When do u think is the best time to leave big 4 and join internal audit.

When becoming a senior ? AM ? Or manager ?

How long usually does it takes for Big 4 to process an application?

Also what about going into medium firm such as BDO, Crowe Howarth and Baker tilly? Is it worth going into medium firm?

Currently I have 2 years experience in investment banking, specifically asset management in the operation department. Is it possible for me to enter big 4 or medium firm? My degree result pretty much average though.

Any tips?

Applied for KPMG, EY & PWC. Haven't heard from them.

I heard from friends said the same thing also. Hiring rate has been bad recently. I received an email from 1 of the big4 sg to provide additional information and now waiting for news. Wondering how long they take to process a job application. Should I email them to ask for outcome like weekly basis? I afraid later too despo then sked them.off.

Hi bro, thank you so much for responding to my enquiries.

To be honest, I don't really know what path I should look forward to when it comes to audit firms. I would be enlighten if you could help me out here.

Actually I can't see my future by dealing with same daily paperwork every single day in the operations department although I happen to be able to see how asset management operates. Not only that, it is also way too repetitive for my liking; my current job, that is. So one my associate director actually suggested me to keep my options open by seeking to the audit path since the recruitment for banks can be relatively tough at the moment. I keep my options open nonetheless.

However the main point in this thread is, I'm not sure how my current job as a operations executive can relate with any position in the audit path. Whether to go assurance or advisory is a huge question. I would be more than happy if any professionals lurking in this thread care to give a hand or two. 

Thank you so much!

Hi guys, fresh grad need some advice here.
I have attended interview 2 weeks ago in one of the medium accounting firms.
The interviewer told me that the HR will take 2 weeks to process my application. However, i get no response and thus send a follow up mail to ask the status.

Within hours, the HR replied that the status for the application is still under processing. We shall contact you again after we have confirmed the outcome.

Wanna ask if I still stand chance for the job offer? Quite looking forward to join this firm as starting point.   

Hey man, i'm actually surprised that how much helpful comment I gotten from this thread. Thank you so much for such resourceful insight.
I think I might have glimpse of a picture of what I may really chasing after.

I never knew consulting was the next big thing for audit firms. I always thought audit generate its billion in revenue from audit. Clearly it was a naive thought.

However, you guys may misunderstood me as I did not and poorly describe of my current situation in my current company. I would like to emphasize strongly, I do not hate my job or the paperwork at all. As matter of fact, I love to the very bit of it. I was able to see how asset management works, what and why my fund manager bought stock/bonds in the equity/debt market, the overall portfolio and many priceless experience. I was nonetheless pretty efficient and meticulous when it comes to documentation. To get into what i detest was I've been working in this specific company for years without appraisal which translate to no recognition. Moreover I actually dislike how repetitive it can really gets, like literally. Technically it has been like a robot-like experience. Eventually that leads me to think that I wasn't able to have bright future and how am I able to achieve strong position in the corporate ladder.

Ultimately it left down to audit route for me, which will subsequently allows me to have greater exposure in achieving my goal.

Although I can never be more than thankful, I still would to express my gratitude for people who has guided me.

Hi all, I'm a fresh graduate and currently doing ACCA P level. I'm having a dilemma after i completed my internship in one of the big 4 audit department. I'm not sure wanna start my career in Audit or Tax. My aim is to get the CA licence after 3 years and hoping can get a job in SG Big 4 or mid tier firm. As i know if wanna join in SG Big 4 or Mid Tier Audit division with few years experience is not impossible. However, during my internship I found out that I'm not too interested in Audit and wanna try to join in Tax, Internal Audit or Advisory.

The purpose of open this post is like to seek some advice or opinion from Tax Experience Senior who are work in Big 4. I would like to know that is it able for us to apply and get to work in SG Tax division when we have few years experience the major concern of me is the Tax law is variant in Malaysia and SG. So I'm not sure that SG Big 4 is it will take us. Beside that, I would also like to know more about Transfer Pricing this area if anyone are in this area could you tell me more about it. I also like to know which area is the best to start as a Tax Associate(Indirect Tax, Business Tax/Corp Tax, TP, International Tax, Global Employer Services).

