Wanted to write up the KPMG onsite experience while it's fresh. I went through it for a senior role on their tech strategy team in Chicago. 'Onsite' was virtual for me. Three back-to-back 45-minute sessions on one afternoon.
I'll be honest: I was nervous going in because I hadn't done a Big 4 loop before. Here's what the day actually looked like.
Session 1: Technical/functional round This was with a senior engineer and a solution architect. We spent the first 20 minutes doing a deep-dive on my most significant technical project. They asked probing questions: what would you do differently, where did you make tradeoffs, how did you handle scope creep. The remaining 25 minutes was a light system design exercise, more whiteboard discussion than production-grade design.
Session 2: Cross-functional / soft skills round With two senior associates from adjacent practices. Almost all behavioral. They were interested in how I work with non-technical stakeholders and how I handle ambiguity on client engagements. Consulting is client work, so this round felt like the real heart of the evaluation.
Session 3: Partner/Director brief conversation This was 20 minutes with a director. Very conversational. She asked about my interest in the practice, where I see myself in 3 years, and whether I had questions. I asked about the client mix and what makes someone successful in the first 90 days. She gave a real answer.
Two things that stood out: They were evaluating 'presence' as much as knowledge. How you carry yourself, how you listen, how you frame answers for different audiences. They take notes during every session. Those notes go to a debrief after. I got the impression the debrief is structured, not a vibe conversation.
Feedback timeline: offer call came 9 business days after the final round. No ghosting, which I appreciated.