KPMG Referral: How to Get One (Step-by-Step Guide)

Author: Taylor Warfield, Former Bain Manager and interviewer

Last Updated: June 24, 2026

 

A KPMG referral is a recommendation from a current KPMG employee that tags your application so recruiters screen it faster and treat it as a trusted lead. This guide breaks down how KPMG referrals work, who can give you one, and the exact steps to land one without putting the person you ask in an awkward spot.

 

Before reading on:

 

Most candidates struggle to land interviews and even fewer turn them into offers. Watch my free training to learn how to triple your chances of landing interviews and increase your chances of receiving an offer by 8x.

 

👉 Watch for free

 

Key Takeaways

 

A KPMG referral will not guarantee you an interview, but it gets your resume in front of a recruiter faster and signals that someone inside the firm vouches for you.

 

  • A KPMG referral tags your application and speeds up resume screening, yet the firm still measures you against the same bar as everyone else

 

  • Each KPMG member firm is a separate legal entity, so you need a referral from someone in the country and office you are applying to

 

  • Confirm there is an open role before asking, since many firms let an employee refer you only once per year

 

  • The official Connections program handles cross-border referrals for people moving between countries

 

  • The strongest referrals come from people who actually know your work, so warm up the relationship before you ask

 

  • A polished resume and a clear, specific ask are what turn a lukewarm contact into a willing referrer

 

What Is a KPMG Referral?

 

A KPMG referral is a recommendation from a current KPMG employee who submits or flags your application through the firm's internal referral system. It marks you as a vouched-for candidate, which usually means faster resume screening and a small credibility boost. A referral does not replace the interview process or guarantee an offer.

 

Mechanically, an employee either enters your details into KPMG's internal referral portal or sends your resume straight to a recruiter with a note that they are referring you. From there your application sits in a different, friendlier pile than the thousands that arrive cold through the careers site.

 

Like consulting referrals at other firms, a KPMG referral is a trust signal rather than a shortcut. The point is to borrow a little of an insider's credibility so a busy recruiter gives your resume the read it deserves.

 

Does a KPMG Referral Actually Help?

 

Yes, a referral helps, but within limits. It improves the odds that a human actually reads your resume, it can move you past the initial automated screen, and it lends credibility because someone inside the firm is willing to attach their name to yours. What it will not do is win you an offer on its own.

 

The math is the reason referrals matter so much here. KPMG firms operate in 142 countries and territories with more than 275,000 partners and employees, and popular roles draw enormous applicant volume. Anything that lifts your resume out of that flood is worth the effort.

 

In my experience interviewing and recruiting at Bain, a referral never got a weak candidate hired. What it reliably did was get a strong but easily overlooked resume a second read, which is often the difference between a rejection and a first-round invite.

 

Treat the referral as a door opener, not a decision. Once you are in the room, your assessments, your case performance, and your fit answers carry the result, and those are skills worth building well before you ever ask for the referral.

 

Who Can Refer You to KPMG?

 

Almost any current KPMG employee can refer you, but not every referral carries equal weight. A referral from someone senior, or from someone close to the team that is hiring, lands harder than one from an analyst in an unrelated office.

 

The most important rule is structural. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct entity, so if you are applying in Canada you need a referral from KPMG Canada, not from an employee in India or the United Kingdom. A cross-border referral usually does little for a local role, which surprises a lot of candidates.

 

There are three groups worth targeting:

 

  • Current employees: the standard path, and the stronger the relationship, the better the referral reads

 

  • Alumni: some KPMG member firms run dedicated alumni referral programs that let former staff recommend candidates for open roles

 

  • School and personal network: former classmates, professors with industry ties, and old colleagues who landed at the firm

 

One caveat for students. At many KPMG firms in the United States, current employees cannot refer students into entry-level roles, since those hires run through campus recruiting instead. If you are a student, focus on the recruiting events and on-campus contacts rather than chasing a referral that the system will not accept.

 

What Is the KPMG Connections Program?

 

Connections is KPMG's official global employee referral program, built for people who want to move between countries. If a KPMG employee abroad refers you, the Connections program lets you register your interest with the global network rather than applying through a single local careers site.

 

To submit through Connections, you provide the name and location of the KPMG person who referred you, your resume, your first and second choice countries, your preferred city, the function you want such as Audit, Tax, or Advisory, and your target level from Associate up to Partner. You can also add a specific vacancy number if you have one.

 

Keep in mind that Connections is aimed at international moves and broad expressions of interest. For a specific role at your local member firm, a standard in-country referral attached to a posted job is the faster route.

 

How Do You Get a KPMG Referral?

 

You get a KPMG referral by finding the right person inside the firm you are targeting, building a genuine connection, and then making a specific, low-effort ask tied to an open role. Done in that order, a referral request feels natural rather than transactional.

 

Here is the sequence that works:

 

  1. Find an open role first: search the KPMG careers site for a posted position that fits your background and note the job ID, since a referral needs a real application to attach to

  2. Identify the right people: look for employees at the specific member firm through your alumni network, mutual connections, and a clean LinkedIn profile that signals you are a serious candidate

  3. Build a real connection: request a short informational interview to learn about their team and the role before you ask for anything

  4. Polish your materials: tighten your resume so the person referring you is proud to attach their name, and make sure your story is clear and specific

  5. Make the ask: name the exact role and job ID, attach your resume, and give them two or three sentences they can paste into the referral system

  6. Apply and follow up: submit your application to the posted role, confirm the referral went through, and send a brief thank-you note

 

Your resume is the part most candidates underrate. A referrer is putting their reputation on the line, so a sloppy resume makes them hesitate, and if you want a fast, professional polish, my resume review and editing service turns it around with unlimited revisions in 24 hours.

