[ZCPA2]

I was recently promoted to audit senior at a National firm (i.e. one of McG, GT, BDO), and I was planning on leaving once I get one year of experience under my belt as a senior. My ultimate goal is a rotational internal audit track in private once I have one year of experience as a senior (about 3 years in total). I’m not interested in being a career internal auditor, but I think it’s the easiest way to transition into a more interesting finance/accounting role within a company.

Does it make sense to move to Big 4 for another external audit role before I make this jump? I’ll most likely lose a year in transition (S1 back to A2), so I’ll probably be stuck in this position for two years before I would consider leaving.

Is having Big 4 on your resume worth losing a year?

[MaLoTu]

I wouldn't do it. Primarily because you are going to take a demotion. The firms that you mentioned should have enough name recognition to land you a good industry job. I see a lot of recommendations on here that you should try to make it to manager in public and that will give you better industry job options.

Almost always from my phone... please excuse my typos!

All 4 passed - 2016

CA CPA

[rp 12]

Don't do it. You can work as an IA in a F100 company even with National firm stamp on your resume. You just need to sell yourself well during interview. As MaLoTu said you will take a demotion since you haven't spent a busy season being a Senior Associate. Also, try after your senior year to go into Risk Advisory (EY Internal Audit), or PwC Internal Audit Services (Risk Assurance).

AUD - NINJA in Training
BEC - NINJA in Training
FAR - NINJA in Training
REG - NINJA in Training

AUD - 67, 62, 77 (lost credit), TBA

FAR - 53, 48, 58, 62, XX

BEC - 53, XX

 

"Success in life comes when you simply refuse to give up, with goals so strong that obstacles, failure, and loss act only as motivation"

AUD: 68, 62, 77✔ (expires 10/31/16)
FAR: 53, 48, XX (retake 6/16)
REG:
BEC: 53

[fuzyfro89]

Try your hand at IA jobs starting now. If you continue running into roadblocks due to lack of big 4, then maybe that will help you make your decision.

If you network and interview well, I can't imagine you having a ton of trouble getting into a reputable company within IA in the next year. IA requires more knowledge of controls than technical accounting (although obviously good accounting knowledge is valuable background).

The exception is if you plan to stay in public for at least another 2 years, in which case I would suggest you go ahead and try things out at one of the big 4 firms. The opportunities available to a audit senior after 1 yr aren't that different from what's available after the 2nd year. It's not until you start being able to compete for manager jobs in industry that it really matters… depending on the company, that could either be your 3rd year as a senior or 1-2 years of being a manager.

It certainly isn't “required” to spend time with a big 4 firm, but it definitely helps given you will compete with so many people from those firms. I would argue it matters more how hard you work and how much effort you put into networking rather than the firm name alone.

Not a bad way to go, but don't make the mistake of thinking that you still won't have to do the dirty work of networking even if you decide to spend a year or two in a big 4 firm in order to land a quality IA job.

[Author]

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