Hey guys,
Currently I'm a senior at no name state school in Illinois about to start at a big 4 accounting firm in audit in the fall (PwC/Deloitte). I've been looking into corporate career paths as I do not want to stay in audit very long and I would love to eventually get into corporate strategy. So I'm wondering what career path would be best (or possible)
1. Audit (to Manager)--> FP&A--> corpdev---> corpstrategy
2. Audit (to senior) --> Top 25 (hopefully 15) MBA-->corpstrategy
I'm wondering how possible these career paths are and also how favorable top B schools will look at a candidate coming from my background with good extracurricular and CPA of course that is gunning for a corporate strategy position and not IB/Consulting.
I'm leaning toward the MBA route because I want to give myself a shot at a CEO position as opposed to CFO. Otherwise I'd skip the MBA and just gun for corpdev
Audit -> TAS -> CorpDev/MBA?
Are you saying that's a better route? My concern with that was that I was unsure if CorpDev was a exit route from TAS.
I'm sure someone will be able to chime in that has better experience then me, but I look at it like this.
Think about the types of skills required for a CorpDev role, and the types of skills you will be developing at your job.
The skills you develop in TAS(Valuation/M&A/DD) will be more transferable to a CorpDev type role then being in Audit for 5 years and FP&A for 2, or by being in Audit for 2 and trying to get an MBA at a top 15 school.
You can start applying for TAS type roles at Big 4 and other firms starting today, so why would you wait for your options 1 and 2? Plus, if you end up switching into a TAS type role before getting your MBA you will have transferable experience to backup your "story" for whatever job you decide to apply to.
Edit: It's obviously easier to switch into CorpDev from IBD/Management Consulting, but you can position yourself as best you can with the hands you've been dealt.
Being ex-Big 4 myself, I would definitely advise going down the TAS route. Ruskii is right in saying that the skills you gain in TAS will be far more transferable than those gained in audit.
If you're long term goal is strategy, go and get some TAS (deal) experience and then see what your options are. These could well be straight to MBA, or moving to CordDev and then on to CorpStrat.
I'm curious as to how the hours are in TAS
Breaking into Corp. Strat./Dev. (Originally Posted: 12/04/2012)
Hey guys,
I'm a junior at a non-target in Florida, not even in the top 100 in fact. I chose to go here before I really knew much about careers in high finance and the like. And realistically, staying in-state was the only way I'd be able to afford it anyway.
After doing research I decided on trying to go for Big 4 audit, which recruits decently at my school, and take it from there as far as exit ops. I was pretty satisfied with the salary I'd eventually make and work I'd be doing after moving over to private, but then I researched a little more and found this site. It made me think that I could do better than just being an accountant. I think business/corporate strategy/development is what I'd really like to do.
Because of my school, I think thats a pretty unrealistic path out of undergrad, and obviously things like IBD and consulting are pretty much out too. Big 4 audit seems like my best option at this point.
Once I'm into Big 4 audit, is there something I can do to break out and into corp dev/strat? How realistic is it? Is it something I should do after only a year or two in audit so I'm not branded an accountant? I'm hoping to go to Chicago or NYC for Big 4 audit so I'm at least in a big city environment to network. Would from audit to TAS/TS as soon as possible help the cause?
Any advice is appreciated.
Mr. Vandelay,
Check out my interviews with Nefarious, a user that works in Strategy at a major Fortune 500 company. He's got some tips for breaking in and some info on the field. Here are the links:
Part One: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/blog/qa-with-nefarious-a-strategy-associ…
Part Two: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/blog/qa-with-nefarious-a-strategy-associ…
yea read through Nefarious' interviews and tips, but his is more related to corporate strategy.
As for OP's question, you can go the audit -> industry route. I know a lot of people who do audit -> FP&A -> corporate development (also business development, strategy, R&D finance, manager of acquisitions). this route is all too common, esp. in SF. I know an alumnus who took this route and recently got an offer at a big pharma's VC arm an an associate.
I've also seen the audit -> TAS -> corporate dev. route. but the number of audit associates gunning for a position in TAS/TS is ridiculous compared to the number of positions available. so you are better off going the f500 route and gaining industry specific knowledge.
Again, our paths cross. I go to the same school as you [UG: Finance, Grad: MBA] and currently work in strategy at a large employer in the area. Not only that, but I have another offer in development for another f500 in the area. Bottom line, don't make excuses why it isn't possible - it is. Get the right internships and do excellent work - if you do that, you can skip big 4 all together.
Feel free to PM if you have any questions. I just had an awesome internship open in my group but YESTERDAY we gave it to a Math + Econ major (junior)... would've loved to interview a WSO guy.
Any more input guys?
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