Last week I got offers to both an accounting big 4 firm and an bulge bracket bank. Both seem like great gigs but I’m torn on which will be best long term for me. I’d love some guidance here
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You have to think about your type of personality and what you want to do in life.
95% of people here only care about an extremely meaningless thing such as "Prestige" so they will tell you to go to BB.
But your thought process should actually ignore "prestige" and what others will think, and focus more on what you like and what you want.
- Both opportunities will offer you a very steep learning curve
- BB will pay you more money in your first years of career, but in the long term the difference in compensation vanishes as Partners at B4 companies make as much as MDs
- B4 will offer you more job security, as accounting firms are not so subject to market downturns, and your chances of being promoted are higher (less competition, less burnout, less chances of being laid off)
- Even though both jobs will make you work more than the average citizen, accounting roles offer a much nicer WL balance
- Working at a bulge bracket may open you exit opportunities that are exclusive to bankers such as Private Equity, Private Credit, Corporate Development, whereas accounting exit ops are more limited to accounting and financial roles (although many CEOs and CFOs started their careers at a Big 4)
- Accounting jobs exist everywhere in all tier 2 and tier 3 cities of the world, while working at a BB will limit your geographic options to 3 or 4 cities
No career is better than the other, you just need to think about which option will be a better fit and aligns better with the lifestyle and career you want
Want more money faster with a crappier WLB? Go banking.
I would say marginally if you look at it on an hour by hour basis relative to $ in the door, banking is the way to go.
B4 you’ll work 70 hours during busy season and pull in 80k a year right out of school, banking will be 10 hours more but 2x the pay.
10hours more for x 4 times longer**** given that busy season usually only lasts a couple months of the year
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