Which Big 4 Accounting Firms have the best tech clients?
Hey everyone,
I am currently an Accounting major interested in entering the Big 4 audit sector. Most of you probably know that many individuals leave Big 4 either to move on to other industries or because clients pick them up to work for them. I would eventually like to transition into a corporate finance/Accounting position at a tech firm/company.
From this does anyone happen to know which Big 4 firm deals with the best tech companies?
thanks!
E&Y works with Google, Apple, Oracle. Both audit and tax assignments.
Audit firms are required to rotate clients every 4 years, so having this regard is somewhat less relevant for the longer term. From my prior experience at big4 firms (internships), the main difference is the culture - I would highly recommend you pick the firm you feel most comfortable with (or go where your friends go assuming some degree of like-mindedness) and which firm has the greatest impression on you.
I did my stint in Financial Services, which was great for exposure to understanding/ interpreting financial statements for financial institutions, but I reckon either team should be equally satisfying as will definitely learn a lot. Just browse their website or chat to someone in the firm (career events also very helpful) about which audit team looks at tech companies, etc.
Note that financial statement analysis, which is a key component of audit, is also a core foundation building block for corporate finance. Just give yourself a couple of years in audit, clear out CA/ CPA, and you'll be in a good position when it comes to apps (esp with the big4 name on your resume). I have plenty of friends who transitioned this way, either to CF or tax, so I wouldn't really worry.
This. At least in the US, they're not required to switch clients as one commenter said, and E&Y does have the cream of the crop for tech (I actually had a stint at E&Y in another industry).
That said, some of the sentiment expressed here is true, i.e. finding a good fit with a firm you feel comfortable with in the recruiting process. Your experience in the Big 4 is very client or office specific when it comes to culture, some are d-bags and some are great to work with. And I got a corporate role in an unrelated industry, so it's not a deal breaker if you don't land on the Google audit.
I don't have any experience, but I imagine you're going to want to get into a Cali or Washington (state) office. Which firm is probably less important than location. That's just an educated guess, though, don't take my word for it.
I dont think anyone out there believes one of the Big 4 puts out better talent than the other 3. With that said, I started my career in Big 4 and received a lot of push back when I got put on a client I didn't want to be on to start my career. So it means nothing if you start off at say E&Y on a non-profit client. So be sure wherever you land that you are put on one of those tech clients. I eventually got to where I wanted but I spun my wheels for quite some time.
I think you'd be better off trying to move to a city with a robust tech sector, as DM said, than aiming for one specific firm based on who they audit. First, I don't believe there is any guarantee that you will be placed on, for example, the Google audit if you go to EY. From what I've seen, depending on who your manager is, he or she may not be that lenient about putting you exactly where you want to be and it's therefore not a good idea to go to a firm unless they guarantee before you sign that you'll be auditing X (I've seen this happen before, so it's not impossible, just rare).
Second, if you don't get put on the client you want, you'll at least have the chance to look at other tech companies and have relevant experience in case you want to go for work for a tech client later on. Third, being in a city with a lot of tech companies will make it easier to attend networking events with like-minded professionals. If your goal is to work for a tech startup within the corporate finance department, I'd imagine that it's a lot easier to network into something while living in San Francisco, Boston, or NYC than a large city like Houston or Chicago that have focuses in other industries.
I could be wrong on this, but that's just my hunch.
Excellent! I was actually narrowing my preference for offices towards San Francisco, Boston, and NYC. Since Ernst and young seems to be the consensus how are the office cultures in these offices? Could any of y'all provide feedback on at least one of them?
In SF it's pretty relaxed everyone is fairly nice and hard working. Most big 4 in San Francisco are mostly filled from Berkeley or kids from nearby schools, so if your geographically close recruiting should be pretty easy. SF EY has a high amount of tech clients, but honestly each one has enough clients in the tech sector for you to get staffed on a couple so I wouldn't worry about that, just make sure your vocal as possible with the staffing people.
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