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CPAHubby
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| Posted: 02 Mar 2008 at 14:51 | IP Logged
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Hello folks,
I'm brand new here and hoping I can get the benefit of your experience with a question. A little background first:
My wife is the accountant in the family (dare I disclose? I gave it up years ago...) and she currently works for a small firm in Seattle. We are strongly considering a move to Chicago (for my job), and as part of the move my wife would like to seek a position with a Big 4 firm (or other nationally recognized firm, such as McGladrey). She is hoping to complete the CPA exam in Washington this summer, prior to the move. We are thinking of relocating in late summer or fall.
Now a couple of questions: what time of year are firms typically looking for new staff? What is the best way to get in touch with recruiters as an experienced candidate? Will an experienced candidate have a leg-up over fresh college grads?
I'm hoping to gain information not only to satisfy my own curiosity, but also to pass on to my wife so she has a good starting point when things slow down for her at the end of the month. (70 hour work weeks are brutal! I don't know how ya'll do it!)
Thanks in advance for any help. Forgive me if your answers and insight trigger additional questions.
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pitterpat7
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| Posted: 04 Mar 2008 at 11:49 | IP Logged
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The Big 4 recruit in the fall and the spring for positions. The hire start dates are generally in January and the fall (August and September) since they send their new hires to training and like to train as many as possible during these times. So if you were to move to Chicago in the late summer, your wife would be able to interview during that time, but her earliest start date would most likely be in January if she were hired with a Big 4. There are several regional firms in Chicago that also would have good opportunities. She could also get in touch with a headhunter for some assistance.
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CPAHubby
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| Posted: 04 Mar 2008 at 21:03 | IP Logged
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Thanks PitterPat. By chance do you have the names of any reputable headhunting agencies in town?
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Strategoes
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Believe it or not, an experienced candidate without a CPA license does not have a leg up over a fresh college grad when applying for entry level positions in Big 4 accounting firms. Unless you or your wife knows someone who works at one of the Big 4 firms you won't have much luck. This is just my opinion. The reason being: 1) they want to train their entry level candidates their way 2) college grads are younger 3) college grads are cheaper.
The best way to get a job anywhere is networking. She needs to get in touch with her college buddies and ask around, her regional accounting society, her Universities' alumni services (if any), and her current employer (if they're understanding). It really is about who you know and not what you know in the business world. Sad to say but the truth.
Hiring cycles tend to vary among large, mid, and small public accounting firms. I currently work in tax. I would say hiring season for tax positions would be around November - January.
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CPAHubby
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| Posted: 10 Mar 2008 at 15:07 | IP Logged
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Strategoes wrote:
| The best way to get a job anywhere is networking. She needs to get in touch with her college buddies and ask around, her regional accounting society, her Universities' alumni services (if any), and her current employer (if they're understanding). It really is about who you know and not what you know in the business world. Sad to say but the truth. |
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Yes, true words for just about every profession as far as I've observed.
Thanks to those who replied. My wife has decided to finish the exams this summer and get her license before the job hunt. (Which suits me, because I really don't want to move out of Seattle!)
Any other words of wisdom are greatly appreciated!
Edited by CPAHubby on 10 Mar 2008 at 15:08
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Topic: Big 4 Firm Hiring Cycle?
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