[ymmit]

My question is, is having big 4 on your resume really so undeniably better than having a local smaller public accounting firm on your resume? Are we just brainwashed to believe that if you get into big 4, you will have options down the road that others simply won’t have? FYI I am not pro or con big four, I am just looking for some facts/examples. Currently I work for a smaller firm and am thinking of making the move to a bigger company since I luckily have some connections in bigger firms.

What I am really looking for is the opinion of people that are actually involved in the hiring process of private firms and can talk from experience. Is big 4 vs non big 4 the deciding factor routinely? OR is the big 4 factor mainly sort of a tie-breaker and is the interview/personality most important routinely?

Licensed CPA!

[Anonymous]

well i actually went to an interview yesterday and the interviewer said they were actually looking for big 4 people first but since my resume looked good, they decided to bring me in for an interview

not sure if i got the job tho….

[Anonymous]

well i actually went to an interview yesterday and the interviewer said they were actually looking for big 4 people first but since my resume looked good, they decided to bring me in for an interview

not sure if i got the job tho….

[Anonymous]

and i know some job postings do explicitly state they are looking for big 4 experience

[Anonymous]

and i know some job postings do explicitly state they are looking for big 4 experience

[UCMCPA]

You would be foolish to think having a substantial amount of Big 4 experience wouldn't help you.

FAR - 84
AUD - 94
REG - 86
BEC - 86

[UCMCPA]

You would be foolish to think having a substantial amount of Big 4 experience wouldn't help you.

FAR - 84
AUD - 94
REG - 86
BEC - 86

[Anonymous]

I asked a similar question a few months ago – perhaps the replies there would be of interest to you too: https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-forum/topic/whats-the-big-deal-with-the-big-4

My personal conclusion is that Big 4 can help a resume, but unless you honestly expect to be high-up in a big publicly traded company, it won't make that much difference. As far as actual learning, you'll learn a lot more about accounting in general from a year in a small local firm than you will from a year in a Big 4, but you'll learn much more detail about the little bit that you do in a Big 4. I don't think that Big 4 is worth it for me – there's no Big 4 nearby and family commitments prevent moving, so it wasn't really an option anyway, but it sounds like the positions that would truly require Big 4 experience are also ones that would require more than I'm willing to give (like 24/7 working).

[Anonymous]

I asked a similar question a few months ago – perhaps the replies there would be of interest to you too: https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-forum/topic/whats-the-big-deal-with-the-big-4

My personal conclusion is that Big 4 can help a resume, but unless you honestly expect to be high-up in a big publicly traded company, it won't make that much difference. As far as actual learning, you'll learn a lot more about accounting in general from a year in a small local firm than you will from a year in a Big 4, but you'll learn much more detail about the little bit that you do in a Big 4. I don't think that Big 4 is worth it for me – there's no Big 4 nearby and family commitments prevent moving, so it wasn't really an option anyway, but it sounds like the positions that would truly require Big 4 experience are also ones that would require more than I'm willing to give (like 24/7 working).

[Anonymous]

People who are from Big 4 will tell you it's a big deal, people who aren't won't.

[Anonymous]

People who are from Big 4 will tell you it's a big deal, people who aren't won't.

[Whopper Warrior]

I agree with @lila. having interned at a place with 4 partners and no staff, and big 4. I learned alot more at the local cpa place doing individual, partnership, and c corp coprations as well as looking into financial planning opportunites (some partners were cfps). big 4 i do c corp work and some partnership but its a lot more rigid and focused.

ALL 4 parts passed summer 13
Ethics October 13
Experience (waiting)

Becker Only

[Whopper Warrior]

I agree with @lila. having interned at a place with 4 partners and no staff, and big 4. I learned alot more at the local cpa place doing individual, partnership, and c corp coprations as well as looking into financial planning opportunites (some partners were cfps). big 4 i do c corp work and some partnership but its a lot more rigid and focused.

