Hi there, would require your personal opinion if your were in my case:

I am about to commence as an audit associate in one of the big four, I cannot name it as I scared later I will be targeted lol, I am a fresh grad that is about to commence in June.

I am an Australian PR just because I stayed long enough due to my study period here in Australia.

I have no experience working in the industry that I want, namely the audit industry, besides as an audit intern for three months in a medium size audit firm in my kampung when I visited my family. Lately I have decided to go back Malaysia and work in KL, one of the Big 4.

I can choose to stay in Australia or Malaysia and I already know I m lucky enough so please don't bombard me with how lucky I am without reading it further.

Option 1: if I stay in Australia, due to my inexperience, I do not think I will be able to get a job in the audit industry or big four. Also I don't think my English is good enough, I cannot score band 8 for Ielts, I got band 7 which like most of the Malaysians, and so this restricts my employment scope. I have already thought of my worst case scenario, I will work as retail assistant and live a peaceful life here in Australia, enough to feed myself. By that, I will have to forgo what I did for so many years, degree till master, so many years of study, I feel reluctant to not give it a try to work for big four Malaysia or other big companies in Malaysia, and suffering while working in these companies and earning an amount that might not be enough to feed myself.

Option 2: I always wanted to try out big four, although now I am scared by the late working hours and the underpay problems stated by many of the forumers, but I think that's what I should do after so many years of tertiary study, I know this is kinda putting myself at the cutting edge when option 1 is a better choice with the aim of continuing feeding urself and stay alive. I actually chose option 2 with the aim to finish the professional paper in three years time and get myself qualified on the board before I come back Australia. At this stage, I am planning to not give up my PR and want to come back after getting myself qualified in three years time, and that's the only reason I will want to work for big four with the long hours and underpay. I think with that three years, I might put myself in a better position compared to not having a try and live as a retail assistant forever in Australia. At the same time, I am afraid that I cannot manage to finish my professional paper within the three years timeframe and will need to stay longer in Malaysia which will then risking myself to lose my PR in Australia.

If you were me, what would you do? Please feel free to express your opinion, it is much appreciated.

Thank you.

Regards,
mmm92