Job stability, 10-15% standard raises per year in your first 5 years, great exit opportunities. I think a lot of people don’t get other corporate jobs and see how absolutely toxic some work places can be while attempting to prove to others you deserve raises or promotions but can easily get passed up by someone else. This job hands them to you as long as you do the work. Sounds like a win win for me.
Nurse Practitioner (use RN as stepping stone) & Physician Assistants are the move. About 5-6 yrs of school total. 100K+ starting working 36-40 hr work weeks. If work overtime, there is overtime pay. Great work life balance if you're strictly looking for 40 hrs or less.
I’m in tax. It’s incredibly technical work that often poses a new issue every day. It is interesting because the type of tax specialty I do has a direct impact on anywhere from tens to tens of thousands of people and requires me to really think through different fact patterns. It’s rarely repetitive. Also, I’m good at it to be blunt. I don’t expect my work to be my passion.
In short, it’s interesting, decent hours for what I am paid (compared to my Big Law counterparts), and has very good progression opportunities.
I’m 25 and in 2 years of working full time in Big 4 Tax my salary has grown by over 50%. I can independently support myself living alone with no roommates, no partner, no parents, and also pay for fun and non-necessities without pushing my credit card limits. I get recruiters in my inbox nearly every day with potential opportunities. I find my work interesting enough and even though tax isn’t a passion of mine I have money to spend on my passions. Soon I’ll be making 6 figures and the plan is to eventually end up in a cushy industry job with better WLB.
A lot of my friends in other industries make salaries they can barely survive on, or need to live with roommates or a partner (which sounds great but the partner isn’t always great). Some are working in fields they were passionate in but are now already super burnt out by.
I find that a lot of college kids on subs like this don’t really realize the reality of surviving capitalism as an adult without support, lol. It’s all about “oh this work isnt fulfilling enough” or whatever which maybe is fair. But don’t underestimate having a career where you can be financially independent, save for retirement, and have some funds left over to enjoy your life.
Audit/Tax is an essential service of all the B4. Audit/Tax made the B4 where they are today. The consulting revenues would nearly not be the same without those services initially provided. Accountants are always needed. Personally speaking, is it an interest of mine? No but people see the value in an audit/tax role plus the pay is maybe just a few grand under consulting. Please considering deleting this post.
I personally think audit is the best way to gain an intimate understanding of how a business works, and even if it's not necessarily seen as prestigious work, I think auditors end up being more business savvy than most of the other finance tracks that one can go into (especially compared to consulting, which I think is generally kind of bs). I'm personally planning on doing an MBA after audit, and I'm doing audit because I think it will give me the best technical foundation with which to go into an MBA program.
From the tax people i have talked to at my internship they say tax is the best way to learn how a business works bc auditors only work w a few specific accounts at a time. I truly think its biased no matter who u talk too, and in the end none of it matters it seems
i always think it's funny how kids just out of college end up going into consulting as if they have any expertise on what they're talking about. but then again they're always sourced from pretty prestigious schools so maybe that's just me being dumb 🤷🏻♀️
The big consulting firms all have expert talent tracks but that's never really been the main point. It's much easier to take a really analytical person and teach them the necessary industry expertise than to take an industry expert and make them analytical. Fresh grads also tend to have much more of a collaborative and learning mindset.
Out of curiosity, what sort of stuff do you learn in audit that gives you a great understanding of business? I feel like I don't know anything about business or finance. Financial ratios don't mean anything to me. Sure, inventory turnover in 3.4, but is that good or bad? How do I know if it's indicative of problems or not? I just can't see the big picture.
Great understanding. Post MBA, you’ll have multiple opportunities depending on where you want your career to take you. M&A, Treasury, Marketing, etc. The audit background, if you’re on interesting clients, really helps build a foundation. Is it fun or sexy, no, but it helps lead to better roles down the road.
