Career Advice Big 4 Audit vs M&A healthcare company

Hi all,

I am currently working in audit at the Big 4 (started Sept 2020). I have an opportunity (Graduate M&A analyst) to move into a venture-backed firm (healthcare) that has an aggressive growth strategy of buying out other businesses. The CEO is ex-BCG and has a Havard MBA. The team is very small (4-man including the CEO) the others are all big 10 qualified CAs from audit and have had a year or 2 experience post-qualification in transactions/modeling before joining.

I dislike audit, it's boring, you don't use your brain.

That being said, I do understand that the Big 4 CA graduate scheme is a solid foundation for a prosperous career. And I could make an internal move into transactions once qualified or leave once qualified. Exit ops are brilliant...

Salary is not a big factor for me atm, and both jobs pay well enough for me.

I want to move and do work on a daily basis that I enjoy and build a career in M&A. I would also sit the CFA and hopefully finish all 3 levels in 3 years. I am however scared if I move what my career might look like in 4-5 years' time if I leave.

I can save 3 years of learning audit and have full exposure to the acquisition deal process; leave my ICAEW exams behind me and take the CFA. I am so close to accepting...

Any advice/comments to help with my decision would be helpful!