I think he has lost his direction and sort of uncertain now. As a his friend, I wish could help him.

Then go for it; jump right in and work like there's no other option. If he decide to take the leap of faith, he musn't give up after a year or 2, otherwise it's all for nothing

Very often those who quit early was encouraged by parents or friends that tell them it's not worth working hard or sacrificing social life.

If your friend just graduated and was considering between a big 4 job offer and another MnC or GLC, I'd certainly say big4 for exposure and future prospects. But since he's already in a seemingly stable job with good people to work with, it may be better without really knowing what he's like.

Maybe what he need to realise is, there's more than 1 way to success; Big4 may be a common way, but is definitely not the only way

This post has been edited by dasecret: Apr 6 2017, 02:41 PM

I have received an HR call from EY on monday, and completed an assessment.

I wonder typically how long will be next reply from EY?..

Btw, it took about 2 weeks after I applied through EY's website

Take 3 weeks off and go holiday at Bahamas. Come back sure no more dilemma.

U applied for what position? degree fresh grad?

dear all sifus,been a looker for awhile and had read up all the posts in all 3 threads, just wondering, is there a cut off age in big 4 for fresh associate?? im 29 this year and looking forward to do a career switch into tax field. cheers for any opinion....

any particular reason for the switch?

would you be able to work under someone who is much younger than you?

just wanna work in prestigious big 4 and be a tax consultant with good prospect

no problem working with young bucks around just wondering would i even be cut for an interview.......

As i know big 4 and at least BDO retain your level. If you are a senior associate in audit and you decide to switch to tax big 4 will retain your level, ie senior associate. May i know why you said tax got good prospect? Ive been doing it for almost 5 years already finding it difficult if i want to try something different or jump to another firm.

I'm not from tax. I did have a junior; who started doing audit in a big4 firm when he was 30+. He actually stayed for 10 years or so
Well, how to put this in words....
Your peers will think you are weird; you may not blend well with your peers due to your age; and to me at that phase of career, peers r very important to get you through thick or thin

But in the end it depends on you, whether you really wanted it and what do you want out of it exactly

I applied for the graduate position in audit. Local uni degree+ ACCA

But how he got in?

Apply like how everyone else did. He did have ACCA and some experience in accounting and internal audit

I'm quite sure interviewer would ask the question of why would you want to join at this age and you should have a good and convincing answer for it

I'm not very sure but I heard Big 4 do have a age cut-off for new applicants from other smaller firms ... despite having professional qualifications?

Thought id drop my 2 cents.
I was once a fresh grad navigating this thread looking for clues and what not.
This is what ive learned so far after being in advisory (consulting)

1. Big4 adv looks for street smart ppl. This means being resourceful, good networking. You understand the corporate world and the system. At this juncture, being book smart aint enough anymore.

2. Cgpa does not matter as much as you think. If you cant get in now, join a mid tier firm. But work your face off to get the experience. Leverage that to get into big4 after 2 years.

3. You have to be a smooth talker. That means being a people person and know how to say the right things aka bullshit. Learn how to charm your interviewer. Get feedback from them after youve been rejected. Be open and curiositive.

4. Presentation skills and confidence. You have to be extremely presentable. This is a client facing line after all. Invest in some decent wardrobe. It helps. This is all about perception. Imagine, they are trying to size you up in 2 hours. Wverythjnf they see at that point counts. Be confident and ask unique questions. Differentiation is the key and leave an impression.

Hope that helps.

is it true people working in big 4 have no life?

Most follow gen-x culture of work hard play hard. Play hard = life?

Hi,

I would like to share my experience with Deloitte. There was a career fair in London (2 weeks ago) and I met with one of their directors & handed in my CV. A week later, I got an email saying that I have been shortlisted and I had to complete an online assement. Just this Monday (4 days ago), I received an offer from them. I was a bit surprised as I was expecting to be interviewed but I got the offer straight away (conditional upon my final grades).

Honestly, I don't know much about the culture of Deloitte. Many of my friends are in PWC and E&Y + I did my internship in KPMG. I applied for the audit division by the way.

Please say hi if you're working in deloitte Thanks in advance

WHAT?! You must be very outstanding then.... I wish to go into Deloitte too....

Another possible reason he is good in sports.