AccountingGrad
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| Posted: 23 Sep 2009 at 20:55 | IP Logged
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Many people believe (myself included even though I did not have the opportunity to pursue this route) that working for a big 4 is a big part of "paying your dues" in the accounting world. It is no different than heavy hours and low pay at a very well known medical center's residency program... While many people make better money in private practice, many many of these people have some degree of big 4 or larger firm experience before branching out. It can open many doors and looks great on any resume. While it isn't for everyone, I don't understand why some people are so negative about the concept. It is NO different than working long and difficult hours for lower pay as a junior lawyer at a prestigious firm or a resident at a place like "Johns Hopkins" ... Your reap what you sow.
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AUD - 08/24/09 - 87 :) yay
BEC - 10/10/09 - waiting time
REG - Nov. 30, 2009
FAR - TBD Jan. '10
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Ravidave
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Joined: 28 Sep 2009
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| Posted: 28 Sep 2009 at 11:29 | IP Logged
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I would be excited to work for one of the Big 4's and is willing to relocate to any US state to work with them.
Any advise?
FAR- Oct 08; AUD - Nov 08; BEC - Feb 09 and REG - May 09
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FAR - Oct 08
AUD - Nov 08
BEC - Feb 09
REG - May 09
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minicre
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| Posted: 28 Sep 2009 at 13:01 | IP Logged
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I am here to give the view of a person who started with a mid-size firm upon graduating in 2008. I had an offer from a Big 4, but I decided to go with a smaller firm (which is still VERY large in comparison to other accounting firms).
Now, the question is... what is important to you? There a quiet a few factors that is important to me.
1) How much am I making (that is why we work right)? Big 4 paid a little bit more in base salary, but the job I took pays overtime which comes out to something similar or a little more.
2) Work/Personal Life, which will give me more? Well, in talking with tons of my friends who work for a Big 4, it is usually different from person to person. Some of my friends who work for a Big 4, have worked 6 days a week for MONTHS UPON MONTHS even after busy seasons. Additionally during busy season, they work from 9 am to 10 or 11 pm at night. On the other hand I have some friends who work only until 8 or 9pm and on sat/sun only for a couple months. So its almost a hit or miss... But chances are, get ready to work the amount I explained in my first example! My mid-size firm on the other hand, works 8 hours a day no matter what except during busy season (feb to april 15th). During this time I work max. 55 hours a week. Anything more, you have to get permission to do, because they do not want to pay you more! Therefore I try my hardest to get everything done in the allotted time, and I still get to live a pretty normal life.
3) Do you have time to study for CPA? I have a lot of Big 4 friends who took the smart approach and passed either all or most of the CPA before they began working. I have others who pushed it off, and now a couple years into working they still have not passed 1. It is hard to pass while working for a Big 4 because you are working so much. Very rarely have I spoke to a friend who is allowed to study in the office. Me on the other hand, passed 2 parts (Reg and Fare) before I started working. The other 2 I passed while working, and I studied around 20 hours a week IN WORK during nov-jan. After Jan. it was much harder with busy season but I still managed to pass my last time studying at home, and a little when I had down time during work. My group did not mind me studying in work!
4) Who learns more? This is probably the most important one because we are all trying to go somewhere with our career. Once again it is different on a case by case basis. Some of my Big 4 friends, are stuck on AR for the entire year doing crap. Going through the motions, and being the slave of crappy work. Others got put into a good position and are doing a wee bit more. But none of them are really blown away by the work they do. Me on the other hand, does both Tax and Audit. I have completed nearly 50 tax returns, including partnerships, s-corps, corps, individuals, trusts, and estates. I have done ALL the work on clients who netted nearly 100 million dollars on a single individual tax return in AGI. Additionally, I have done entire audits (me personally tie out cash, AR, AP,distributions, income, expenses etc... I have done compilations, I have done reviews... I have done nearly 25 financial statements. This is all in my first year of working at a mid-size firm!
Now, since I just talked up a mid-size firm to the point where it sounds like Disney Land, I must say, work is work... It's not all fun and games! Additionally, I do not want to discredit the Big 4 to the point where people are life WTF? The Big 4 is the Big 4. The name is the wow factor. Like someone mentioned earlier, when you have that on your resume, its Big! But I am firm believer that its not the name on your resume, but the brain and personality that the resume is backing up. If I can walk into an interview an explain to the employer why I learned more and know more than the Big 4 candidate, I am pretty sure I will get the job. Its all about your confidence and if you believe you are the most valuable!
Hope this helps some... And I strongly urge everyone to think about the positives and negatives of working for either or, before making a decision solely off the name.
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ALL DONE on 1st TRY, w/Becker!
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Topic: Why a Big 4?
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