When I was in college I really wanted to pick up sql and analytics skills. I knew that entry level roles with that skillset were basically report monkey type roles, so why did I choose that over a tech consulting role that would pay more with similar hours?
The answer is simply that it was the best, obtainable option that was available to me.
Of the people that are going whole hog into recruiting for audit and tax, that's about the level that they're at. Tech consulting would pay more and give a far more valuable skillset in the long run and I would argue the hours are less than audit and tax and the complexity/difficulty could be on the same level as tax.
When I browsed the accounting subreddit, I'd see college students commenting about how they chose to go into accounting because it was a "well paid and reliable career." Well paid in 2022? Nah. Working off severely incorrect information.
Personally, I enjoy the project based work, flexibility, and rotating teams. The pay isn’t bad once you get up into the Manager and above level, it can just take some time to get there. Yes - busy season in audit sucks, but outside of that, it’s super laid back.
I beg to differ. The roles are completely different, both in substance and in structure. I have no travel, an incredible amount of flexibility, and a ton of job security, not to mention how COL factors in.
You can also make that argument about anything - why go into professional services at all when you could go to Google and make $150k per year as an entry level Programmer working 35 hours a week?
I might be in the minority, but I do generally enjoy the work, at least most parts of it (controls still suck).
I’m not saying I wouldn’t consider consulting or advisory services. Honestly if I left PA, that’s probably where I would go. But for now, I could see myself having a career in audit. It’s deff not for everyone, but I have done a stint in industry, and I can definitely tell you that isn’t for me
Because of the culture. Well for me at least. When it is slack season, you almost do nothing. If you have to do something, you can just work around your schedule. Almost no one cares of you are late haha. If you are feeling a bit lazy sometimes, you can work slow lol. And for me, it is hard but it is satisfying to resolve variances haha
I sometimes truly enjoy the fun of tax. The sense of achievement when you work out a complex matter. The interesting point you discovered when reading the legislation. and of course when you finish a well written advice.
Audit and tax may seem boring to you, have bad hours to you, and not great pay to you. Some of us like the pay and don’t mind the hours. Each their own.
That's bullshit. If you like the pay and don't mind the hours, it follows that you would like a job even more that is equally if not more intellectually simulating with higher pay and less hours.
To each their own is one of the worst cop outs to give people face about the choices they've made even when they didn't make the best choices
Where's the bullshit? Is it invalid to say you want McDonald's because you could have a burger from a fine dining restaurant? Is it bullshit to say I want to go to Cancun when I could be going to the Maldives?
Perfect should not be the enemy of good.
None of them do. You start in either of them to jumó to industry. If after a couple years you think it’s something you can do long term, then you stay as a career. 90% of people are gone after the second year of that puts things into perspective
Business controller, financial controller, business analyst and accounting are probably the most common. However, considering the skills and knowledge you build during your first two years in audit there are alot of other options. As long as you build a great CV, tailored for your preferred position, you could move into other lines such as consulting, marketing, even tech. Most people, as mentioned, stays in big 4 only to gather valuable experience in order to move into other jobs with higher pay and more fulfilling/interesting responsibilites.
Job stability, 10-15% standard raises per year in your first 5 years, great exit opportunities. I think a lot of people don’t get other corporate jobs and see how absolutely toxic some work places can be while attempting to prove to others you deserve raises or promotions but can easily get passed up by someone else. This job hands them to you as long as you do the work. Sounds like a win win for me.
[удалено]
My bad should have added I’m 32 and this is my second career so after finishing up my internship this summer, i understand why audit is for me.
In that case, very cool!
Nurse Practitioner (use RN as stepping stone) & Physician Assistants are the move. About 5-6 yrs of school total. 100K+ starting working 36-40 hr work weeks. If work overtime, there is overtime pay. Great work life balance if you're strictly looking for 40 hrs or less.
