How long does it take for Big 4 Decision after final round?

Question

Hi everyone,

I’m an undergrad who recently interviewed for a big 4 summer internship. I made it to the final partner round.

The interview was 100% behavioural and it felt like it went well and the partner was very friendly the whole time.

It’s been almost 2 weeks since the interview and I was wondering if this means I was likely rejected.

For reference I wasn’t given a time frame but the partner did say to contact her through HR if I want to call with her again to ask questions.

Also the recruiter for the team is currently on vacation so I’m wondering if that might have to do anything with it.

Really nervous so I’d love to know what you all think. Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on your progress in the application process thus far!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:

First of all, I would highly advise you not to read anything into the lead time, especially if the recruiter is on holiday.
Moreover, if you know when they are coming back, I would advise you to contact them within a few days of their arrival.

You can find more on this topic here: How to deal with a rejection from a consulting company.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 2

Hi there,

before offer decisions are communicated, they have to be aligned between HR and the interviewers in the process. This can sometimes take time (up to several weeks) for various reasons. A few common ones are listed below for a general overview:

internal scheduling conflicts between HR and the interviewers, especially when partners need to be involved
the firm is still conducting more final round interviews with other candidates and they might want to wait for that to play out to look at the full candidate picture before extending final offers
offers have been extended to “first choice” candidates and the firm is trying to keep “backup” candidates on hold until they know who accepted and who declined their first batch of offers
holidays or year-end shutdown delay the decision-making and communication process
there is uncertainty internally around budget and the exact headcount they can actually hire so they are trying to buy time

I know that this is unsettling and every candidate wants to have clarity on the status sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, you'll always have to wait for the official word.

However, it is best to just assume a rejection and continue with the recruiting efforts with other firms until you have a written offer in your hands. That way you at least won't lose time.

Best

Answer 3

Hi there,

It could be anywhere from 1 day to 1 month (in the current environment). The vacation you mention definitely could play a part in this.

Fingers crossed for a positive outcome!

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 4

Big4 decisions are normally made by partners.

It will take as much time as the last partner who interviewed you consider appropriate. They might be interviewing other candidates for the same position and waiting to finish with all candidates before making a decision.

Follow up with HR every week.