I quit Deloitte USI as well a month ago worked there for almost 2 years. The work culture was becoming more & more toxic and felt like busy throughout the year affevting my health and personal life. Working at a big 4 is not for everyone 😅 Now pursuing my CPA as well
I am very fortunate to join a mid size independant firm in Toronto and I still love it there. If youre still interested in the accounting firm, dont give up cuz big 4 is not the end of it!
Man, I thought you meant her work day started at 9am, not the 9 minute mark. This was more of a Get Ready With Me video. Haha. Not knocking it, I'm sure there is only so much that can be recorded during a workday at a Big4, but the title definitely seems a little misleading.
Hi, Kristina. On the one hand, the firm was sadly right about the potential legal land mines caused by your RU-vid presence; it’s a real problem, and I suspect we’ll see more instances of this kind of concern in the future. On the other hand, it truly is a shame, because this was by far the best and most even-handed of these types of videos I’ve seen. You’re a good ambassador for your firm and for the profession. I hope you find a way to continue integrating both parts of your life.
I did Big 4 for over a decade. It looks good on your resume and is valuable experience but unless your goal is to make partner it's not worth it. For many its a good deal to go in after college, work there for a few years, make senior and get out. Depending on the firm and team it can also get very toxic. Many people Big 4 becomes their world. It completely takes over - that is all they talk about. As such, unless you want to make partner, in my opinion, its not worth staying. ********************************** IMPORTANT ********************************** For those of you who are campus recruits DO NOT BUY THAT GARBAGE THAT THE RECRUITERS SELL YOU THAT YOU CAN TRANSFER TO ANOTHER PRACTICE. I don't even think that happens for 2 percent of the people in Big 4 assurance. Unless you are politically connected and can somehow network your way to another practice you won't be able to transfer. It's very difficult. (A) The other practices don't really look for Assurance people. (B) There are firm politics at play. Audit does not want their people getting poached. Also - Look at the Managers and tenured Senior Associates. If you stay in Assurance that will be your life in the next 3 to 6 years. If you are cool with that as a stepping stone to partner go for it. If you don't want that you need to exit.
CPA is really just not worth it really. The amount of study + the CPA exam dont translate well into your paycheck. You can go in into IT field and get pay way more. Not to say the big 4 runs like you are in an investment banking like Blackrock but without the paycheck lol
good for you! Big 4 is not for everyone. While is definitely helps to have big 4 experience on your resume, it not the only option out there for accounting graduates, especially those who want a life outside of work.
Wow…. Big 4 not only own your time 9-5 M-F, they own your sole 24/7/365 ! 😂…. Wow I guess you could speck out your inner feelings without a face and dub your voice, but no one would like to listen to that……😂
Thanks reaffirms me skipping big 4 to start with the federal government instead (a pre-approved position). Will also be starting the CPA journey in October.
So happy to see this! Welcome to public service, Josh, and so glad to have you here. We desperately need young professionals of every kind, and what we can’t pay you with money, we make up for with vacation time, stability and the genuine satisfaction of serving the public good. Thank you for answering the call!
It was a bit dry for my liking. I made a video on my Technology Risk Advisory experience though: Day in the Life of a Technology Risk Consultant (Big 4) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_SDpj-z_NK0.html
You mentioned that you did a couple of internships. How many internships did you do? Was it all during your undergrad? And did having multiple internships end up delay your graduation?
I did a total of 4 internships in my undergrad, where one of them was a co-op (during a term of school) and so this pushed my graduation date by 1 term. I ended up taking 5 years total to spread my course load ☺️
@@KatrinaKwong thanks for responding! Do you think it’s worth it that you delayed your graduation to give way for all those internships? I have an offer for a potential third internship, but I’m hesitating to accept because it will delay my grad a semester behind too. Tbh I really wanted to do this internship but not sure if I should do it or not?
Oh definitely. Companies don’t care how long you take to finish school, they care more about work experience. I would 100% go for the internship opportunity because that would make your resume stand out amongst other graduating students! Just my thoughts though :)
This might be a stupid question, but if you work as a financial analyst as you are rn, I thought that you need a CFA to work as aFinancial Analyst or to be able to grow further on in your career, since you have a CPA instead of a CFA and ur working as a financial analyst wouldn't that hinder your potential growth at that job?
You don’t technically need a CFA or CFA to work in accounting and finance-related jobs. But they definitely help with career progression and promotion when you are benchmarked against competing candidates for qualifications, education, and experience. In many cases, having a CPA in a financial analyst can be a tremendous asset with growth (which is why I made the jump)! However, in order to be a certified public accountant, you DO need a CPA designation. Hope this hopes!
Congrats on escaping the rat race and don't look back. Big4 in Canada also severely underpays for the quality of talent and cost of living in the big cities
This video was what I needed! I am starting a big 4 role in assurance in September and was really anxious what it would be like especially after seeing all the Reddit posts and RU-vid videos. When u started, were you able to pick working on private clients or did they just assign u to anything that was short staffed (public companies, fso, private) ?
Way to go Kat! Big 4 are nothing but white collar mafia. Quality of life will be a lot better going into industry (and better yet into independent consulting). Good luck with your pro career! (... a msg from a Sauder MBA alum and father of a 2024 Sander freshman 😊)
So Inspiring !!! I will be joining Schulich School of Business soon and would be writing CFE thereafter. May I know if it's easy to get entry into BIG4s these days as accountants/senior staff accountant taking into consideration the challenging job market situation here in Canada? Your insights can really be very helpful
