|
|
|
 Topic: Topic: Applying to the Big 4 ( Topic Closed)
|
 
|
| Author |
|
onlyregleft
Regular
Joined: 24 Sep 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 174
|
| Posted: 30 Sep 2009 at 21:02 | IP Logged
|
|
|
Try to maintain contact with those you meet at networking events. If public accounting is something you really want to do then continue to network and maybe an opportunity will present itself in the future. Why is the reason that you are intent on working in public accounting? I don't know what area you are in but you might want to consider relocating.
__________________
BEC: 75(BOOYAH!)(8/09)
REG: 80 (11/09)
FAR: 81 (8/08)
AUD: 80 (8/08)
08 Becker for AUD, BEC, FAR
08 Becker & 09 Wiley for REG
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
daliacpa
Regular
Joined: 03 Apr 2009
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 181
|
| Posted: 01 Oct 2009 at 01:38 | IP Logged
|
|
|
I completely concur with dlwtistyle! I am too not enamored by Big 4 but if people want to transition from public accounting to the industry, why not the same going the other way? And I agree with him saying that it's not easy to even get into the midsize firms. I have a huge list about practically EVERY mid-size to small CPA company in the area. I send each of them resume and followed up with each of them (that's about 50 in my area). About half of them didn't even get back to me, some said they are not hiring (although I know for SURE they do b/c they keep posting the positions on the career sites), and some make up bull*hit excuses, the same excuses that dlwtistyle presented as example.
People who say network have NO IDEA whatsoever about what they're talking about! I have one PARTNER and one VICE-PRESIDENT of two Big 4 in my LinkedIn contacts (I'm not kidding. I think I picked up these contacts when I was at college.) Well, after multiple follow-ups, they still didn't send me a SINGLE word. Can you believe how rude these people are? Why not email me just something like that, "Dalia. Great resume, skills, etc. But no, thanks, no". How hard it is to write tiny sentence back to me? That's less characters than in a twitt, they they occasionally use on their IPhones!
And I agree with dlwstyle again when he said about the industry experience. Sox work is no joke either. I worked in Fortune 500 company, and I actually helped a lot for our external auditor (one of the big 4) with their year-end audit. I've seen their workpapers, their work, their tickmarks, and what they do. I actually performed audit utilizing their workpapers. You gotta be kidding me if you say that working on the internal control at a big coporation is easier or less challenging than working at Big 4. In my personal experience it's the opposite! In fact, a lot of the auditing methodology in public accounting that I've gone through I actually was able to learn and put in practice in college (my accounting program is in top 5 in nation). The only difference in challenge I've encountered between the two was in the hours. PA has more compression of hours because of the deadline driven environment that PA reports need to follow. Although the deadlines for SOX or operational audits do exist, the very testing is more continuous and more spaced out, that results in less hours charged but by not too much. I've seen fellow colleagues sometimes lying on their time report sheets about the hours worked because they wanted to look more efficient and reach those unrealistic budget goals...but in reality they work pretty tough hours too!
"Quit blaming the system!" What are you talking about?! That's not the system, what I described here are the facts. And the facts are is that if you don't have a previous public accounting experience or are not a student you not only can't get into the Big 4, you can't even get into the midsize firms!
So, if there are recruiters form public accounting who read this, please give us any idea or the reason or any answer to dlwtistyle's million dollar question. Why you don't hire people with no public accounting experience?
BTW, if anyone thinks I'm not a fit candidate and that's the reason, let me assure you, with a GPA of 3.5 in my major, extensive extra-curricula activities, top accounting college program, and also CPA, I'm better fit than some of the people already working in PA. My CPA scores might not be perfect, but hey I passed it all with first or second try!
So does anyone have sensible answer?
__________________
CPA Exam - :DONE
AICPA Ethics - Pass
Certificate - Received
License - Received
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
ael719
Regular
Joined: 20 Jul 2009
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 125
|
| Posted: 01 Oct 2009 at 07:17 | IP Logged
|
|
|
Wow, how close are you with that partner and VP? It sounds like a great lead, but maybe they accept anyone they meet as a contact, like on facebook. Also, even if they are your contact on linkedin, they don't owe you anything and you are not entitled to a job working for them just because you are contacts. If they won't even reply to your requests for an interview, then they obviously are not a good contact. You aren't a priority to them if they don't even have the courtesy to respond.
Right now, after graduating in May 2009 I am unemployed while studying for the CPA which I
hope to finish up in May 2010. I plan to start job hunting again once
I get my CPA and hopefully the economy will have picked up by then. I also have a partner from a large firm as a contact on linkedin. I met him during an on campus mock interview and had a great conversation. The cool
thing about having him as a contact is that he emails me from time to time asking what I'm up to. I haven't asked him for an interview yet, but I plan to do so once I finish the CPA.
I interviewed for a big4 job in April 2009, my last semester before graduating. The recruiter told me to apply on the website as an experienced hire and not as a campus hire. Getting accepted for an interview was easy because it was on campus. I got to the second round of interviews, but got cut after recruiting events and before the office visit.
Anyways, although you have good grades maybe the people they are hiring have even better grades. Also, I think its much easier for students to get an entry level job because firms that recruit on campus went to that campus looking to hire future graduates from there. Basically, the firm came to the on campus student with job opportunities, where you are going to the firm looking for jobs. I figure that if a firm took the time to recruit on campus, they're probably going to hire someone from that campus. Also, since they are recruiting on campus, they are allowed to host off campus recruiting events which is an opportunity for them to get to know the candidate at a much more personal level, than say over the phone or email.
You're just at an unfair, undeserved disadvantage with the economy against you.
Also, maybe its your location? I haven't been actively job hunting, but I did attend a local university career fair. The school is located in a top 10 city, but the big4 does not recruit there, unlike at my alma mater which is located in a podunk town 1.5 hours away from the city. There were 2 accounting firms there and they seemed almost desperate to offer me an interview after talking with them.
Maybe try applying to a big4 location out of state? You might have a better chance, especially if you went to a well known college.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
daliacpa
Regular
Joined: 03 Apr 2009
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 181
|
| Posted: 01 Oct 2009 at 14:56 | IP Logged
|
|
|
ael 719, I am in a job market equivalent to New York City.
I'm glad you have a contact who's actually considerate enough to ask from time to time how you're doing. And I also hope you pass your CPA. But you didn't disapprove the one million dollar question to me yet. Of course I think that bad economy contributed to my situation but the Big 4 hiring practices did not change. They are still the same. Either in good or bad economy.
Have you actually tried to apply for experienced positions at one of Big 4? Did you actually go to their Career websites and see the description of their jobs? It sounds like you didn't. Go back and check it again. And show me at least one position where you think you might be qualified to apply.
__________________
CPA Exam - :DONE
AICPA Ethics - Pass
Certificate - Received
License - Received
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
dlwtistyle
Regular
Joined: 23 May 2008
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 186
|
| Posted: 01 Oct 2009 at 15:33 | IP Logged
|
|
|
I've relocated to a better location than where I grew up.
Why do I want to work in public accounting? Simple, because I want to gain relevant experience hours so i can get my CPA license.
onlyregleft wrote:
|
Try to maintain contact with those you meet at networking events. If public accounting is something you really want to do then continue to network and maybe an opportunity will present itself in the future. Why is the reason that you are intent on working in public accounting? I don't know what area you are in but you might want to consider relocating. |
|
|
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
 Copyright ©2001-2010 Web Wiz Guide
This page was generated in 0.1406 seconds.
|
Active Topics 
Memberlist 
Search 
Help
Register 
Login
