What is next? Commerical? Big 4?
 

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

9900
 

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.

Sacrificing salary is nothing new actually. Why do you think so many grads with strong qualifications are working ridiculous hours in big 4 with a miserly starting pay of 2.8k when they can easily get >3.5k doing other finance jobs?

Ultimately it is your choice. One thing is for sure though, if you find it painful to move now next time will be even harder. A lot depends on your ambition, the route you are at now most likely career ceiling is 10-12k salary as some local finance controller which is actually not bad.

Sure going down the big MNC route increases your career ceiling to maybe 40-50k or even >$1mil if you get group level positions, but it's not guaranteed and most people are not able to reach that level anyway.

Is nice to listen to all your opinions. Thank you for the suggestions.

I forget to add on my aim. Probably to be a finance manager in a successful company in Singapore like Singapore Airline, Jardine, P&G. Targeting around 6-7k income/month with around 3months or more bonus timeline will be to reach the goal in 2-3years time. Of course anything excess will be good. Haha.

I dont think I have the substance to be CFO of a group MNC so I am not aiming to earn anything more than 12k.

Frankly it's impossible you can be a finance manager in a MNC in just 2-3 years time. Fresh grads work in Big 4 to gain experience before jumping to commercial, and it takes min 6 years to be a manager in Big 4 and only then do you have a chance at jumping to a finance manager position outside. Even so there is no guarantee you will get the job. Many other more experienced people would like such a job as well.

[QUOTE=KCY;69726]timeline will be to reach the goal in 2-3years time./QUOTE]

why the rush?

Without a big4 CV you will struggle to even get SIA to allow you in as an accountant/exec. 2-3 years time want to be a finance manager in P&G? LOL wait long long! I'm not even sure those cream of the crop who join their grad program can move up that fast.

Okay I adjust my target. 2-3years time drawing close to 6k. Dont have to be MNC. Is that a realistic goal?

I am drawing close to 4k now.

u wanna increase ur salary by 60% in 2-3 years when the average sg mkt giving 4-5% p.a. u tell us realistic or not lor. which sme gonna pay 6k for an accountant with 4-5 years work exp?

How u get 60%? TS is speaking about finance manager not accountant. There's a difference

TS is getting 3k+ now, he wanna get 5k+ in 2 years plus.