Step 1: Application form on their careers portal. This took me a couple of hours because I did my cover letter from scratch. If you are applying for other similar jobs, you will likely have material at the ready, so it shouldn't take as long. The application form contains questions about professional experience, motivation and personal qualities, nothing out of the ordinary.
Step 2: Online numerical and language tests. These weren't too difficult, but I recommend preparing for them using online practice tests.
Step 3: Telephone interview. The interviewer was friendly and upbeat. I was more nervous than I have been in face-to-face interviews, which was strange because I had prepared thoroughly. I did a lot of reading up on the company which helped me with the 'Tell me why you want to work here.' style questions. The other questions were standard for accounting interviews and you can find lists of them on various websites. I recommend having a canned answer for all of them. The advantage of the telephone interview is that you can refer to your notes. The only question I struggled with was 'What steps do you take to solve a problem?' because I hadn't prepared for it whatsoever. I referred to a time I had had to do just that and, using the STAR approach, went through the steps/actions I took.
Step 4: Assessment centre. Due to the pandemic, my assessment centre took place online. There were 5 other candidates, all a very friendly and professional in manner. The day ran from 9 am until 1 pm and consisted of a group assessment, a one-to-one interview and another numerical and written test. For the group assessment, two interviewers took us through a series of slides about three different project proposals. You then have a time limit to discuss the proposals and come to an agreement about which one Mazars should invest in. Make sure someone keeps track of time or volunteer to do it yourself if no-one else does. This will in no way hinder your ability to engage in the activity and will likely highlight your proactiveness. Also, try to keep the discussion as structured as possible. For example, I proposed that we all took 1 minute to jot down some ideas and then come together to discuss afterwards. This is because if you jump straight into the discussion, you won't give yourselves enough time to consider each project.
The one-to-one interview was very enjoyable. I was lucky to have an easy-going manager, who quickly calmed any nerves I had. I've listed some of the questions below.
The numerical and written test was where I came unstuck. Although I had prepared using online tests, the content of the numerical test was considerably more difficult than the ones in step 2. You need to study the following topics: percentages, ratios, fractions, graphs & charts, probabilities, currency conversion, algebra and basic statistical analysis. However, the time constraint is the difficult element here: you need to be able to do all these things without hesitation. Also, once you move on from the numerical test to the English test, you can't go back. I left a lot of answers empty thinking I could go back, don't make the same mistake. For the English test, you must write two emails. The situation is that you can't meet a project deadline because someone in your team hasn't pulled their weight. Therefore, you need to write an email to the client, apologising for the delay and an email to your manager explaining the situation. Although I can't be sure, I believe they are assessing both your written English skills and your soft skills. I think it would be risky to call out your team member in the email to the client, as this shows lack of teamwork and discretion.