[hhjogger]

Hello,

Well I used to work in public accounting. I was literally treated like s***. Now I am in private. I never told my boss in private about my experiences in public, but she has told me several times when she was at a mid-tier firm she was “treated like s***.”

For me, it wasn’t just the pay and the hours. They just had no absolutely zero respect for me. They would play games (even when I was trying to request medical leave for a few hours) and blame me for things I did not do. There was also numerous political games and debacles.

However I kind of want to go to back in public accounting for more experience. Is it really always this bad? Is audit worse than tax (both from my experience and what I have heard).

Thanks,

HHJogger

CA Certified Public Accountant

Passed all 4 parts of the CPA exam.

[Biff-1955-Tannen]

One of the things I absolutely love about the firm I interned at/ will start full time at, is how great the environment is. All of the full time I worked with share that sentiment too. Culture is a huge part of Eide Bailly though.

AUD - 93
BEC - 83
FAR - 83
REG - 84

Nobody calls me chicken

AUD 93 Jan 16
BEC 83 Feb 16
FAR 83 Apr 16
REG 84 May 16

99% Ninja MCQ only

[FIFOisbetterthanLIFO]

The general consensus is there is not loyalty on either side. Public accounting firms get ditched by employees all the time and they lay people off all the time. Its the nature of the business.

FAR - Passed (82)
BEC - Passed (76)
AUD - Passed (89)
REG - Passed! (81)
AICPA Ethics

Licensed CPA

[PublicGuy]

What I can say about the big 4 office I'm in (tax) is this: You get what you give. If you work hard, don't whine, and are half way decent at your job, people will appreciate and respect you. If you are a new staff hotshot who thinks they are above printing/stapling/ being available past 5pm, word will spread and your quality of office life will begin to suffer. And yes, the environment is very political.

I have never witnessed anyone treated like sh** before, though I will say that some people are harder to work for than others. Some people push their staff a bit harder, and not always in a good way, than others do, but people who aren't half way decent don't last long.

Hope that perspective helps a bit.

[CPA2BEE]

I've worked for (currently work for) 2 different tax firms, both relatively small. The first one was a nightmare. The one I am with now, I cannot believe how lucky I am to work for a firm that is this laid back and fair to its employees. Most big public firms aren't going to give a sh** about you, the small firm environment has a more personal feel. But small does not mean perfect, it all depends on who you are working with.

CA CPA - est. Dec 2016

FAR - 80
AUD - 82
BEC - 80
REG - 85

ETHICS - 90
EXPERIENCE - COMPLETE
Application for California license mailed 8/4/2016

[EuroAddict]

Everyone's experience will differ. I knew that a Big 4 wasn't for me. There is a line waiting outside the door for people who want to work there so they aren't afraid to burn and turn. I am in my mid 30's and would rather make a little less but have more of a life (travel is a must).

The funny thing is I am working at a very small tax firm (1 owner) and I am making more than I did at a public firm who did 50mm in revenue.

Big 4 can be great though. Can learn a ton and a lot of companies will look at a Big 4 name when you want to move on to private industry more so than a smaller name firm.

Just get that CPA and worry about these things after 🙂

-----------------------------
BEC - 77, 03/2015 (first try)
FAR - 79, 05/2015 (second try)
REG - 83, 12/2015 (first try)
AUD - 84, 03/2015 (first try)

I got 99 problems but the CPA ain't one.

[Sir Ivalis]

I work with a great team in my big 4 job on the tax side. I've heard that another team in my office is terrible to be in, however. So not only does it vary by city and firm, but also individual teams within departments. I think it has a lot to do with the personalities at the top, especially the partner leading the team.

You can certainly find a good experience in public, though I imagine it's pretty hard to see what your experience will be like just from interviewing for a couple hours. I actually did an internship with my team first, so I was more confident committing full-time

REG - 81
FAR - April 13th (73), TBD
AUD - July 6th
BEC - TBD

[Anonymous]

Pet peeve… OP — can people please please stop using the word “literally” in the wrong context. I get what you're saying, but I don't think any one was actually physically placing you in the toilet and so forth.

Please… pass this on. The world will be a better place.

[EuroAddict]

^^ Imagine working with this guy. Would literally go insane. 🙂

-----------------------------
BEC - 77, 03/2015 (first try)
FAR - 79, 05/2015 (second try)
REG - 83, 12/2015 (first try)
AUD - 84, 03/2015 (first try)

I got 99 problems but the CPA ain't one.

[Mehow]

I have no experience because I won't start till the Fall, but from what I hear from friends is that it can really depend on the team you're working with. My younger brother is interning for a Big Four firm right now and he doesn't seem to be being treated bad at all.

FAR = 86 4/22/16
BEC = 80 6/01/16
REG = 07/26/16
AUD = ?

[hhjogger]

@Bobcat87 More like a piece of poop in the middle of the office. Pretty much literally. Just looking for a place where I can just do my job, lay low, and go home (even that means I have to be there till 10 pm). Luckily I am at a private company where I can do that now.

CA Certified Public Accountant

Passed all 4 parts of the CPA exam.

[hhjogger]

@euroaddict. lol. I can handle snark at work.

CA Certified Public Accountant

Passed all 4 parts of the CPA exam.

[Anonymous]

Worked in a Big 4 for 3 years, the people I worked with for the most part were great and down to earth. Made the work be a little bit more bearable. But I definitely was on several projects where the seniors/managers/partners were not reasonable and did not understand the concept of the human mind and needing to take small breaks here and there. Huge disconnect between their expectations and reality. Look I was no superstar by any means, but I also wasn't a dud. I had a huge problem with good work not being appreciated nor recognized so I was absolutely thrilled to get out. It's a great place to learn and start your career but how people can stay in that environment for longer than 3 years is quite amazing to me. Just my own experience and beliefs…

[Author]

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