| Wouldn't life be great if you got to work at a Big 4 | | | | advance your career. Simply working in Big 4 does not |
| Accounting firm? People are constantly telling you that | | | | guarantee job security for life or "networks." |
| it is one of the best places to launch a career, and you | | | | Myth number 3: You earn a great salary making all |
| are promised a great work life balance. Recruiters talk | | | | your friends at smaller firms jealous |
| to you about how great the salary is and all the | | | | Explained: You may have a higher salary on paper but |
| prestige you get working at a big 4 firm. Most of this is | | | | you can be guaranteed you will be working long hours |
| pure industry advertising. There are some great things | | | | with unpaid overtime. Your friends probably make |
| about working at a big 4, but there are other not so | | | | more money on an hourly basis and have much more |
| great things as well. | | | | free time. Who's laughing now? |
| Here are the Top 5 Myths about working at a big 4 | | | | Myth number 4: You gain experience that is |
| firm. | | | | unparalleled to anything else. |
| Myth number 1: Your resume automatically grows to | | | | Explained: If you don't stay long enough, its very likely |
| the top of the pile in any career hunt | | | | you will just be doing slave work such as simple |
| Explained: An experienced candidate without big four | | | | referencing, and ticking and tying. Big 4 experience |
| experience is much more likely to get selected than a | | | | does not guarantee you see the whole picture of |
| candidate with big four experience that is not as | | | | auditing. You will most likely be doing small sections of |
| experienced. It is the experience within the big 4 firm at | | | | a large audit. You may see only a very small part |
| top management positions that will give your career a | | | | compared to smaller firms. |
| boost. But, you will need to work at least 3 years at a | | | | Myth number 5: You get to travel the world |
| big 4 accounting firm before you are exposed to the | | | | Explained: You get to work in places you don't really |
| level of responsibility smaller accounting firms might | | | | want to. Deadlines are tight. It is very possible to go to |
| give you right away. It's not that you worked at a Big | | | | a foreign country and go to only two places. Your |
| 4; it's what you did in the big 4. | | | | client location and your hotel. Traveling is more of a |
| Myth number 2: You get access to a network of | | | | nuisance than luxury at the big 4. |
| professionals that is unparallel anywhere | | | | In conclusion, a big 4 accounting firm is a great place to |
| Explained: There is a network of professionals, but the | | | | start a career, but it is overhyped. Smaller accounting |
| amount of "networking" you will be doing is very | | | | firms may give you a lot of exposure to areas that |
| minimal given how busy each of these professionals | | | | you will touch in the big 4 until you reach top |
| are. You still need to develop networking skills to | | | | management positions. |