Despite the difficulty finding jobs in recent years, one area that has welcomed graduates is accountancy.

The country's "Big 4" accountancy firms take on hundreds of graduates every year. They recruit college leavers not only from accountancy and business degrees, but also from unrelated areas too, typically giving them three-year training contracts.

These training contracts involve just as much study as practical experience. Students sit exams with the relevant professional bodies and emerge after three years as fully-qualified accountants. These programmes are very well established - KPMG, Deloitte and Ernst & Young have been running them for years.

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A further advantage enjoyed by graduates is that, because these firms hire so many at a time, their introduction to the working world is shared with a large number of others college leavers, making the transition from college to the working world much easier.

It's also worth noting that the social scene is more active than most other work places - for the first few weeks at least.

Deloitte

Orla Graham, head of HR

How many accounting trainees does Deloitte hire in Ireland every year and where are jobs based?

We have up to 200 graduate positions available annually. The jobs are in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. Successful candidates can work in audit, tax, consulting, corporate finance, enterprise risk services or small and medium enterprise services.

Are you looking for people with accounting/business degrees or do you accept graduates from other disciplines?

We welcome applications from all graduates - business, accounting, law, technology and science disciplines among others.

How many of these trainees are kept on after they've completed the programme?

The numbers kept on after their training varies and depends on the business needs at that stage.

There may be further opportunities for these people to stay with Deloitte and progress their careers with Deloitte in Ireland, or Deloitte globally through our global mobility programmes. The advantages of having a professional qualification are very significant, and having obtained this people will have a variety of career options available to them.

Do you place importance on jobseekers having experience?

Internships are a great opportunity for students to find out if a career is for them.

Seeking an internship while at university is an excellent way of gaining practical experience and adding to their CV.

Does Deloitte run internship programmes?

Yes, we have an undergraduate summer internship programme which launches in December each year. All details will be available on www.deloitte.com/ie/graduate from December 2013 (for Summer 2014 internships).

KPMG

Paul Vance, head of recruitment

How many accounting trainees does KPMG hire in Ireland every year and where are jobs based?

We recruit approximately 280 people who go on to work in our offices in Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Galway. However, the majority of graduates are hired into our Dublin offices.

Are you looking for people with accounting/business degrees or do you accept graduates from other disciplines?

We welcome candidates from all academic backgrounds. We obviously attract many business students but we are also very happy to hire graduates from other backgrounds such as engineering, arts and science.

We like having the mix of disciplines, as graduates with different backgrounds offer different perspectives. However, the main volume of vacancies is for our audit, tax and advisory practice. We do hire into IT, marketing, and HR, but at smaller volumes.

How many of these trainees are kept on after they've completed their exams?

All top-performing trainees are offered a contract with the firm. Some elect to go travelling or to take a position within industry.

Do you place importance on jobseekers having experience?

Graduates with work experience tend to perform better at interviews. They have picked up many life skills and are often better prepared for a career in KPMG.

Does KPMG run internship programmes and do you have details on that?

We do have an internship programme which offers graduates an excellent opportunity to experience KPMG first-hand.

All our top-performing interns are offered a graduate role in the firm. We hire students into the firm for periods of three, six, nine and 11 months.

These internships are a good way for students to experience life in KPMG and to see if a career with us is for them. Likewise, we have the benefit of these top students working in the firm and we use the programme to help identify future graduates for the firm.

What time of year does KPMG recruit and what's the interview process?

We open our application system from mid-September to late October. Interviews are held at the end of October and the beginning of November.

We ask our candidates to attend a presentation evening where they can hear more about the firm. This also gives us the opportunity to speak with employees in an informal setting. Candidates then return for two interviews the following day. More information can be found on www.kpmgcareers.ie.

What are you looking for in potential candidates?

We are looking for candidates with a strong desire to become a business leader, to train as a chartered accountant, to become a manager after four years, and be open to learning and working in a busy environment.

What mistakes do people make in interviews?

Many candidates don't convince the interviewer that they have researched the role and are fully committed to this career choice. Ask questions - prepare a few before the interview. By asking questions, a candidate is demonstrating their motivation for the role.

Ernst and Young

Jim Ryan, People Partner

How many accounting trainees does Ernst & Young hire every year and where are the jobs based?

Approximately 150. We have offices in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Belfast and we recruit trainees across each of these locations into assurance, transaction advisory services, advisory and tax, and financial services.

Are you looking for people with accounting/business degrees or do you accept graduates from other academic disciplines?

Ernst & Young actively encourages applicants from a range of disciplines, including legal, business, engineering and IT, to join the firm. They bring an alternative insight into the business.

In last year's graduate programme we recruited two engineers into the research and development arm of the business.

Our graduate programme offers roles in audit, tax, transactions and advisory. Within our advisory team, we have people focusing on IT risk, performance improvement and many other areas.

Do you place importance on jobseekers having experience?

Yes, we have minimum entry requirements in regards to Leaving Cert points and a 2.1 degree for entry.

Experience within internships develops key skills and prepares students for entry into a professional environment.

Does Ernst & Young run internship programmes?

Almost 50% of graduate programme participants last year had previously participated in the firm's internship scheme.

The company takes on up to 80 interns and work-placement students annually. Ernst & Young offers two internship programmes - Summer internships for three months from June to August for final year students, and work placements throughout the year with colleges that offer a placement within their academic programme.

Each year, the company gives two interns the opportunity to attend the Ernst & Young International Intern Leadership Conference in Disneyland, Florida, with over 1,300 other interns from EY worldwide.

What time of year does Ernst & Young recruit and what's the interview process?

Applications for graduates and final year students open on 2 September and close on 16 October, with interviews taking place at the end of October. Applications for summer internships open in January, with interviews in mid-February

What do you look for when recruiting people?

We are looking not just at academic achievement, but for those who are ambitious, diverse, entrepreneurial, and who can bring new ideas and help drive important projects.

Candidates have to prove that they're creative and have a large level of commercial awareness and personal qualities.

They also have to display team-working abilities. The company provides a mentoring programme, with new starts being assigned a counsellor and mentor.