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db729
Major Contributor

Joined: 22 Apr 2010
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Posts: 256

Posted: 17 Jul 2011 at 20:13 \| IP Logged

Rdetermined wrote:

thanks for your response, this is something
i've understood all along. Maybe my question
should have been what happens to all the
people who don't make it to the big four?
Since it's so competitive, i can imagine lots of
inteligent and of course less inteligent
people losing out time and time again. But
yeah the big 4 understandably is like
reaching the promised land. Please let me
know if anybody knows where those who get
rejected from the big four usually go to this
goes for non accounting majors and
accounting majors wanting to be
accountants

Your question is really hard to answer because it purely depends the person. If someone didn't get into Big 4 the first time around but is ambitious enough, they'll 1) figure out some other way to get in or 2) find something else they want to do. There are plenty of experienced associates, senior associates, managers, partners, etc in my Big 4 firm that came from mid tier firms. I know someone that's working at a local CPA firm and I'm going to refer him to a position with my firm because he's worked hard and I think he deserves a shot. I completely bombed my first two years of college and ended up at Big 4 just fine. At the end of the day, no one succeeds 100% of the time. Every single "success" stories is the sequel to a failed attempt at something. At the same time, I know people that didn't get into a good company the first time around, is sitting at home complaining about how they're jobless but don't do anything about it. Your question is honestly really hard to answer because there are so many different possibilities, which is solely dependent on the person's ambitions and determination. I think it'd be easier to give you advice if you were more specific about what your eventual goals are, because at least that way we can provide guidance on what you can do to get there.

Rdetermined wrote:

interesting, you're of course assuming
students with great gpa's at good schools am
i right? Those positions are actually pretty
good with just a bachelors degree. I was
assuming specially these days with the tight
job market that one had to get a bookkeeping
job and then start moving up but wow the
positions you listed are those just the 3.5 gpa
and up type of people or with any gpa as long
as it's a bachelors in accounting? I hear all the
stories of high gpa's, good schools, and
pursuing the cpa exam thats why iam curious.

You don't need a bachelors in accounting to get into Big 4, as long as you've taken up to intermediate accounting. You don't need a 3.5 either. I had around a 3.2 cumulative and a 3.4 major (Econ). I've seen other candidates with other majors and similar GPAs come through for interviews. Anyway, to answer your question, yes those type of positions previously listed generally look for candidates with business related majors and 3.3+ GPAs. But that doesn't mean if you're not a traditional candidate, you can't get in. Even if you studied philosophy out of undegrad, you can always get into a MAcc that's for non-accounting/business majors and get into these "top" positions that way. There's always opportunities, it's just a matter of what you're willing to do to find/make those opportunities for yourself.

Ellipsis123
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Regular

Joined: 08 Jun 2009
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Posts: 218

Posted: 17 Jul 2011 at 21:12 \| IP Logged

I'm actually one of those Big 4 rejects, now working for a mid-sized firm. I think I want to move to the Big 4 after 1 or 2 years.

shades395
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Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: United States
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Posts: 73

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 at 23:05 \| IP Logged

From what I have gathered, most of the people that pursued the options I listed in my previous post were not "rejects" of the Big 4, but actively avoided the Big 4 and sought out those positions. Also, some of them had received offers from the Big 4 and turned them down to pursue those other opportunities. This was most often the case with finance and accounting dual-majors who could not get an internship in finance after their junior year, so they got one at the Big 4, received an offer, and then found a full-time finance position during senior year and turned down the Big 4.

I have no idea how good their GPAs were, but I went to a top 20 undergraduate business program with a really strong career services center and alumni network, so I'm sure that certainly helped them. I do not know of anyone that went into a bookkeeping or clerk position, but there may have been a few.

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cassinova73
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Joined: 07 Jul 2008
Location: United States
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Posts: 80

Posted: 19 Jul 2011 at 10:21 \| IP Logged

Personally i am not a fan of big4.... at least at the staff auditor level... i recently got a job at small/midsize firm(an ernst & young member firm)and i am happy about it. they starting at 50k overtime 10%.... i am not a fan of the cut throat dog eat dog mentality in the big4 firms and again at the entry level.

db729
Major Contributor

Joined: 22 Apr 2010
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Posts: 256

Posted: 19 Jul 2011 at 13:05 \| IP Logged

cassinova73 wrote:

At the staff level, there's no "dog eat dog" mentality. It's more like the associates gossiping with each other about how much they hate their jobs. Honestly, it's not really until the senior associate waiting to be manager level that you really start to see the competitive spirit. Most associates just want to get their experience, potentially make senior, and leave. Most seniors just want less stress.

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