 

How Do You Ask for a KPMG Referral?

 

Ask in a way that makes saying yes almost effortless. Be specific about the role, hand over everything the person needs, and give them language they can reuse, so a referral takes them two minutes instead of twenty.

 

The biggest mistake candidates make is asking a stranger for a referral in a cold first message. Lead with a real reason you are interested in the firm and the team, then make the request once there is a thread of rapport. A well-written networking email that opens with genuine curiosity gets a far warmer response than a blunt favor.

 

Here is an example of a clear, easy-to-act-on ask:

 

"Hi Maria, thanks again for the chat about your work in KPMG's Advisory practice. I just saw that the Risk Consulting Associate role (Job ID 12345) opened in the Toronto office, and it lines up closely with my background in financial analysis. Would you feel comfortable referring me? I have attached my resume and a few lines on why I fit, so it is quick to submit on your end."

 

What Happens After You Get a KPMG Referral?

 

After your referral is in, you still run the full KPMG hiring process. The referral gets your resume read sooner, but every stage after that is on you, so it pays to prepare early.

 

A typical path looks like this:

 

  1. Online application: submit your resume to the posted role, with the referral attached

  2. Online assessment: aptitude and situational judgment tests that screen for numerical, verbal, and problem-solving skills

  3. Video or recruiter interview: a recorded or live round covering motivation, behavioral questions, and your fit with KPMG's values

  4. Assessment day or final interview: a group exercise, a case study, and a partner interview, often combined into a single Launch Pad style event

 

The case study trips up the most candidates, especially when you are handed a company's financials and asked to interpret them on the spot. Knowing the firm's format ahead of time matters, which is why working through a KPMG case interview beforehand removes most of the surprise.

 

If you want to compress your prep, my case interview course walks you through the structure and math you need to handle KPMG case studies in as little as 7 days.

 

Tips to Maximize Your KPMG Referral

 

Tip #1: Target someone close to the hiring team

 

A referral from the practice that is actually hiring carries more weight than one from a distant department. When you can, find someone in the same function and office as the role you want.

 

Tip #2: Give your referrer everything in one message

 

Bundle the job ID, your resume, and a short blurb on why you fit into a single message. The easier you make it, the faster the referral happens and the better it reads.

 

Tip #3: Show you have done your homework on the firm

 

A referrer wants to back someone who clearly wants this specific firm. Being able to articulate why KPMG over its Big Four peers signals that you are serious and lowers the risk for the person vouching for you.

 

Tip #4: Mirror the firm's values in your application

 

KPMG screens hard for cultural fit, so the language in your resume and a tailored KPMG cover letter should echo the values the firm advertises. A referral plus a values-aligned application is a strong combination.

 

A KPMG referral is one of the highest-impact moves you can make in your application, but only if you treat it as the start of a process rather than the finish line. Line up an open role, ask the right person well, and then put your energy into preparing for the assessments and interviews that actually decide the outcome.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Does a KPMG referral guarantee an interview?

 

No. A KPMG referral tags your application and usually speeds up resume screening, but it does not guarantee an interview or an offer. You still have to clear the online assessments and interviews against the same bar as every other candidate. A strong referral gets your resume a closer look, not a free pass.

 

Can anyone refer me to KPMG, or does it have to be someone in my country?

 

It usually has to be someone in the country and office you are applying to. Each KPMG member firm is a legally separate entity, so a referral from a different country firm often carries little weight for a local role. The one exception is the global Connections program, which is built for people moving across borders.

 

How many times can I be referred to KPMG?

 

At many KPMG firms an employee can refer you only once in a given year, so timing matters. Do not burn a referral on a role you are unsure about. Confirm there is an open position that fits you before you ask someone to put their name behind your application.

 

Do KPMG employees get paid for referrals?

 

Many KPMG firms run an internal referral bonus that pays employees when a person they refer is hired and stays for a set period. The amount varies by country, role, and how hard the position is to fill. This is one reason employees are often willing to refer a candidate they believe in.

 

How do I ask someone for a KPMG referral?

 

Be specific and make it easy to say yes. Name the exact role and job ID, attach your resume, and write two or three sentences they can paste into the referral system explaining why you fit. Ask only after you have built at least a little rapport, not in a cold first message to a stranger.

 

Is a KPMG referral worth it if there is no open role?

 

Usually not. A referral works by attaching your name to a specific application, so without an open role it has nothing to attach to and may simply expire. Wait until a role you want is posted, then line up the referral so it lands with your application.

 

Everything You Need to Land a Consulting Offer

 

Need help passing your interviews?

  • Case Interview Course: Become a top 10% case interview candidate in 7 days while saving yourself 100+ hours

  • Fit Interview Course: Master 98% of consulting fit interview questions in a few hours

  • Interview Coaching: Accelerate your prep with 1-on-1 coaching with Taylor Warfield, former Bain interviewer and best-selling author

 

Need help landing interviews?

 

Need help with everything?

 

Not sure where to start?