How I Got Into the Big 4 as a First-Gen Student (3.1 GPA, No Connections)

0:00I got into [music] the Big Four as a first-generation community college transfer student. No connections, a day job in construction, a 3.1 GPA, and a suit that didn't even fit. Here's exactly [music] how it happened and what I tell you to do. I'm Astro. [music] Before I ever worked in finance, I worked construction. Let's

0:21get into it. Quick context. I'm a first-generation college student. No connections. No one to show me how any of this worked. [music] I was figuring it out from scratch. So, as soon as I got accepted to Cal [music] Poly San Luis Obispo, I went looking for every club and resource on campus. At orientation, [music] I met the accounting club, the finance club, and a bunch of others. And I got on [music] every email list. Soon, my inbox filled up. Free lunch and learns, companies coming to recruit on campus, and firm tour invitations. So, I signed up for a firm tour. [music] We went up to San Francisco and toured

0:59PwC, KPMG, EY, and a few tax [music] firms. For me, that was a one-of-one experience. Because my day job, while I was in school, [music] was construction. Some days, I was in the office as the estimator. Other days, I was out on site pouring concrete. So, just being in an office like that and talking [music] to the people who worked there was

1:23life-changing. And I was an extremely shy, nervous [music] kid growing up. This took me way out of my comfort zone. Most of these events had speed networking. You talk to someone from the firm for a couple of minutes, pick their brain, [music] and it usually ended with them handing you a business card. By the end of the day, [music] I had grabbed every single business card I could. And that night, I emailed about a hundred people I met, thanking them [music] for their advice and for showing

1:52me the ropes. I left with nothing but a stack of business cards and the hope that one day [music] someone would reach back out. Then one day, I got an email about a pizza [music] and beer event on campus at 8:00. Problem was, my class ended at 8:00 on the complete [music] other side

2:11of campus. So, I left a few minutes early and rode my bike all the way across campus. I showed up sweaty and a little nervous, [music] but they welcomed me with open arms. That night I met a partner, a Cal Poly alum who had been at PwC, [music] one of the Big Four, for over 20 years. I had never been in the same room as someone [music] with that much

2:34experience, so I was genuinely curious. I asked him about his career, about his [music] time at Cal Poly, about how he did it. He liked all the questions. After a long night of talking, he handed me his business [music] card and told me to apply for the audit internship in San Francisco. So, I applied and the next week I got a

2:55call to interview on [music] campus. I showed up in a suit that honestly didn't fit. It was a little tight. I was nervous. [music] It felt like my whole life depended on it. But when HR walked in, the nerves [music] just went away. It felt like I already had the internship. It started [music] as a tell me about yourself conversation and we just talked. I told them straight up, my only experience [music] was in construction, as a project manager on job sites and as

3:23an estimator. Now, let me be real. My grades were not impressive. I was never a 4.0 [music] student. When I transferred, I had maybe a 3.1 or a 3.2. [music] I was honestly worried that a loan would knock me out, but it didn't. The interview was [music] friendly, nice and professional. I interviewed with two or three more firms, but that partner story stuck

3:48[music] with me. I knew I I PwC. And sure enough, a month later, I got my first offer. [music] I was on my way to becoming an audit intern in the technology sector at PwC, San Francisco. And those [music] hundred thank you emails, they paid off. By the time I got to the firm, I already knew people there. People I'd emailed before I even

4:11landed the internship. If you're trying to break into the Big Four, [music] especially if you're first gen like me, here's what I'd tell you. One, get on every list. That's how I found the firm tour and the pizza night. [music] Two, follow up. A thank you email takes two minutes. Three, be curious, not perfect. [music] My GPA and my construction background didn't stop me. My questions opened the

4:36door. If you like this video, [music] like, comment, and subscribe. And if you're recruiting for the Big Four right now, check out astrofinancehq.com. Want part two? In the next one, I'll tell you how my internship went. I'm Astro. See you in orbit. [music]