What it does: KPMG is one of the ‘Big Four’ professional services firms. They provide audit, tax and advisory services to organisations across a wide range of industries, government and not-for-profit sectors.
Staff stats: KPMG operates in 143 countries and have more than 273,000 people working in offices around the world. In Australia, they have approximately 10,000 people, including over 600 partners, located in 14 offices around the country.
The good bits: KPMG's Graduate Program offers an excellent learning and development pathway that supports you with ongoing training, structured development programs and dedicated mentors from one of three flexible working hubs – home, office or client. They also offer a Vacationer program for students in their penultimate year and a Foundations program for students in their pre-penultimate years.
The not-so-good bits: Whilst the well-being of their people is the number one priority, the hours can sometimes be longer in busy periods but during those times the entire team works together as one collaborative group and support each other. Outside of busy periods, this is balanced out by taking the time to celebrate achievements as a team.
Hiring grads with degrees in all disciplines
About KPMG
We’re a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services across a wide range of industries, government and not-for-profit sectors. We provide a full range of services tailored to meet the unique needs of the mid-sized, fast-growing and family-owned businesses.
At KPMG Australia, we work with organisations across the nation’s industrial, governmental, and not-for-profit landscapes. We help our clients to solve complex challenges, optimise opportunities, steer change and accelerate sustainable growth. Our service areas include Audit & Assurance, Consulting, Tax & Legal, Enterprise, Deal Advisory & Infrastructure, KPMG Futures and Business Services.
Student and Graduate Programs
Whether you’re ready to start your first permanent role or are still studying and want to gain experience through a vacation program, you can start achieving your career goals with us.
The KPMG Graduate Program
Our Graduate Program is a permanent development program open to final-year students and recent graduates.
The work you can do with us is diverse, so we look for people from a broad range of degree disciplines, skills, abilities, and backgrounds to represent the communities we work with. You’ll join a multi-disciplinary team and work with our diverse clients to help them solve complex issues that will stretch your thinking and challenge you every day.
Joining as a grad, typically you’ll start in February and kick off with a graduate-specific induction to welcome you and get you up to speed quickly. Our program is underpinned by continuous learning which starts from day one with the tools you need to build your business acumen and start doing work that matters. You’ll also have the dedicated support of a Performance Development Manager (PDM) and Buddy throughout your career with us.
We have graduate roles available nationally in both metro and regional areas. From Melbourne to Darwin, Sydney to Townsville, Perth to Wollongong and beyond.
The KPMG Vacation Program
Open to both undergraduates and postgraduates in the penultimate year of their degree, our Vacation Program is a 4–8-week full-time work experience program where you will gain insights into day-to-day life here - helping you to decide if you’d like to grow your career with us.
At the end of the program, you may receive an offer to join us as part of our Graduate Program the following year.
Through our Vacation Learning Pathway, you’ll learn about the work we do and understand how you can make a difference with our clients, colleagues, and communities. You’ll take part in learning through face-to-face workshops and online platforms, and you’ll be mentored by a Performance Development Manager (PDM) and Buddy who will support you throughout the program.
As well as gaining real-world experience before you graduate, you’ll have the chance to build strong relationships and connect with your peers through different activities during your time with us.
We have vacationer roles available nationally in both metro and regional areas. From Melbourne to Darwin, Sydney to Townsville, Perth to Wollongong and beyond.
Career Pathways
To help you decide where you fit, our graduate and vacationer roles are grouped into four pathways. Each of our specialised business areas and teams sit within these pathways and can align to your interests and qualification type. Explore our different pathways below:
Audit, Finance and Assurance
It’s not just about the numbers. Use automation to audit and streamline financial reporting or identify acquisition opportunities and be involved in planning a client’s finance division structure.
This area is for you if you’ve studied accounting, actuarial studies or finance, but we are also looking for graduates who have studied environmental studies and data engineering.
Technology, Digital and Engineering
How can we build for better? Problem-solving to benefit communities could see you identifying hacking weaknesses, advising on the reliability of assets, or assessing solar farms. If you’ve studied information systems, computer science, engineering, commerce, economics, data science or business management, this could be the pathway for you.
Business, Consulting and Risk
Assess the problem and draw on expert knowledge across almost any area to develop the solution. It’s supply chain, customer experience, human rights, policy reform, project management and everything in between that organisations need in order to thrive. Just as the services in this pathway are broad, so too are the degree types we’re looking for. You could have a qualification in management, computer science, economics, human resources, information systems, behavioural science, accounting, communication or environmental studies, among many others.
Tax & KPMG Law
Legal advice that understands business and clear and compliant tax services are both key to helping clients thrive in a complex and fast-paced world with high scrutiny. These teams, including our own KPMG law firm, are looking for graduates with accounting, business, management and law degrees.
Who are we looking for?
We don’t just look at your academic record or qualification, we also want to know about you. Diversity of experience, background and viewpoints are a key part of a safe and healthy work environment, and central to KPMG’s values.
We look for enthusiasm, a willingness to try new things, resilience, and thinkers who can bring a fresh perspective and communicate their ideas with passion. So, if you love to learn, have a curious mindset, and want to make a difference, we’d love to hear from you.
Perks & benefits
At KPMG, we’ll help you thrive through a range of benefits designed to help you move forward in life as well as your career. Benefits include:
Here’s what you can expect from our application process.
We believe in learning for a lifetime, and when you join our team, your journey of continuous learning will start immediately. Offering you the tools you need to build your business acumen and start doing work that matters.
In our pursuit to develop our workplace learning culture and support the career progression of our people, we’re investing $20 million in the KPMG Eclipse Academy - shifting the way we collaborate, innovate, and learn to unleash incredible opportunities for our people, clients and communities.
After completing the grad program and gaining valuable experience, you have the option to apply to other teams for a lateral transfer or to move to another national office. If you’re up for a real challenge, we have secondment opportunities available to clients and to KPMG offices overseas which you can apply for also. With a diverse set of divisions and clients, you’ll never feel like you’re stuck in the same place at KPMG.
This short introductory skills-building program is for all students – whatever your degree and whether you’re pretty clear on your path or still open to new career ideas. The program is set over one half-day in-person plus a short virtual get-to-know-KPMG session prior. It’s all about you exploring careers, gathering great ideas, and building professional skills.