Accountant Careers

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Industry professionals, recruiters and college professors are unanimous in their belief in one thing: there is no better way to start a career in accounting than experience with a Big 4 public accounting firm. If you are reading this you no doubt are well aware of who these guys are:

PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte and Touché, KPMG and Ernst & Young.

While each of these companies has various strengths and weaknesses, they are all alike in the fact that they provide the recent accounting grad with a world class experience. First year associates at these firms are given a level of responsibility that is truly remarkable. When I was a first year I remember thinking on an almost daily basis “I can’t believe they’re letting me do this.” As I strolled into the CEO’s office of the firm we were auditing, as I tallied up a multi-million dollar mistake I’d found in another company’s books and as I traveled the country with my very own American Express Corporate Card, I kept repeating this thought:

“I can’t believe they’re letting me do this”

Truly the world of accounting is at your fingertips when you are employed with one of the Big 4. There is an air of respect in those names: PwC, E&Y, KPMG and D&T. There is camaraderie and there is pride. These are the truly elite in the accounting field, and the top of the business world.

Starting your professional career at one of these companies is a ticket to a career in the fast lane. The experience you receive at a Big 4 is, literally, priceless. Many beginners at these firms admit that they would be willing to work for nothing: the experience is that valuable. Land a job and you will guarantee yourself the following:

- For the rest of your career your resume will automatically move to the top of the pile

- For the rest of your career you will have access to a network of professionals that is staggering in its depth

- You will earn an industry busting salary, putting your friends at regional and local firms to shame

- Your resume will contain experience that is recognized and respected globally

- An opportunity to travel the world

At a speaking engagement in 2004, Martin J. Whitman, billionaire and namesake of the Syracuse University Whitman School of Management, was asked the single best piece of advice he could offer college graduates. His reply? “Begin your career with a Big 4 Public Accounting Firm. Period.”

Of course.

Think this all sounds good? Of course you do. You’re probably thinking to yourself – there must be a catch? Unfortunately, there is. The benefits of working for a Big 4 are widely known and the demand for these positions is higher than ever. These positions are EXTREMELY competitive and often IMPOSSIBLE to obtain without an edge. A great GPA and resume are no longer enough.

If you are serious about your career and want to maximize your earnings potential, you need an edge. How do you land an interview with a Big 4 when there are thousands of others just like you? Once you get the interview, how will you be prepared for the barrage of questioning you will face?

When I graduated from college I had one interview and one interview only: I landed a job with PricewaterhouseCoopers on the first shot. How did I do it? Good grades? Charming personality? Incredible experience? No! I had an insider at PwC who knew the ropes and coached me through the process, from the application to the signing bonus! When I learned these secrets I just watched as my peers struggled and I jumped easily through all the hoops. Unfair? Sure, but life in a world class industry is not fair. While working at PwC I also experienced the recruiting process from the side of the recruiter.

For more information please visit The Big 4 Guru.com

Good luck!

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Hello! I hope you enjoy the article.

Accounting to Finance – A Decisive Jump

At the onset of one’s career it is a very optimistic viewpoint. An individual tends to be drifted towards the field of his liking. Days pass turning into weeks, months and years. The work which began on the threshold of life as a career builder gradually attains stagnancy. Pondering over the past years this field of passion seems to have come to a standstill and after years of hard work poured in, it seems as if a voice from within is calling for a change, yeah a change in career.

This has happened to you and me, it is nothing new. The very reason of pointing out to this aspect is to highlight upon the “Accounting and Finance” Sector. There are a lot of perceptions of jumbling the accounting and finance areas as one, but both the sectors are inter-related and we could say it is two sides of a coin.

Who is an Accountant?

An accountant primarily assesses the “financial position” of the firm. He is responsible for preparing financial statements such as balance sheets, income statements and cash flow.

Who is a Financial Analyst?

After the accountant completes his role of preparing the balance sheets, then the “financial analyst” zooms into action. The scope of work for a “Financial Analyst” is spread over a broad spectrum. He has a vision to foresee the future of the company and helps the company officials to understand the company’s stand, advising them of the possible profit and losses. Finance is more of a risk management area. Students opting to take up finance as their career need to understand that finance is a much generalized area wherein banking, real estate, corporate control, insurance organizations etc. come under one umbrella.

Why the Jump?

Any simple question arise controversies. Different heads think differently. If you say that why there is a need to hire two separate individuals if the accounting and finance is so well gelled in each other? People assume that the person who deals with numerical data may not possibly enjoy the work of forecasting and vice-versa.

Transition – Not as easy!

Nothing in life comes the easy way. You cannot enjoy the delicious meal decorated on a platter unless you have earned it. Same is in the case where you have to now go in for a drift in profile. If you have worked as an accountant since long and have been able to gather an idea on how the finance works, then you could definitely go in for the change.  The accounting degree will surely help in conducting financial analysis but, an MBA in finance will give a finishing touch to your ambition.

Conclusion

Crossing lines is always impressive and appealing. One of the major reasons behind career decisions is to maintain a balance between work and personal life. Becoming successful largely depends on your background, education and years of experience. Magic is created if you are “at the right place at the right time”.

Good luck!

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