| Topic Name: |
Mama says you neva know what ya gonna get |
| Message Name: |
True |
| Date Posted: |
12/01/2007 |
| In Reply To: |
I should include that I recenlty graduated lol so I don't have actual "experience". I am starting in a midsize firm in January, and after all the negatives Ive heard about big4, I was dissuaded from even applying (although I did, but didnt get in-shhh).
I also found it interesting that a number of my soon to be seniors when I start work came from the Big4 to midsize firm, specifically mine, because they couldn't handle the overburdening pressure and excessive amount of themslves they had to put into the company w/o getting properly compensated, whether that be monetarilly or otherwise.
In the end though, and this was the one line that EVERY SINGLE person I interviewd with along with every new 1st or 2nd yr employee I spoke with told me:
"It all depends on where YOU fit in" |
| Message: |
Well, I want to link this discussion with the one that we were having about the Big 4 experience (the other post). It is true that the Big 4 experience is valuable. However, not having Big 4 experience will not limit your career in anyway unless you let it. My fiance's mother and I were talking about this the other day. She works for a smaller company and because of that, she gets to sit in on discussions with the CFO and COO (she's an accountant with no degree, no degree and no CPA). Think about it, if she worked for Microsoft, would she be able to do that? No, she would be pigeoned holed into some lame job. BUT because she does work for a smaller firm, it is very realistic that she has at an executive position someday (she is working on the whole degree/CPA thing). Of course, you are not in that situation. You DO have an accounting degree and will have a CPA. As such, you are much better off. So to get to my advice, if you really want to climb up the chain and be one of the brass, I would work for a small-medium firm someday. This advice would apply to people that have Big 4 experience too. When I finish working for one of the Big 4 firms, I am going to try and work for a small-medium sized firms. It will be much easier in this environment to get the job where you can make real decisions. 2 to 3 years experience at Deloitte is not going to land you the CFO position at ExxonMobil, but if you work for a smaller firm it is very realistic that you can be a controller sooner than later. And when the current CFO dies or retires, you can make a shot at it. I know most of my discussion concerns things far in the future for both of us, but I like plan things out in my head and visualize my career.
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