[verhoef.3]

Hey guys. I am entering my last semester of school and have an offer on the table. I’ll be blunt in saying I interned this past busy season at a Big 4 firm, but for one reason or another I didn’t get an offer. I just got an offer for another internship at a large regional firm for next winter. A recruiter from this large regional firm has been acting as a mentor to me this past years and prepping me for all my B4 interviews when he felt that was the way I wanted to go. When he heard I didn’t get an offer from said Big 4 firm, he was eager to bring me in for an interview at his regional firm. I was offered the choice of interning or starting full time in January. After weighing the options I chose to intern for several reasons: overtime pay (I would make more money than as a first year staff), complete focus on the CPA exam in the summer, and I could figure out if I really like the firm. However, I really wish I had the security of the full time position after what happened at the Big 4 firm. My dad was pushing me to go for a straight up full-time offer, but I ultimately decided to go the other way. Did I make a mistake?

Part 2: This firm is the largest independently owned firm in the city with the same number of CPAs as the Big 4 offices. However, its not one of the large national firms like Plante, Crowe, or BDO (they are part of the BDO Alliance though) They have a very broad range of clients with thousands in revenue to billions in revenue. I like the firm, but I am scared about what will happen down the road if I decide to leave, as it doesn’t have much name recognition. Should I really be worried? I feel I will be exposed to more, but it doesn’t have the prestige of the B4.

[Jaimcpa]

The main national firms are McGladrey (No.5 in U.S.) and Grant Thornton (No.6 in U.S.)….in terms of ranking/revenue. The rest of the ones you mentioned are regional I believe (except BDO I believe they are national as well).

Regional or national, they are a good gig. Big 4 is not end all be all. In the reg/nati firms you will obtain more experience faster and can most likely move up their ranks quicker. Also, if you make it to senior at GT/McG/or other largely recognized regional firms AND you do not like working with the “mid-tier” (non Fortune-500), you can easily be pouched by ANY of the Big 4. It happens all the time when B4 is trying to fill seats from people either exiting from public accounting or wanting to move to the mid-tier.

FAR- 73, 10/07/2013
REG- 8/31/2013
AUD- TBD
BEC- TBD

MAcc
Main: Becker Self-Study 2013. Supplements: Ninja / Wiley TB / CPAExcel (Bought before I received an offer).

[musicamor]

Big 4 is most valuable for resume credibility. Take it from someone who regrets not going into Big 4.

Texas CPA - licensed in 2012!!!

[whitelilies04]

Do you know why you didn't get an offer when you interned? I'm also surprised you took another internship given what happened last time. Is there a way you can change it? It is very unlikely you will actually receive any OT pay. The rule in my office (I work for a big 4) is that we send the interns home as soon as they hit 8hrs. Since they are usually the least efficient member on any team it makes no sense to keep them around and pay them OT, when we can just have a staff do whatever the intern was working on.

FAR - passed, 11/12
AUD - passed, 5/13

[Anonymous]

I don't think you made a bad choice taking the internship. I took a full time position in a large national non-big4 firm straight after college and at the same time I started studying for my CPA exams. The only difference between your situation and mine is that I had previously interned with the co. before and that's how I got the full time offer.

You could look at it 2 ways:

1) The economy sucks and if you can secure a full time position, then do it! You didn't but if you end up not liking the firm you will still be on the hunt for a job. So I guess it doesn't matter.

2) You now have 100% of your time to dedicate to passing all 4 parts of the CPA exam BEFORE starting full time. This has always been the advice I give ppl that are still in college. Pass as many, if not all parts before startting full time. It's so much easier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[acamp]

FT Position > Time to Study for CPA.

Internship didn't get you the job the last time around, without knowing why, perhaps you needed a little more development–something that an employer might put into a FT Employee, but not an intern. I would definitely reconsider your choice.

Self proclaimed: Highest ratio of Replies to Others v. Posts Created on A71

California CPA - Big4 Aud Manager Alum - Private Accounting at Startups

FAR, REG and BEC with Ninja Notes + WTB Only

Ninja + Wiley Test Bank: [FAR - 81] [REG - 76] [BEC - 88] [AUD - 73](doh!)

Becker Videos: [AUD - 82]

California CPA

[Anonymous]

Reposting as I didn't realized I was blocked:

@whitelilies04 I'm in my 50s. I have been told by several sources that Big 4 makes their partners now retire in their 50s…so the likelihood of getting hired at a Big 4…not likely…I've also been advised to pass the CPA exams..so that I have a leg up to counter the issue of age. I may consider regionals or even industry..government less likely as I have no experience in government other than dealing with GSA and administrating government contracts…I have 25 years of sales and business development experience in high-tech. Can that experience be coupled in such a way that it appeals to Big 4…? I've also considered the idea of gaining an expertise in a certain area associated with my background such as revenue recognition and company valuation or M&A or healthcare or biotechnology (an area of sales focus and undergraduate degree in psychobiology)….something that bridges my wealth of experience in business with my CPA candidacy. If you have any thoughts or anyone in the forum, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.

[Author]

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