Work for/Recently hired at a Big 4 firm?

[DUBBED]

PM me.

Thanks

[broken_legs]

Just curious, whats a 'Big 4' firm?

[Dope Dealer]

Big 4 refers to auditors... Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Ernst & Young and KPMG.

[blownz]

Originally posted by Dope Dealer
Big 4 refers to auditors...

Accountants. Auditing is only one aspect of it.

But yes those are the 'big 4' Accounting firms. I am an Accountant so I just feel the need to be anal about this. lol :thumbsup:

[Dope Dealer]

Haha, I knew someone would say that.. I was gonna put accounting firms, then someone would say it was auditing firms... :nut:

[DJ_NAV]

these companies also provide consulting, tax advice, do complilations, offer IT consulting and also provide startup stuff for self-employement.

[l/l/rX]

so whats this thread about then? is Dubbed just looking for some info or something?

[sputnik]

Originally posted by DJ_NAV
these companies also ... offer IT consulting

For the record...

They (KPMG and E&Y specifically) do a terrible job of IT auditing. Their security audits are mediocre at best.

[KappaSigma]

Originally posted by blownz


Accountants. Auditing is only one aspect of it.

But yes those are the 'big 4' Accounting firms. I am an Accountant so I just feel the need to be anal about this. lol :thumbsup:

Big 4 are basically auditors. Especially when your articling. That is all you will do when compared to mid to small size firms who will give you all types of engagements and the whole file to prepare.

Big 4 = audit pool

[blownz]

^ but they are all Accountants working there. They don't call themselves 'auditors'. What you do when you're articling has nothing to do with it.

Go ask anyone of importance at any of the Big 4 if they are Accountants or Auditors and they will tell you they are either a:

Chartered Accountant,
Certified General Accountant, or
Certified Management Accountant

[kaishen]

is it suppose to be considered big4 worldwide because they are the big4 in Singapore too.

[realazy]

^^ Ya they are recognized as the "big 4" worldwide.

[ColoDano]

My fiance is at EY, moved up here from the states for the job, been here 2 months.

[Supa Dexta]

My sister got on with kpmg in halifax and has now moved to NYC. She's all over the states though, odd places like disney and stuff.. I can shoot her some questions if you need. Although something tells me she isn't directly with kpmg anymore, but branched off them somehow.. But I can't remember.

[tenth]

Originally posted by KappaSigma


Big 4 are basically auditors. Especially when your articling. That is all you will do when compared to mid to small size firms who will give you all types of engagements and the whole file to prepare.

Big 4 = audit pool
Not at all. Our tax group is nearly as big as our assurance group, and the bulk of their work is tax planning and transaction analysis, which are consulting-type services. Nevermind our consulting, financial advisory, and other groups unrelated to assurance. Last I heard, our assurance group was only 1/3 of the total size....

So no, referring to them as auditors would not accurately reflect the majority of the work performed.

[KappaSigma]

Originally posted by tenth

Not at all. Our tax group is nearly as big as our assurance group, and the bulk of their work is tax planning and transaction analysis, which are consulting-type services. Nevermind our consulting, financial advisory, and other groups unrelated to assurance. Last I heard, our assurance group was only 1/3 of the total size....

So no, referring to them as auditors would not accurately reflect the majority of the work performed.

I am talking about new hires. Dont tell me that new hires, who are articling have a chance at getting in the tax group. The chance of being thrown in the audit pool is >>>> than getting a sniff at the tax pool.

[KappaSigma]

Originally posted by blownz
^ but they are all Accountants working there. They don't call themselves 'auditors'. What you do when you're articling has nothing to do with it.

Go ask anyone of importance at any of the Big 4 if they are Accountants or Auditors and they will tell you they are either a:

Chartered Accountant,
Certified General Accountant, or
Certified Management Accountant

I am not saying they arent accountants. All I am saying is that the work for new hires is basically all audit.

[spikerS]

funny, when i saw this thread, i thought of the car dealership.

Another 4x4xBig 4.


:rofl:

[blownz]

Originally posted by KappaSigma

Big 4 are basically auditors.

Big 4 = audit pool



Originally posted by KappaSigma


I am not saying they arent accountants. All I am saying is that the work for new hires is basically all audit.

Your original post clearly states they are auditors. Like I mentioned before, what someone might do when articling has nothing to do with it. Just don't say to a partner at any firm anywhere that they are basically auditors. lol

[tenth]

Originally posted by KappaSigma


I am talking about new hires. Dont tell me that new hires, who are articling have a chance at getting in the tax group. The chance of being thrown in the audit pool is >>>> than getting a sniff at the tax pool.
Your first sentence was "Big 4 are basically auditors". That was the portion I was responding to, as it is not true.

Of course given that the firms are by and large CAs and you need 1250 assurance hours (650 of which must be audit), you will be spending a busy season or 2 in audit, which will comprise a good chunk of your articling time. That said, we have a number of people going straight into tax, and once people have their assurance hours in (normally it's within 6-8 months), we see a mass exodus to the tax group.

[BrknFngrs]

Originally posted by KappaSigma


I am talking about new hires. Dont tell me that new hires, who are articling have a chance at getting in the tax group. The chance of being thrown in the audit pool is >>>> than getting a sniff at the tax pool.

Even this isn't completely true; two of my good friends were hired into the tax group right out of university and they are articling with me right now.

[KappaSigma]

Originally posted by BrknFngrs


Even this isn't completely true; two of my good friends were hired into the tax group right out of university and they are articling with me right now.

So the 2 out of 40?

Point is..you get a way better chance to see all types of engagements and all parts of the file working at NON big 4 when articling.

[Mckenzie]

Points to make

1- You can be hired directly into Tax or IT from university but likely you will be in audit.
2- If you go to the IT side, you do not have to have any accounting back ground. I know managers in IT who are just going through CASB now.
3- You see more low level things at a non-big 4, but your experience maxes out after about 2 years. Big 4 firms will give you a wide array of jobs, including travel, big public company experience, SOX, IPOs, financings, special engagements, restructurings, and so on. There is really no limit to the amount of jobs you can do and can see, although the tend to be larger in nature. However, there is the smaller growth clients that all firms will have that would mimick some of the larger clients the small firms have.
5- Accounting Sucks your life and soul from your body...especially at a big 4.

[DUBBED]

Sorry to everyone who PM'd me, I answered my own question elsewhere. Thanks for the replies.



PS #5 ^^^ :banghead: so true...

[KappaSigma]

Originally posted by Mckenzie
Points to make

1- You can be hired directly into Tax or IT from university but likely you will be in audit.
2- If you go to the IT side, you do not have to have any accounting back ground. I know managers in IT who are just going through CASB now.
3- You see more low level things at a non-big 4, but your experience maxes out after about 2 years. Big 4 firms will give you a wide array of jobs, including travel, big public company experience, SOX, IPOs, financings, special engagements, restructurings, and so on. There is really no limit to the amount of jobs you can do and can see, although the tend to be larger in nature. However, there is the smaller growth clients that all firms will have that would mimick some of the larger clients the small firms have.
5- Accounting Sucks your life and soul from your body...especially at a big 4.

You forgot to add big 4 like Deloitte DO NTO use the same accounting software that is used in CASB. CASB is all about small business. Much of Big 4 is pub audits, etc.

CASB modules do not mirror big 4 work