Big 4 audit v tiny no name corporate finance

Have an interview coming up for the corporate finance with a tiny accountancy firm (three partners).

Currently working in Big 4 audit.

Would I be mad to leave big 4 for this position? At least I would have some corp fin experience but I imagine the deals are small and nobody will have heard of the firm.

I also intend to work abroad someday (Im in a smaller european country) and think this could affect chances of getting a position.

Im going to go to the interview to see what the guy has to say but Im still not sure whether to accept if I was offered????

Any help?

 

Intersting position you're in.

The question first is how long have you been doing audit at the big 4 now. If you have a reasonable amount of time under your belt there, you can always go back to it if this doesnt work out, so risk is minimised.

Also, it could be an interesting opportunity, with the possibility for you to grow the practice and start bringing in some larger deals and yourself larger paychecks.

Those are possible reasons to do it anyway.

Big 4 Accounting Guide to Getting Hired Contains interview questions, exactly how to answer, resume guide, how to make an impact and a guide to the firms and service lines.
 

i left big 4 audit after knowing it was a terrible fit for me and havent looked back since. If you've qualified then its not as big a thing. If you haven't then its more of a decision. (i left before qualifying). Do what you want to do and you will be better at it and have a better cv rather than doing what other people want you to do.

 

On the other hand, if you are set on working overseas, as I am sure you know Big 4 firms offer employees the opportunity to do stints overseas. That might be your best bet, assuming you would qualify for their overseas program.

 

Okay guys offer looking more likely and still pretty lost.

Ill stress this is Corporate Finance for an accountancy firm thats much smaller than the Big 4.

I will have two years experience with Big 4 and have passed all my exams (hopefully) when I start.

So my choice is either

A) Three years with big 4 audit->move abroad and try and get work in CF/something related

B) Two years with Big 4 audit->one year no name corporate finance->move abroad and try and get work in CF/something related

I will come out of both (hopefully) as a qualified accountant...any further opinions/input?

Really lost on this one.

 
Best Response

1) Do you a) hate audit or b) really want to work in Finance? (or both) 2) If 1 is "b", which is more important to you, working in finance or working abroad? 3) What exactly does the "corp fin" at the small accounting firm entail? It can cover a lot of ground and accounting firms (especially the Big 4) are notorious for trying to make their groups sound sexy to candidates.

There have been many great comebacks throughout history. Jesus was dead but then came back as an all-powerful God-Zombie.
 

Hi Kenny Powers (great username)

to answer your questions:

1) Absolutely despise audit...really hate it and I also really really want to work in finance 2)Well the country I am in has a very very limited CF market so working in finance and working abroad go hand in hand for me. Would say working abroad is more important to me. 3)It would mostly be advisory work..advising small companies on small deals with some basic financial modelling...not sexy but its something you can spin as relevant.

 

It depends a bit on which small European country you are referring to. If we're talking Switzerland or Luxemburg then you could potentially consider switching as financial centers automatically give you some extra credibility (yeah, I know, it's unfair). That's probably not the case though, since you mentioned the country has a limited CF market. If you're in CEE then I would strongly advice you to stay in Big 4. Nobody will care how you spin your experience, those places are known to be very random and unverifiable and a "small no-name firm" will not impress anyone. Again, unfair but you can't do anything about it. If it's Ireland (your username sounds a bit like an Irish surname :) ) I'm a bit in two minds about it but you should probably be ok. For anything else in continental Europe I would say stay at Big 4.

 

I agree with Enid-for CEE I'd stick with Big 4 because no-name will be REALLY no-name. Also, in the UK at least Big 4 and the CA designation are fairly respected unlike in the US.

There have been many great comebacks throughout history. Jesus was dead but then came back as an all-powerful God-Zombie.
 

It is Ireland.

And I plan to move to the US in about two years time (other obligations mean it is not possible to move before then).

I'm leaning towards the small firm now because audit is actually driving me mental.

Thanks for advice so far....good input...anybody else have an opinion on it (I know its not the most exciting topic in the world, ha)?

 

Id qui quo quod voluptas itaque nesciunt quo. At consectetur et ipsa nihil quam tempora dolores. Aut cumque ea quibusdam repudiandae omnis quia qui. Enim dignissimos at ipsa sequi. Recusandae aliquam reiciendis commodi reprehenderit.

Ratione repellat aut veritatis aperiam sit excepturi ut. Excepturi incidunt sint nesciunt doloremque enim quae dolorem. Et eum qui qui quo. Quo sit culpa voluptatem maxime.

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”