To feel my big 4 experience doesn’t count

[Bonbonete]

I have worked for a big 4 for the last 5 years and have resigned; job hunting for two months and fortunate to have got an offer and I that will continue to bring an income; however the job I got is part time, a very small company and similar to what I did before my big 4 experience so I am not too excited about it; it doesn’t feel like it is what I am looking for.

I was very bored in my previous job before big 4 ad it was s very small company and slow pace.

I was hoping I could use my big 4 experiences to step up in industry, but it seems it doesn’t count.

I know I need a reality check and count my lucky stars and be grateful to have got a job in the current market.

Accountants!!

Price Waterhouse Coopers
Ernst & Young
KPMG
Deloitte & Touche

surely that's a cure for insomnia big or small.

Bit niche, innit 😂

I'd thought it was a pretty common knowledge concept/phrase, but based on this thread, perhaps not

I think not having a job counts against you - I say that from experience in doing the same.

Among audit geeks perhaps

Have you done enough research into different industries and businesses? Usually being part of big 4 means that you should have a good handle on what industries and even companies are of a culture that would suit you.

Im with previous posters who actually can find big 4 recruits who have only been there for last 10 years for example a bit ‘computer says yes’ with a large span of competencies some not ideal. Big 4 on its own only really says that you had good exam results and could qualify (which many can).

We have been more likely to recruit from big 4 through previous auditors or word of mouth recommendations through who we know.

You kind of sound as though you aren’t sure what you want. You want fast pace but have recently suffered burnout (nothing to be ashamed of) but my industry is much faster paced than big 4 and that’s what you would be stepping into.

I mean this gently too but you come across a little bit entitled to a senior role due to past experience whereas for me I couldn’t care less what experience and exam results you have, it’s more how you can perform in the role that I employ you to do.

So start afresh - what role would interest and suit you now, that you could do and enjoy enough to excel in to progress. The main way people progress to decent levels is to perform well and bring results (and to do this in a way that causes their bosses the least problems and be pleasant while doing it).

Me too ! I have been out 16 months. I’ve been going mad with the 100s of jobs I’ve applied for. Some even as a sales assistant for local ASDA and still couldn’t get that.

Anyway getting traction now but my industry is so slow.

You got a new job in two months - that’s bloody good going in todays climate. Give it a go while you continue the search?

Im not an "audit geek" 🤷🏻‍♀️

How small a business? In a business that isn’t technically complex, Big 4 experience may not help if the role is more hands on and business facing with the statutory accounting being viewed as a compliance must have rather than core to the role.

Thank you all.

Burnout has made me indicisive of what I want, hence applied for part time and full time roles.

I took some time off to recover and currently working my notice for a few more weeks; I didn’t have a lot of energy to job hunt initially.

I will take the job and see how it goes and continue looking if it doesn’t work out.

This. All big companies have politics and the reason the big 4 are the big 4 is that they are the best and expect the best to give their best. Like it or not, that means pressure.

Not sure what you mean by 13 weeks notice being a reason to hand in your notice without a job to go to. That notice period is pretty normal but definitely not enough to guarantee you will find a job.

It's a difficult industry at the moment. There's way more candidates than jobs available, so employers will have their pick of people. If you're looking for a smaller firm role, you're competing with people that are already at similarly sized smaller firms that will be a better "fit" as their experience is more directly comparable.

Firms are also downsizing/not recruiting due to increased costs of employment, so also you're fighting the system, not just your own experience.

Being in a job is good - it will give you experience at a smaller firm and at least then if you start looking again, you can say that you were wanting full time work that the current employer isn't able to offer you.

Or, you never know, it might just work out and they are able to offer more.

Keep in touch with as many recruiters as possible - we've seen good candidates via Fire Recruitment and Pro Finance and both have a more personal touch (more London based) where you're dealing with just one person, who has a network of contacts they can reach out to.

Good luck!

I feel like I read this same post yesterday - different username (coolcucumbers) but same situation. MN won't let me post link but it was called 'Not sure I made the right decision.' Not that you can't post two threads, if it is the same OP, just seems odd not to continue discussion on the first. Or if you're different people, you should pal up!

46 and never heard of this term. Heard of the big 5 but that's to do with Safari animals.
Learn something everyday.

Yea, was expecting a thread about going on a safari!

I also thought it was something exciting about lions or tigers - am disappointed now😂

😂

you learn something new everyday

Say big 4 more 😅

Thank you. I will focus on the positives; the company may grow, you never know.

Will do. Thanks

I am ex big 4 and did go onto better things.

the thing against you is not having a job to go to when you resigned. The value of big 4 experience is being able to survive the shit / long hours/ lack of support/ pressure to get additional work. That’s literally the experience ( not the technical learning at all). That’s why 4 years there is good on your cv as you survived the annual cull 4 times and didn’t go mad.

i would downgrade your expectations and take work to help recover confidence and plug the cv gap.

Best if luck, hope you find something soon

I hire a lot of people (including from Big4) and unfortunately I probably would see the fact that you resigned without another position lined up as a red flag, particularly if you gave burnout/politics as the reason and you are then looking for another senior position as those are pretty unavoidable in most big institutions especially at more senior levels, and it also shows a lack of judgement, I’d assume either you are independently wealthy and don’t really need the job (fine, but not what I want to see in an interview) or that you give up easily/lack resilience. This obviously may not be the case at all but it’s impossible to tell from an interview and in this job market especially it was a risky move. Anyway as others said take the role on offer and stick at it for a while then try to look again while still employed.

It's a term most educated people are aware of, the big 4 basically run the global economy 😅