Well I did audit in a medium sized firm for about a year and a half before I went in to tax and so far have about 4 years experience. I would agree with ceejay that tax has lesser prospects of visiting clients office, but personally I prefer to go to be based in the office where all my friends/colleagues are...and we do have opportunities to visit clients place as well.

You are not required to do or be a member of MIT. If you are a degree holder, then its best to complete your professional qualifications (ACCA, CPA Australia, ICAEW) and the firm will sponsor/reimburse part of your exam fees as well as give you study leave. Note that ACCA, CPA, and ICAEW members get automatic membership into MIA and MIT.

Pay depends on your performance. You are in a Big 4 so the environment will be competitive of course. However, I find that the environment in tax is less stress and more family atmosphere compared to audit.

Anyway, between tax and audit or advisory: I feel that you should pick what you are interested in and you will be comfortable in. If you find that audit is not suitable for you, there are ways to move over to tax as well (advance notice - this is not always encouraged though).

Anyway, if you are interested in tax in EY or PWC, or if you want to find out more about these two firms, do drop me a line and I can always help you submit your resume's in.

Training? Ya right. It's actually more of a know-your-batchmates session.
Existing staff think its a waste of time doing this on freshies (who will be happy to work anyway) when it should be conducted on existing, overworked staff.

Nope, I am an ex-staff from PwC and I joined before they started the first experience program.

Ok, I am not from audit so I'm not sure what they would have thought you, but in tax, PwC has 1 week 'babysitting' course that they hold every quarter for new associates. The tax trainers in PwC are really great people and they would give you very good explanations and case studies to help you familiarise yourself.

So my answer is that most new tax associate do learn most of the necessary during the 'babysitting' course.

note, babysitting is a play on BBCT = the course initials. forgot what the acronym stands for already.


I don't think so, especially since Miri would be a smaller office. I see no harm in just calling up and asking if there are any vacancies on a no name basis (ah, a fav term in Big4) on any available vacancies.

Yes, Big 4 will accept OBU graduates.

I believe the salary of OBU graduate, which is similar to any other university graduate with a degree, and ACCA graduate should be the same. Can anyone else confirm this?

Finally, its up to you really. If you think you can handle the working hours and style in a Big 4 and still continue to concentrate on your studies, then go for the Big 4. But based on my experience, I find that a lot of people who are still doing their professional papers seem to be more "committed/interested" in their work than in their studies, until they even skip classes and don't study consistently. But I would qualify this to say that its because of the person, and not the firm.

I know that in PwC, you need to have either a degree or ACCA to join as a new associate - starting salary RM2,600+.

However, they don't usually encourage those who are still pursuing their ACCA to join, but on rare occasion that they take in, you will enter as a tax assistant - salary around RM1,500+.

note: salary numbers there are pre-July 2008 adjustments made in PwC.

The actual work that you do would be as a tax assistant is the same as an associate so I personally feel that it's no point entering PwC and getting chicken feed for the same responsibilities.

I am not sure about the other Big 4's. So others, kindly update on his query.

Ya, that's right....ah, happy memories of my babysitting course.
Wow, 3 weeks charged to internal codes. That's going to do wonders on your chargeability since training codes are restricted to 5%.

Not sure about audit, but in tax, ACCA finalist or diploma holders may join as tax assistants where their salary is RM1,500 to RM1,800 (or something like that). But like I mentioned, your job description, and stress of course, is the same as an associate.

Yup, EY interns that joined in September and October are getting RM800 as well.

Btw, if there is anyone here (with some minimal audit/tax experience preferred) that are interested in tax advisory work, do drop me a line as I know of some vacancies.

Why the 'addiction' over salary difference?

Seriously, as a freshie, you ought to be more interested in gaining your practical and real life knowledge that will be beneficial in the long-term. And at the same time be happy at what you are doing.

I doubt if there would be any difference in salaries between the various classes. The only one's who would have a slightly higher salary would be prize winner's I guess...and within 1 year later, your salary would be based on your actual performance no matter if you are 1st class honours or honour-less.

Past:-
PwC used to have an adjustment in your salary when you obtain your full professional membership. However, their salary was usually (from my experience, quite significantly) lesser compared to EY and KPMG.

Now:-
PwC has adjusted all staff salary to match the market-rate, i.e. they no longer have professional pay adjustments. Which is better for the staff as you now earn your full salary from the start instead of loosing out a few hundred every month compared to their competitors. I used to complain to PwC HR about this a lot in fact.

Note on qualifications within Tax only:-
EY Tax does not require their staff to have professional qualifications to get a promotion. In PwC, you are 'encouraged' to have a professional qualification to be promoted from AM above.

In addition, PwC also requires you to complete the Toastmasters course (10 speeches to be presented) in order to be promoted. So lets say if you join as an associate, you can only be promoted to senior. To become AM, you need to be complete Toastmasters and obtain your qualifications. Similiarly, if you join as a Senior, you can only promote 1 level to AM. To go above that, you need to complete the Toastmasters course.

Freshie degree is RM2600 or RM2700 now.

I only have experience with PwC and EY, so my thoughts will be limited to the 2.

