he likes it etc.
Had three interviews, a manager, a senior manager and a partner. Besides the partner, the interviewers had only worked there less than a year. My office buddy actually cracked a joke to another staff member that the guy who was listed on my interview schedule as a senior manager definitely was not a senior manager.
Interviews were basic behavioral, resume and general questions, made sure to ask questions about their position and the firm. Interviews weren't bad at all. 30 mins each, very conversational.
After interview went to lunch with my buddy plus 4 others. Went to a Kosher restaurant that was pretty good. Had some pretty good convo, everyone seemed exactly the same and I was nothing like them. They all seemed like Big Four rejects, not saying this to be disrespectful or insult, but that is the feeling I received.
A little over two weeks later I receive an email that I have an offer. I am declining. The NYC office is nothing like my local GT office. If I had previous exposure to the NYC office, I would have not applied. Seems very disorganized, and very second best. The people were nice that I met, some really great people! But I know recruiting is supposed to paint a picture of the ideal office and in my mind if this chaotic mess is what is being put on display, I can only imagine what the actual work like is like, No thank you.