What is next? Commerical? Big 4?

[KCY]

Hi Senior,

I am in my mid 20s and in my final year of ACCA. I have around 2.5 years experience in commerical accounting. By luck, I was recommended by my previous employer's finance manager to a related company to lead the finance and I got the job of this SME with around 100 head counts.

I didnt study hard when I was young so I cannot make it to the big 4 and I understand for accounting the best experience is at big 4. Through my job, I have gotten contacts from big 4 and they say after I graduate they can pull me in.

My question is. After I graduated, should I sacrifice my pay and go big 4? Or should I stay in this company for next 1 and 2 years and earn the experience then continue in commerical accounting with a bigger firm as AM or M? Or any other advise?

And should I further study MBA? My intention to further study is not mainly because of $$$ but I want to gain more knowledge.

Hope seniors can give me advise. Thank you!

Recommend you to join big 4 suffer for a period.

big 4 is a big company, if you join, you will be small, like an ant.

in your small current company, you're like the big shot.

advice: stay for a number of years, then join big4 as an experienced professional, maybe manager level.

Originally Posted by KCY

My question is. After I graduated, should I sacrifice my pay and go big 4? Or should I stay in this company for next 1 and 2 years and earn the experience then continue in commerical accounting with a bigger firm as AM or M?

I'll say stay in commercial accounting and aim for a bigger firm.
I think big 4 is overhyped. you can do perfectly well without big 4 experience.

[KCY]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

big 4 is a big company, if you join, you will be small, like an ant.

in your small current company, you're like the big shot.

advice: stay for a number of years, then join big4 as an experienced professional, maybe manager level.

I have thought of that also. But I doubt they will recognise my experience in a smaller firm and let me be a manager in big 4. And which department can I be manager in?

Assurance - doubt so no experience
Tax - dont think can
Financial - maybe can

Not sure If I am right.

[KCY]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I'll say stay in commercial accounting and aim for a bigger firm.
I think big 4 is overhyped. you can do perfectly well without big 4 experience.

I hope so. Cause given my situation, I think the best route is to stay at commercial but I feel my accounting/tax knowledge is not very powerful yet especially if I want to join a bigger firm in future as manager, people will expect me to know every single thing.

Originally Posted by KCY

I have thought of that also. But I doubt they will recognise my experience in a smaller firm and let me be a manager in big 4. And which department can I be manager in?

Assurance - doubt so no experience
Tax - dont think can
Financial - maybe can

Not sure If I am right.

you don't think so much. manager is just a title. they use it to identify those with 5+ years of experience. consulting is a huge practice, not just the 3 listed there. when you're ready to take on your next challenge, you will be able to identify areas that suit your background.

Originally Posted by KCY

Hi Senior,

I am in my mid 20s and in my final year of ACCA. I have around 2.5 years experience in commerical accounting. By luck, I was recommended by my previous employer's finance manager to a related company to lead the finance and I got the job of this SME with around 100 head counts.

I didnt study hard when I was young so I cannot make it to the big 4 and I understand for accounting the best experience is at big 4. Through my job, I have gotten contacts from big 4 and they say after I graduate they can pull me in.

My question is. After I graduated, should I sacrifice my pay and go big 4? Or should I stay in this company for next 1 and 2 years and earn the experience then continue in commerical accounting with a bigger firm as AM or M? Or any other advise?

And should I further study MBA? My intention to further study is not mainly because of $$$ but I want to gain more knowledge.

Hope seniors can give me advise. Thank you!

Hi KCY

I can't say for all the big 4, but I know at least in PWC there is no way they will make you a manager even if you stay in the SME for many years.

Big 4 main attraction is to be able to jump start into a global MNC straight away. As I see it, if your ultimate destination is to be do global/regional work in a huge organization, big 4 is the fastest way.

However if you feel that working in medium size enterprise is your cup of tea and you are content with slowly moving up and perhaps next time be a local CFO/ Finance Director of a smaller local company, you can just slowly move within the commercial space.

But one thing to take note is that it is easier for a global MNC regional finance manager to move into bigger roles in smaller companies, but very difficult for a senior level finance person in a non-MNC to move the other way round.

[KCY]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi KCY

I can't say for all the big 4, but I know at least in PWC there is no way they will make you a manager even if you stay in the SME for many years.

Big 4 main attraction is to be able to jump start into a global MNC straight away. As I see it, if your ultimate destination is to be do global/regional work in a huge organization, big 4 is the fastest way.

However if you feel that working in medium size enterprise is your cup of tea and you are content with slowly moving up and perhaps next time be a local CFO/ Finance Director of a smaller local company, you can just slowly move within the commercial space.

But one thing to take note is that it is easier for a global MNC regional finance manager to move into bigger roles in smaller companies, but very difficult for a senior level finance person in a non-MNC to move the other way round.

I agree with what you say. And that is a big factor I have to consider of. But to sacrifice salary now and move to a big 4 is painful.

Originally Posted by KCY

I agree with what you say. And that is a big factor I have to consider of. But to sacrifice salary now and move to a big 4 is painful.

I say serve the highest paying master as long as this doesn't interfere with your professional bearing too much. However if it does, then it's a tradeoff for reaching a higher career point with the odds of success unknown to you right now. What's known, however, is if you decide to move off to Big 4 then your wage instantly suffers a setback and it won't be this easy or even fast to bring it back to where it used to be let alone any higher.

So, please consider your move carefully.