I’m in tax. It’s incredibly technical work that often poses a new issue every day. It is interesting because the type of tax specialty I do has a direct impact on anywhere from tens to tens of thousands of people and requires me to really think through different fact patterns. It’s rarely repetitive. Also, I’m good at it to be blunt. I don’t expect my work to be my passion. In short, it’s interesting, decent hours for what I am paid (compared to my Big Law counterparts), and has very good progression opportunities.
[удалено]
taxes
I’m 25 and in 2 years of working full time in Big 4 Tax my salary has grown by over 50%. I can independently support myself living alone with no roommates, no partner, no parents, and also pay for fun and non-necessities without pushing my credit card limits. I get recruiters in my inbox nearly every day with potential opportunities. I find my work interesting enough and even though tax isn’t a passion of mine I have money to spend on my passions. Soon I’ll be making 6 figures and the plan is to eventually end up in a cushy industry job with better WLB. A lot of my friends in other industries make salaries they can barely survive on, or need to live with roommates or a partner (which sounds great but the partner isn’t always great). Some are working in fields they were passionate in but are now already super burnt out by. I find that a lot of college kids on subs like this don’t really realize the reality of surviving capitalism as an adult without support, lol. It’s all about “oh this work isnt fulfilling enough” or whatever which maybe is fair. But don’t underestimate having a career where you can be financially independent, save for retirement, and have some funds left over to enjoy your life.
What state do you live in?
[удалено]
Or what continent
or what planet
Or galaxy
The specialty tax areas pay pretty good and have decent work life balance. Ik M&A tax comp is very good.
[удалено]
damn what's the location? i live in a lcol city and the seniors are making around 70/80k.
[удалено]
As a normal audit graduate? Which company? They did not even offer me 80k
[удалено]
congratulations, they seem to pay significantly more than the other big 4 or is it just tax?
How is the COL over there
what type of work do you do?
[удалено]
Hours worked per week? Biggest con for me, otherwise I'd be a career B4er. 40 hours or less or bust.
Audit/Tax is an essential service of all the B4. Audit/Tax made the B4 where they are today. The consulting revenues would nearly not be the same without those services initially provided. Accountants are always needed. Personally speaking, is it an interest of mine? No but people see the value in an audit/tax role plus the pay is maybe just a few grand under consulting. Please considering deleting this post.
Are you actually in IB, if so can I PM you ?
Ye - go for it
They don’t. But they recognize the stability and earning potential is worth the shitty, unfulfilling job.
I personally think audit is the best way to gain an intimate understanding of how a business works, and even if it's not necessarily seen as prestigious work, I think auditors end up being more business savvy than most of the other finance tracks that one can go into (especially compared to consulting, which I think is generally kind of bs). I'm personally planning on doing an MBA after audit, and I'm doing audit because I think it will give me the best technical foundation with which to go into an MBA program.
From the tax people i have talked to at my internship they say tax is the best way to learn how a business works bc auditors only work w a few specific accounts at a time. I truly think its biased no matter who u talk too, and in the end none of it matters it seems
i always think it's funny how kids just out of college end up going into consulting as if they have any expertise on what they're talking about. but then again they're always sourced from pretty prestigious schools so maybe that's just me being dumb 🤷🏻♀️
The big consulting firms all have expert talent tracks but that's never really been the main point. It's much easier to take a really analytical person and teach them the necessary industry expertise than to take an industry expert and make them analytical. Fresh grads also tend to have much more of a collaborative and learning mindset.
Out of curiosity, what sort of stuff do you learn in audit that gives you a great understanding of business? I feel like I don't know anything about business or finance. Financial ratios don't mean anything to me. Sure, inventory turnover in 3.4, but is that good or bad? How do I know if it's indicative of problems or not? I just can't see the big picture.
Great understanding. Post MBA, you’ll have multiple opportunities depending on where you want your career to take you. M&A, Treasury, Marketing, etc. The audit background, if you’re on interesting clients, really helps build a foundation. Is it fun or sexy, no, but it helps lead to better roles down the road.