Secondly, I would also like to know more about Internal Auditor. Anyone can tell me more about this position so that I can get some picture about this work. Beside that, I also have an interested in Forensic Accounting/Fraud Investigation and during my Degree i have took forensic accounting so I knew the basic theory about Forensic Accounting but I would like to know more about the job scope in the real working environment.

Thank you to spend your time to read my post and hope you can drop me some advice or opinion.

Hi, not sure if my question is suitable here but it's still related to big 4

before entering uni, i was just like most of the others studying acct, be it degree or prof qualification, aimed to enter big 4 right after graduation, work for 3 years, reach senior level, complete the requirement of 3 yrs exp both for acca and mia, and finally call myself a CA(M) and ACCA member. (and what next? jump to commercial? continue to cimb up in big 4?)

BUT, my mind changed after i completed my degree and internship.

I don't really agree with and enjoy the culture of big 4.

knowing what i really want is important, i want work life balance, i want opportunities for learning and career advancement, i would be utmost serious during working hours, giving my 100% but not 8 hours standard working hours + 8 hours OT. i dont really mind having OT but definitely not 8 hours OT for every single day.

after consideration, i applied to the large plc and glc for a position of acct exec. and yea managed to get a job with one of the top plc in property development industry. another interview scheduled next week with a glc.

all of a sudden, i feel unsecured for choosing a road that most others not taken.
most of my peers go for big 4 including some who fared ordinarily in uni. ps: i see myself a high cgpa scorer (although thats nothing to be proud of, it only means i did study for my degree) and active in cocu (presidents, directors).

so just wish to get some advice from all the experienced sifu here,
am i putting myself in a less competitive position by commencing my career path this way?

and i m keen in financial reporting. i wish to be in a leading financial reporting role for a plc in the future. so is it possible to climb from a small small acct exec to such a role?
wish to know more about the trend in real world, will a plc prefer to promote internally or hire outsiders from big 4 with audit exp? or is auditing exp necessary for such a role in plc?

thanks for spending ur precious time on reading such a long story
appreciate if u could share some info with me thank u once again

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the valuable inputs contributed.

I think I have some question yet to be discussed and which hopefully others will find useful.

I come from an engineering background and from a local uni but for some reasons found interest in exploring CF or management consulting career. So, I'd like to have a realistic understanding of my chance in breaking into Big4 or mid-tier firms.

It'd be great if anyone could share the following data for both (i) deal advisory/corporate finance and (ii) management consulting at Big4 or mid-tier firm:
-Size of the team at KL branch (including entry- to the most senior executives)
-No. of analyst/associate (entry level or fresh grad)
-No. of analyst/associate with non-finance/business/accounting background 
I have <1 year corporate strategy/finance experience at a startup, but no accounting/finance certificates apart from several subjects taken in uni.

What are my odds of breaking into Big4 deal advisory/CF entry-level role? (I know consulting shouldnt be a problem for non-finance/accounting background)

I'd be most grateful if you could share insights

Hi Topace111, thanks for the detailed input.

Looking at the 2 pizzas-sized team, its probably difficult enough for finance background to join their CF and on top of financial background preference in their hiring decision like what you mentioned, does this means realistically I should look elsewhere?
(if this helps: first class honours degree from UM with active extra-curricular participation and achievements, <1 year Corporate Strategy experience at a public-listed startup, and a finance internship at a MNC)

What I gathered so far, IB doesnt seem realistic for non-finance background like me even for local investment banks, since they have pools of top finance graduates from global top tier unis to choose from. But of course I hope to be convinced otherwise.

Would I stand a better chance as financial analyst or CF role at local companies I wonder?

----
I'd be most grateful if someone from Big4 (or any firms and companies) CF could have a brief phone conversation, at your convenience. Please let me know. That'd be great.

Hi guys, I'd like to ask for ACCA affiliates in Big 4, how do you obtain your membership?

In the current system, we need to write a reflective statement for every task, and get it signed off - how does it work in Big 4? Mind sharing your experience?

Any justifications? Is it because SA role in Citi good or Financial Advisory in Deloitte suck?