ALL 4 parts passed summer 13
Ethics October 13
Experience (waiting)

Becker Only

[Mayo]

“My question is, is having big 4 on your resume really so undeniably better than having a local smaller public accounting firm on your resume?”

Not necessarily. Like some have alluded to, having a Big 4 background can initially hinder your Big Picture learning. This is because if you work on a large engagement, you'll most likely only see Cash, AR, AP accounts for one part of the large company. Even as a Senior, it can be difficult to wrap your head around an entire engagement because your own participation is so “Siloed”.

In addition, your own personality might be more of a fit with a smaller firm and a less “corporate” environment.

That being said, there are things you can do to mitigate what I just mentioned. For one, you can ask to take on smaller clients if you are put on a larger one. And really, honestly speaking, the teams with the largest and most marquis clients usually are able to hand pick their staff.

Which means, unless you know some people and actively network, the schedulers will probably just put you were you're most needed. A lot of times, not always, this means being put on smaller and less well known clients for which teams are less “planned out” and people are filled in based on availability. So by default, you might find yourself on an engagement where the size and responsibility is probably more in line with what you're used to.

Also, if you have a choice, you can try and work from a smaller office. These give you more access to Partners and Executives than a large office might. It's not because people are nicer or what have you, but because in such a large office it's really easy to just get lost in the shuffle if you don't proactively try and stand out. With a small office, everyone know everyone (which brings its own set of problems, but that's anywhere).

“Are we just brainwashed to believe that if you get into big 4, you will have options down the road that others simply won't have?”

I don't think this is brainwashing at all. Smaller firms can sometimes be limited in the type of clients they serve. Some firms specialize in Nonprofits. Others in private Oil & Gas companies. The Big 4 gives you the ability to have a wider breadth of experience in both public AND private. This opens doors to positions where SEC rules knowledge is important (think internal audit or SEC Financial Reporting) but also gives you enough experience for Private companies to hire you as well.

“So what Mayo? Mid Tiers like BDO, GT, etc. can give you public experience as well”. Yah, true. But the fact is there that the size of the Big 4 just gives you access to many more opportunities due to the amount of clients. We're talking Global rotations with multinationals, chances of working on IPOs, other non-assurance service line rotations, etc. While Mid-tiers might be able to say, “Hey us too!”, the chances are that the opportunities might not be as numerous even if they do exist.

” Is big 4 vs non big 4 the deciding factor routinely? OR is the big 4 factor mainly sort of a tie-breaker and is the interview/personality most important routinely?”

Not always. Here's a list of quotes I've heard regarding hiring from Public Accounting:

-“Is he/she Big 4?”; first questioned asked when the name of a candidate comes up

-“I usually call around people I know from [their Big 4 firm] before I ever call a recuiter; hiring director when looking for a new Senior

-“I usually consider one year in a Big 4 equivalent to 1.5+ years in industry”; Hiring VP when discussing new people.

-” [CFO of large private tech firm] thinks that ‘People at the Big 4 are nothing but drones who can't think for themselves' “; As quoted to me by the son/daughter of their CFO father.

-“We don't hire Big 4 (for a Staff position) because they expect too much money”

So, you'll see different strokes for different folks. I'll say this: Many Big 4 alumni are in Senior positions. I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of those will look for Big 4 first when they hire.

I'm not pro or con big 4 either. I think you should pick the place that will allow you to feel comfortable enough to maximize your abilities. Sometimes that means killing yourself at a Big 4 right out of graduation, and sometimes that means getting experience and eventually transitioning to a Big 4 later in your career. Hell, other times that means staying in Industry, being a super star, and being promoted with more pay and work/life balance. My point is that if you try and fit a square peg in a round hole, you'll eventually fail and be unhappy. So, short answer is YES, Big 4 provides awesome opportunities and exposure. BUT, no one is saying that great experience and exposure is a monopoly held by only 4 firms.

/long ass answer.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[Mayo]

“My question is, is having big 4 on your resume really so undeniably better than having a local smaller public accounting firm on your resume?”