PwC
-----
Better technology - i.e. got special audit and tax software - makes your work a whole lot easier
Better reference databases - easier to find relevant information both in tax and audit
More structured training - courses are well thought out and good trainers
But I think more stressful and high expectations there as bosses expect you to be perfect and robot-like
People there more kiasu and selfish (be prepared for back-stabbing)
New office and a lot of public transport, but parking may become scarce in the future as lots become developed (applicable if you are office based)

EY
---
Technology, databases and audit/tax software are not as well developed as PwC, but advantage of this is that you don't become to reliant on one database. You learn where and how to search for information. Everything is not just 'standard letter' - again learn to think better.
Much nicer and more friendly people
Not much public transport - only the bus. Parking is RM7 per month, RM1 more expensive compared to PwC.
Older office, but still functional.

My thoughts: Pick the firm that offer you what you want. Assuming you join audit like most people, both PwC and EY audit teams have audit teams that are specialised in specific industries (eg, financial services, energy and utilities, property developers, consumer products, etc). So take the offer that allows you to join the industry sector you want.

Then I wonder what motivation is there to study so hard?

PwC has quite a good marketing department. EY's marketing department is plain sucky and needs a lot of improvement.
You can always give a call to the HR department and I ask.
I normally receive e-mails about some internal vacancies in the marketing department as well. Not sure if they source from outside.

You mean finance department? Again, can call the HR and ask them casually.

Gosh, shouldn't you have ask the person that arranged your interview this questions? Well the normal aptitude test would be an essay question, some math's/IQ questions. Not sure if they apply to people applying in the IT department though. Again, I suggest that you call and ask, there's no harm in that.

Btw, you guys never mention which firm you are applying for so I can't tell you if I know anyone there. But generally, most HR people are ok.

There was an adjustment for PwC salary in July 2008 and EY salary in September 2008, so their salary should be adjusted at that time to match market rate, where necessary.

Not sure about audit, but within tax, you may not get an associate position but an assistant position. Salary will naturally be lesser and slower/lesser chances of promotion.

Hi Michi, how is EY treating you....hmmm, there were 3 new joiners and 1 was my friend...so only left 2 of you for me to guess from...

RM2600-2700 is for PwC. I assumed that EY should have matched this as well. But yes, that was the offer for a ACCA graduate. I didn't know there was a difference for degree holders. Strange though since both the fresh acca grad and the degree holder will both need the 3 years experience.

In EY, the adjustment is for staff that have served for 6 months or longer. If you are newer than that, your salary would already be at market rate and hence no adjustment - I was one of the poor souls falling in the latter category

Lol, no worries. Good luck with your interview and just be yourself. I am sure that you will do great...also don't be so stress out like how michi was with her lots of mails to me

Fresh acca grads would have no real and on the ground experience either compared to degree grads so I see no reason that the salary should be differentiated.

And the RM2,600 was what was offered to my sister when she joined PwC in April or May this year. She is an acca grad but she applied to join PwC with her OBU degree as she had misplaced one of her transcripts and was waiting for acca to give her a copy.

What's this?!!
Why are you posting on LYN?!!
You very free-ah!!

Back to work
*whip-whip-whip*

Sigh, thank goodness my boss Facebooks and what not, so I can get away with it

You don't work at night?!!!
Which Big4 are you from?

Hehehe, well I am the only staff in my department so it shouldn't be that difficult to find me
Anyway, no worries about the questions and no drink belanja is necessary. I charged all that time to Available Time anyway

Cool

A fresh ACCA grad is only an ACCA Affiliate. They only become qualified (or should I say 'valuable') once they become full members (generally after 3 years of relevant experience).

In same amount of time, degree members can also obtain their professional qualifications.

Assuming you have no degree: sure you can, but work as an assistant position with around RM1,800 salary (although your responsibilities will be similar to a 1st year associate) - so I recommend that you finish your ACCA first because if working you may not have time to concentrate on your studies.

Yes, please keep them safely. My sis "recycled" hers and couldn't produce it when the interviewer at EY asked for it. Because of that, she was rejected...although later she got into PwC after she got a copy of the transcript from ACCA office.

There's your answer - it matters little. Honestly, I don't think internship even make that big a difference. As long your results are good and your interview was good, they will generally accept. I never did any internships and enjoyed all my summer and winter breaks and yet I'm in a Big4.

Yup, it may be harder to get a placement in the advisory departments, but when you are there, your role would most likely be something administrative, i.e. photocopy, data entry, internal dispatch, etc.

Fav assessment question during my time was, "who do you look up to". Always will have either mother, father, siblings or Dr. M. I wonder how the HR people can tahan listening to the same thing every time.

Anyway, all the best for your assessment.

And most importantly, of course must be formal!!

Long sleeve shirt with matching tie (preferably a safe, neutral colour and not too fancy)....and pants of course with proper office (leather) shoes. No earings, fancy chains or glasses. Neatly combed hair and no funny colour.

Hey, you can still look fashionable with all those shirts-with-stripes trend that they have now.

But I find the easiest way to find a freshie is where they dress so 'gaya' while the older staff all look sleep-deprived.