[Anonymous]

Hi!

I am a junior in college right now, and I am looking into Big 4 summer internships. I have a double major, 4.0 GPA, extracurricular, previous audit experience, and a life, so I am a great student and candidate and I should be able to at least get an interview.

I read everywhere that many good accounting positions require big 4 experience. But, honestly, I don’t know if I want to work full time there. I would rather work for a regional with better hours. Would a summer internship be “enough” big 4 experience, or would I need a full-out position to get to this level?

Thanks for the help, I appreciate it!

[Anonymous]

“How much Big 4 experience is necessary?”

Zero

[msgolds]

Here's my two cents on Big 4 experience: it is played up to be worth much more than it actually is.

I never actually was a Big 4 Employee, but I worked for a Big 4 firm as a contractor (I was actually employed by a much smaller CPA Firm). My experience there was not very positive at all. The staff was uber-competitive and very willing to throw each other under the bus, the hours were terrible, the pressure our team was put on was ridiculous, and the management was poor. On top of that, they were incredibly poorly trained for the work they were doing. The point when I realized I had to get out of there was when two of my team members wound up quitting within two weeks of each other, and I wound up inheriting all of their work on top of the astronomical workload I already had (with them having no intentions of hiring replacements). It is a sink or swim atmosphere with very little to show for it.

I currently work for a much smaller firm doing work that I enjoy a lot more. I still work long hours sometimes, but not every freaking week. I've gotten way more valuable experience than I ever got a Big 4. Some people thrive in it, but if you don't think you would from the get-go, than I doubt it's something you'd want to put yourself through.

BEC - 90 PASSED
FAR - 84 PASSED
AUD - 93 PASSED
REG - 84 PASSED

I DID IT!!!!

Using Becker Self-Study

"If we were put here to carry a great weight, then the very things we hate are here to build those muscles."

[Anonymous]

So many people leave the big 4 because of the working environment mentioned above, i am sitting here thinking why it is still hard for me to get in….

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all of the input. I agree that Big 4 is not necessary by any means, and that is why I don't want to work there for my career. Still, does anyone think it would be worth it to intern at one over the summer just to say I have the experience under my belt, and then I can actually take a job at a firm where I want to work?

[UM1868]

All of the people who end up saying it is not necessary, never reaped a benefit from it. Well most.

Tons of benefits, and I thoroughly love people who talk about not learning anything and only doing one sector. You're only doing one sector because you're in a LARGE office, or you never spoke up and asked to move around.

In 1 year I have done Public Manufacturing, Private Chemical, and Higher Education. I have learned things from auditing contributions to defined benefit plans to your simple revenue and expense. This is just the beginning.

Oh, and 100k within 5 years isn't bad.

Bec-76 (7/14)
Aud-81 (8/14)
Reg-82 (7/15)
Far- 82 (10/15)

Moral of the story, don't do your CPA while working in Big 4 Public Accounting.

[UM1868]

But no, its not necessary. Just depends on what your goals are. You can also get to the same place without it. May just take a little longer. Or you may be a helluva accountant (top percentile) and you get there faster without it

Bec-76 (7/14)
Aud-81 (8/14)
Reg-82 (7/15)
Far- 82 (10/15)

Moral of the story, don't do your CPA while working in Big 4 Public Accounting.

[UM1868]

.

Bec-76 (7/14)
Aud-81 (8/14)
Reg-82 (7/15)
Far- 82 (10/15)

Moral of the story, don't do your CPA while working in Big 4 Public Accounting.

[fuzyfro89]

How much is “necessary” depends on your goals and how likely not having Big 4 experience will hold you back. If you don't know yet, which is perfectly okay since no one knows what they want to spend their entire career doing, then public experience (Big 4 particularly) will give you the broadest options in most cases.

The actual experience may be better in a smaller firm or in industry, but Big 4 really does have brand value.

And no, doing an internship won't count past your first full time job. No one cares where you interned after a few years of experience after school.

[Author]

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