Hi, I need some advices from seniors here.

Im fresh graduate, is it good to start work in a small or medium audit firm for about 1 year first before applying a job in big 4s or straight away apply a job in big 4s? This is because I want to get some exposures on how the audit works actually like since I dont hav intern program in my degree course. Through this, I think the experience will help me to mentally n physically prepared for the works in big 4s.


Thanks in advance for the advices.

No need to waste time, just apply to Big 4 straight to gain your 'mental and physical preparation'.

hey, what if completed degree but waiting for result which will release on March, can i apply for job now? or need to wait till the result out only i can apply big 4

No problem, if u can accept getting lower pay than ur colleagues before getting your results.

No such thing, I applied even before sitting my degree's final exams. Got the offer before my results is out. The offer is mostly standard, but you'll get around rm200 more if you have finished your professional exams or in the case of my friend, got offered rm200 more because she had first class honours.

This post has been edited by morgana_jara: Feb 22 2011, 09:15 PM

anyone know now Big 4 in singapore still have recruit fresh graduates from malaysia or not ?

You're not having that doesn't mean it's not happening.

As an intern you will not be subject to the same pressures and responsibility as a full time staff. If your intention is to "mentally and physically" prepare yourself, then it won't work. Bite the bullet and do it. If you are dead-set on doing an internship then do it during your semester break. You don't need an internship course to do internship. I did a 3-yr local degree with no internship course and I did my own internship every year-end semester break.

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Added on February 23, 2011, 9:28 amIf you are doing audit, you MAY be required to take up professional papers. It was compulsory during my time, but policies may have changed in the audit dept. Can't really say for sure.

It is advisable to start the paper as soon as possible to save time. If you think you don't have time now as a staff, you will have less time as a senior. In some firms, having a professional paper is contingent to your promotion as well. The practice differs from firm-to-firm.

My question to you is why are you not keen on taking a professional paper if its fully paid for? Are you not interested in improving yourself in terms of your profession of choice? Do you think it will be too difficult for you to manage?

Whether this will be detrimental to your chances in getting in, my point of view is yes, definitely. If, as a hirer, I had the choice between a candidate that wants to improve their own knowledge and qualifications vs someone who didn't, which candidate do you think I would hire?

This post has been edited by CKJMark: Feb 23 2011, 10:26 AM

Yeah, i send my resume to them already, waiting for their feedback, hope they will call me for an interview

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Added on February 23, 2011, 10:21 amthis means that even u are waiting for result they will still hire u loh

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Added on February 23, 2011, 10:59 amHey hey, sifu here, anyone know how long it takes for EY to get back to u after u have send them the cover letter and CV?

This post has been edited by HaoYuan: Feb 23 2011, 10:59 AM

chill bro, wait for around a week or so. if not, give them a call and say u wanna follow up regarding a job application.

do NOT tell them that u're not interested or have no plans to take the professional papers..just say that u are going to take..then after they've employ u, just do what u like lah..no one can force u to take the papers if u dun want to..

Agreed. But if you plan to get far ahead and get promotion, you have to take the papers. What client is going to trust your advice or work if you have no paper to back you up?

No papers means you're not a chartered accountant.
You won't get the chance be promoted to Manager then.

Escape clause is if you're a local IPTA graduate, then you are eligible to become MIA member after 3 years working experience.
MIA member can be Manager, but progression ... usually these breed will resign in my experience.

it seems less ppl discuss on deloitte this co..

btw, i invited for the written assessment and interview next monday.
Can anyone tell me more on the written assessment? we need to write essay??

more info please.. appreciate tat!

unfortunately deloitte malaysia aint too good i'm afraid. i've personally heard a lot of bad reviews from peers.

iinm, deloitte employer status is only gold under ACCA whereas the other 3 are platinum. can anyone confirm this?

unfortunately, you'd have to take up professional papers. usually, there will always be a clause in your employment contract which states that you agree to take up a professional course in close relation to your job function. if you are not interested in taking professional paper, just keep it to yourself and delay the registeration as much as you can. theoritically, you will have lower chance to get into a big4.

but these registerations of professional paper is usually only done once you are confirmed (3 months upon joining). so u can actually defer longer if u want to. although i dont see a point of doing so if you are already into the audit line, you may as well take up the paper or you wont go far (AM the highest?)


imo, i think you should just go straight to a Big 4. Many people argue that if you go into small medium firm u get to see the whole books where in big 4, you will only do section auditing. Not exactly true. Below's why.

On section auditing, to a certain extent i agree. As a 1st year or 1st 6 month joiner, we dont expect you to be able to do the entire audit on your own (unless the company is very dormant). U will however be entrusted to lead and complete the entire audit of a single standalone company once you have done 1 year. only in very rare circumstances that even 1 year, you arent given a job on your own (it means mgmt dont think u are capable enough).

on small medium firm practice: no offence to anyone who is attached to the category of firms, but from my observation, usually medium and small firms have very minimum focus on internal control. as our audit usually involve in alot of control testing, lack of experience in this phase is actually quite disadvantaging. hence, the story about "small medium firm, see the whole book earlier" is bollock imo. In anycase, small medium firm's client are usually much smaller and less complicated (most insurance and bank and construction cos , at least the major ones are audited by big 4). so how are you gonna substantiate the story that small medium firm can see more things?

i stand to be corrected.

u can apply now. if anything, applying now further shows u are forwrad thinking. a very important aspect of auditor despite our job is to deal with histroical figures.

i got my offer even before i commenced my final semester.

good luck guys!

thanks for ur advice,i already sent my cover letter,resume and everything, hope they will give me a reply

This post has been edited by HaoYuan: Feb 24 2011, 09:35 AM

CMKMark and jenatic, thanks for the advice.

Hi there,
Anyone here working in tax department of pwc?
How is the working culture over there?
I am a frech grad working in bdo currently..and for roughly one month..but not really learning anything..haven got the chances to learn how to prepare tax comp, just doing some admin stuffs like filing in Form C & R and typing letter..

I feel what i am doing now is more to form..rather than substance..

Anyone here could advise me?
shall I consider applying pwc? cos its the nearest big4 for me..

Thanks in advance.

Given that a huge majority of companies are March, June and December year-end, it stands to reason that there is minimal tax filing required in the one month you have been working. You would appreciate that by January, tax filing for June year-ends is already at its final stages, hence they would not allocate them to you to do halfway through. In other words, they can't give you work that isn't there at this point in time.

Tax work is cyclical so if you join at this time of the year, there isn't much to do until probably March (individual filing) and April (start of December corporate filing). This is the time of the year people are filing their March year-end initial estimates, and applying for set-offs for their December year-end instalment schemes, so letter writing is what we do now.

Form filling and letter writing is a major part of junior tax associate's work in any firm. If you think you are not doing useful work nor are you learning anything, I have bad news for you: it's all the same everywhere for fresh grads in tax.

If you like tax, hang in there and ride through July filing. And if you still feel you don't have work to do and want to leave the firm, then leave. But you have only been in there for one month and I think that one month is not a decent amount of time to judge whether you like your job.

Take it from me, enjoy the easy work for now and get used to the admin processes and stuff. Coz when the real work hits, its like a tidal wave and it never stops coming.

This post has been edited by CKJMark: Feb 24 2011, 11:06 AM