Track Big Four Hiring Stages Fast
This conversation was generated using Cook'd AI's career assistant and reviewed by Fallon Han from our editorial team for accuracy.
Help me map out where each application is stuck and how long each stage usually takes by office. I'm a fresh accounting grad on a Canadian work permit applying to a Big Four advisory rotational leadership program in Toronto, but I'm also tracking a few other offices. I want to see resume submission, HireVue, first round, and superday in one place.
That is a smart use case for a tracker. For each office, log the application date, current stage, required assessment, recruiter contact, and the last update you got. Then add a separate expected window for each stage so you can compare Toronto against other offices side by side. A simple setup is columns for office, role, submission date, stage, assessment type, last touch, and next expected decision. That way you can see whether one office is moving normally or truly delayed.
I already have Toronto, Calgary, and Montreal open. Toronto is at resume submitted, Calgary sent me a HireVue, and Montreal is still saying under review. I am not sure how to judge what is normal because I heard some offices move faster than others.
Use the tracker to tag each office with a timing range instead of a single date. For example, resume submitted can sit for one to three weeks before a first screen, HireVue often gets a response in a few days to two weeks, first round usually resolves within one to two weeks after the interview, and superday decisions can come the same day or within several business days. The exact pace varies by office and hiring need, so compare each row to its own clock rather than forcing one rule across all offices. If Toronto has been idle longer than Calgary or Montreal, that tells you where to follow up first.
Should I also track whether the office is asking about my Canadian work permit? I do have valid authorization, and I do not want that to become a surprise late in the process.
Yes, absolutely. Add a compliance or eligibility field so you can note whether the work permit was confirmed at application, first round, or later. For a candidate on a Canadian work permit, that detail matters because some offices may clear it early while others wait until interview scheduling or offer stage. If you see repeated questions about eligibility, that can explain delays and help you prepare the right documents before the next stage.
Can I also use the tracker to decide when to send follow-ups? I do not want to pester recruiters, but I also do not want to miss a dead application.
Yes. Set a follow-up trigger in the tracker based on stage and office timing. For example, if resume submitted has no update after two weeks, send a polite check-in. If a HireVue has been completed and there is no movement after ten business days, one brief follow-up is reasonable. After a first round, wait about a week unless the recruiter gave a clear decision date. For superday, follow up if the promised window passes by two to three business days. The tracker should show both the last action and the next best action so you are not guessing.
What would be the best way to compare offices if one asks for HireVue and another goes straight to first round? I want a simple view that shows where I stand and what is still missing.
Make one master table and use stage labels that are consistent across all offices. Put resume submitted, HireVue pending, HireVue completed, first round scheduled, first round done, superday invited, superday done, and decision pending as standardized statuses. Then add a notes column for office-specific steps like video assessment, online test, or recruiter screen. With that setup, you can quickly compare the funnel and see which office is moving you forward fastest, which one is asking for extra assessments, and which one may need a follow-up.