Not necessarily. Like some have alluded to, having a Big 4 background can initially hinder your Big Picture learning. This is because if you work on a large engagement, you'll most likely only see Cash, AR, AP accounts for one part of the large company. Even as a Senior, it can be difficult to wrap your head around an entire engagement because your own participation is so “Siloed”.

In addition, your own personality might be more of a fit with a smaller firm and a less “corporate” environment.

That being said, there are things you can do to mitigate what I just mentioned. For one, you can ask to take on smaller clients if you are put on a larger one. And really, honestly speaking, the teams with the largest and most marquis clients usually are able to hand pick their staff.

Which means, unless you know some people and actively network, the schedulers will probably just put you were you're most needed. A lot of times, not always, this means being put on smaller and less well known clients for which teams are less “planned out” and people are filled in based on availability. So by default, you might find yourself on an engagement where the size and responsibility is probably more in line with what you're used to.

Also, if you have a choice, you can try and work from a smaller office. These give you more access to Partners and Executives than a large office might. It's not because people are nicer or what have you, but because in such a large office it's really easy to just get lost in the shuffle if you don't proactively try and stand out. With a small office, everyone know everyone (which brings its own set of problems, but that's anywhere).

“Are we just brainwashed to believe that if you get into big 4, you will have options down the road that others simply won't have?”

I don't think this is brainwashing at all. Smaller firms can sometimes be limited in the type of clients they serve. Some firms specialize in Nonprofits. Others in private Oil & Gas companies. The Big 4 gives you the ability to have a wider breadth of experience in both public AND private. This opens doors to positions where SEC rules knowledge is important (think internal audit or SEC Financial Reporting) but also gives you enough experience for Private companies to hire you as well.

“So what Mayo? Mid Tiers like BDO, GT, etc. can give you public experience as well”. Yah, true. But the fact is there that the size of the Big 4 just gives you access to many more opportunities due to the amount of clients. We're talking Global rotations with multinationals, chances of working on IPOs, other non-assurance service line rotations, etc. While Mid-tiers might be able to say, “Hey us too!”, the chances are that the opportunities might not be as numerous even if they do exist.

” Is big 4 vs non big 4 the deciding factor routinely? OR is the big 4 factor mainly sort of a tie-breaker and is the interview/personality most important routinely?”

Not always. Here's a list of quotes I've heard regarding hiring from Public Accounting:

-“Is he/she Big 4?”; first questioned asked when the name of a candidate comes up

-“I usually call around people I know from [their Big 4 firm] before I ever call a recuiter; hiring director when looking for a new Senior

-“I usually consider one year in a Big 4 equivalent to 1.5+ years in industry”; Hiring VP when discussing new people.

-” [CFO of large private tech firm] thinks that ‘People at the Big 4 are nothing but drones who can't think for themselves' “; As quoted to me by the son/daughter of their CFO father.

-“We don't hire Big 4 (for a Staff position) because they expect too much money”

So, you'll see different strokes for different folks. I'll say this: Many Big 4 alumni are in Senior positions. I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of those will look for Big 4 first when they hire.

I'm not pro or con big 4 either. I think you should pick the place that will allow you to feel comfortable enough to maximize your abilities. Sometimes that means killing yourself at a Big 4 right out of graduation, and sometimes that means getting experience and eventually transitioning to a Big 4 later in your career. Hell, other times that means staying in Industry, being a super star, and being promoted with more pay and work/life balance. My point is that if you try and fit a square peg in a round hole, you'll eventually fail and be unhappy. So, short answer is YES, Big 4 provides awesome opportunities and exposure. BUT, no one is saying that great experience and exposure is a monopoly held by only 4 firms.

/long ass answer.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[tough_kitty]

Like Lilla, I don't understand why recruiters make such a big deal out of big 4 experience on your resume. As we all know, you barely learn anything about auditing in your first year at big 4. However, a lot of companies will value this experience and give you a 45% raise if you got your CPA and about 2 years with big 4.

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[Author]

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