I heard Financial Advisory in Deloitte is a very small and niche department, and they don't really take in interns, once a blue moon.

Hi guys,

I am currently working in 1 of the big4 in audit department (joined few months ago). I have completed 1 of the accounting professional papers and currently taking CFA.

I have been asking myself the same question everyday. Should I continue staying in audit or pursuing my career in Finance?

There are few questions in my mind:-

1. lets say if I stay for another 3 years in audit, will the experience help me in future when I going to jump to a slightly different field, i.e Finance/Advisory related.

2. Is it better for me to gain exposure now in what I am going to do in future than staying in audit for the sake of staying?

3. If I jump after 3 years, do I need to start as a fresh grad in the slight different field?

Hope anyone with experience in this can help me out.

Hmm according to my source, audit experience does count in the 4 years relevant working experience. Moreover, if lets say I pass this coming Dec exam, I will be taking Level 2 next year June and as everyone know, January to March (April if you are unlucky) is the peak period in audit. I am little bit afraid that I can't cope with working OT for 3 months and still need to study heavy loaded subject in Level 2 lol.

Anyway, I have not start job hunting yet, attempt to request to transfer department within firm but seems like nothing come back lol.
P.S: I read your post in another thread giving advise on CFA study, can I ask are you a CFA Charterholder?

I have already put in everything I got for this exam lol. no more social no nothing for 4 months. Just afraid that next year when peak period start I can't be studying like what I did in Lvl 1. This will be a serious issue.

So your advise is keen towards that I should just leave provided I given the opportunity?

mind sharing your glorious moment on how u manage to work as an auditor still completing the 3 level exam? I need some advise on this. Thanks in advance.
I am very hungry for success   . I literally gave in everything to make myself pass. As of now, the HR in my firm telling me that I will need to work at least 1-2 years in audit in order to transfer (provided HOD approved). I sent them my CV but nothing comes back lol.

mind sharing your glorious moment on how u manage to work as an auditor still completing the 3 level exam? I need some advise on this. Thanks in advance.
I will ask for 1 month break on May'17. Not sure if my manager allow since that period consider ngam ngam off peak. They did allow me to take a month off now until the end of the exam but not sure about next year.

You mean ask partner directly for the transfer? Not sure if this will work but I am afraid that they will see this as provocation as I am still not very close with any of the partners lol.

I do agree that CFA syllabus is damn heavy as there are no other professional exam that can group 10 topic together and test them all in 6 hours. After I completed my ACCA i thought i very pro already, until i met CFA lol.

Regarding the 4 years experience, I think audit satisfied the first point in your post, no? We audit the FS to aid Investor in decision making lol.

So you have completed the exam and currently gaining experience for the charter? 

mind sharing your glorious moment on how u manage to work as an auditor still completing the 3 level exam? I need some advise on this. Thanks in advance.

HI, can I know after how long so that I can reapply for big 4? 2 of the big 4 has turn me down recently and I would like know the reason behind the rejection. I think i did quite well in interview and phone interview. is it maybe because of my results? fyi I have a second lower degree with completion of 3/6 cpa aus paper.

Any idea what is the increment like in big 4 from associate 1 to associate 2?

Career progression for average performer, can be faster or slower depending on performance:
From fresh grad to senior - 2 years
From senior to AM - 2 years
From AM to M - 2 years
From M to SM - 2 years

After that is very much by merit and whether or not the bosses like you

Personally I've met a 4.5 year manager but the poor girl burnt out quickly and I'm guessing basically does not have the emotional maturity to handle managerial role. Sometimes it's not a good thing to expedite promotion even if the person is a star performer.

hey I heard a lot about audit side, but what about advisory side?

If you worked around 3 years in advisory as a fresh grad in one of the Big4 are your exit opportunities any better than the audit counterpart?

Hello just asking, how's the BIG 4 landscape in Malaysia or even better in ASEAN in terms of Consulting/Advisory.

I heard Malaysian clients is primarily dominated by PwC and EY, then only KPMG and Deloitte.

Malaysia:

1) PwC
2) EY
3) KPMG
4) Deloitte

?? Correct me if im wrong