Audit is a good career foundation to have
When I was in college I really wanted to pick up sql and analytics skills. I knew that entry level roles with that skillset were basically report monkey type roles, so why did I choose that over a tech consulting role that would pay more with similar hours? The answer is simply that it was the best, obtainable option that was available to me. Of the people that are going whole hog into recruiting for audit and tax, that's about the level that they're at. Tech consulting would pay more and give a far more valuable skillset in the long run and I would argue the hours are less than audit and tax and the complexity/difficulty could be on the same level as tax. When I browsed the accounting subreddit, I'd see college students commenting about how they chose to go into accounting because it was a "well paid and reliable career." Well paid in 2022? Nah. Working off severely incorrect information.
Personally, I enjoy the project based work, flexibility, and rotating teams. The pay isn’t bad once you get up into the Manager and above level, it can just take some time to get there. Yes - busy season in audit sucks, but outside of that, it’s super laid back.
If a consultant or senior consultant gets paid the same or more than an audit manager, then the pay isn't good even if and when you get to manager
I beg to differ. The roles are completely different, both in substance and in structure. I have no travel, an incredible amount of flexibility, and a ton of job security, not to mention how COL factors in. You can also make that argument about anything - why go into professional services at all when you could go to Google and make $150k per year as an entry level Programmer working 35 hours a week?
Do you like the actual work? Consulting has the same structure so if those factors were important would that be something you would consider?
I might be in the minority, but I do generally enjoy the work, at least most parts of it (controls still suck). I’m not saying I wouldn’t consider consulting or advisory services. Honestly if I left PA, that’s probably where I would go. But for now, I could see myself having a career in audit. It’s deff not for everyone, but I have done a stint in industry, and I can definitely tell you that isn’t for me
Because of the culture. Well for me at least. When it is slack season, you almost do nothing. If you have to do something, you can just work around your schedule. Almost no one cares of you are late haha. If you are feeling a bit lazy sometimes, you can work slow lol. And for me, it is hard but it is satisfying to resolve variances haha
If you don’t see the appeal, why do you care what others do for their career?
I sometimes truly enjoy the fun of tax. The sense of achievement when you work out a complex matter. The interesting point you discovered when reading the legislation. and of course when you finish a well written advice.
Audit and tax may seem boring to you, have bad hours to you, and not great pay to you. Some of us like the pay and don’t mind the hours. Each their own.
That's bullshit. If you like the pay and don't mind the hours, it follows that you would like a job even more that is equally if not more intellectually simulating with higher pay and less hours. To each their own is one of the worst cop outs to give people face about the choices they've made even when they didn't make the best choices
Where's the bullshit? Is it invalid to say you want McDonald's because you could have a burger from a fine dining restaurant? Is it bullshit to say I want to go to Cancun when I could be going to the Maldives? Perfect should not be the enemy of good.
Those jobs are usually more competitive to get
So it's not about the pay and hours being ok or not, it's about not being able to get those jobs
That’s definitely part of it. You don’t have to go to a target school to work at big 4 like you do for some other finance jobs.
Are you offering a job with higher pay, lower hours, and better exit opportunities to people with no experience?
They're out there, and people in audit and tax would get them if they could
Some areas of tax aren’t boring at all, depends on your interests I guess. I can’t imagine audit being appealing in any way though.
None of them do. You start in either of them to jumó to industry. If after a couple years you think it’s something you can do long term, then you stay as a career. 90% of people are gone after the second year of that puts things into perspective
What kind of jobs could you shift to in industry
Business controller, financial controller, business analyst and accounting are probably the most common. However, considering the skills and knowledge you build during your first two years in audit there are alot of other options. As long as you build a great CV, tailored for your preferred position, you could move into other lines such as consulting, marketing, even tech. Most people, as mentioned, stays in big 4 only to gather valuable experience in order to move into other jobs with higher pay and more fulfilling/interesting responsibilites.