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.

They’d prefer ‘professional services’ - more than just accountancy.

I hated my time with them.

Why so many posts under different usernames?

www.mumsnet.com/talk/work/5438549-not-sure-i-made-the-right-decision

If you don't know what the big four are, perhaps you don't need to comment on the thread as you may not be able to provide the OP the advise they are looking for?

Beats posting to then belittle and be smug

The job market is very slow out there at the moment, plus the way jobs are applied for has changed. It’s so easy to go onto Indeed, LinkedIn etc and upload your cv. My dh found that there could be fifty plus applicants within a few days of new jobs going live, plus the same jobs are advertised on multiple sites. AI is another factor, and if you’re don’t have the right buzz words on your application, your CV could be rejected, even if you’re a good fit for the job.

To be fair my immediate thought was:

Tesco
Sainsburys
Waitrose
Lidl

But then I googled & it was accountants.

That’s a very snobby Big4 attitude to have. Plenty if my mid tier colleagues are successful in highly technical and highly regulated industry roles. Just being ex Big 4 isn’t enough, and leaving Big 4 without a job to go to would be a big red flag as anyone specifically looking for ex Big 4 candidates likely wants someone who thrives in that environment.

But as a senior ex mid tier now Big 4 professional, I get really irked at the Big 4 is better attitude, as many of the best people I have worked with aren’t those that worked at Big 4

Most interesting post so far - what did you do to get sacked?

It is

It really isn't that exciting. Public sector organisation over spent and I got the blame

Sorry to hear that, would have have been nice to have a good story to dine out on.

Have you been using a recruiter? Are you coming from audit?

Most people wait until they have found a position before resigning and then negotiate their notice period down although 3 months is not a long notice period so most companies would anticipate having to wait 3 months for a candidate to start.

Also, did you look into moving departments as opposed to quitting. I found that the most useful thing about working in a Big 4. I worked in 3 different departments during my 12 years there. Once I was bored in a role I moved sideways into a different role.

Clients are also a good way to move. I assume you have some great FD/CFO contacts? Use your LinkedIn to let all your contacts know you are keen and available.

2 months is not long to be looking for a new role. I think 6 months is about average.

Yes if you read a decent paper it’s a well known term. Isn’t it good though to that poster that you now know what it means, it’s good to learn new stuff!

If you really did have burnout, I'd have thought a smaller company and slower pace would be exactly what you'd be looking for.

Good luck! Finally I have interviews for 2 crunchy jobs, but I’m mid 50s and thinking sod it… also applied for a minimum wage job in France (which I’m well qualified for!). What fun…

I recruit into audit, accountancy and technical roles into the Big 4 and mid tier firms.

Have you thought about a Technical role at a top 20 firm? Much less stress than audit (if that’s what you do), flexible hours and no timesheets!

The top 10 and mid tier firms are starting to recruit again after a deathly quiet 6-12 months. It depends if you would consider practice again.

Industry is still pretty quiet and a lot of the roles are going to those who trained in industry as in a more cautious market they are seen as less of a risk.

Recruiters (good ones) have their value in terms of strong relationships and market knowledge, assistance with interview prep etc but as others have said, a lot of firms and companies are looking to save on recruitment costs so applying direct (doing myself out of a job here) might get your application looked at more favourably..

If someone comes to me having given their notice in already, I do question it, and ask them to be honest, but then we work together on how best to present that reason honestly but in an understandable way.

Big 4 burn out is not uncommon and everyone knows this so I would say something along the lines of ‘I have worked at X for 12 years working very long hours and felt as if I’d like to take a month or so off to do x y z (spend time with kids, travel, house decoration whatever) before starting my next role. People are much more understanding of this kind of thing than they were 10 years ago.

3 months notice is the norm and that’s what most employers expect.

Good luck!

Well that’s disappointing. I thought this was going to be about animals spotted on safari.

I was thinking lions, elephants, rhinos and hippos.

🤣. When people say the big 4 they are referring to accountancy firms.

I left big 4 years ago, had kids then spent a decade doing a part time non related role to work around them. I’ve just finished a refresher course as fancy going back into the real world, and I tell you what - it’s made me realise how good my training was at the big 4. It’s literally all slotting straight back into place. Massive confidence boost. Don’t underestimate yourself and what you’ve learnt there

Not an uncommon experience....

Yes everyone knows this - Deloitte, KPMG Price Waterhouse Cooper, Ernest & Young.

Big 4 really isn't particularly valued in smaller firms, such as light industry, small accounting practices etc., as the work done in the Big 4 bears little resemblance to the work done in very small businesses.

At one small practice I worked in, we took in ex Big 4 chartered accountant as an accounts manager and it's not unfair on him to say he hadn't a clue about preparing "incomplete records" for small businesses etc. First client he got to work on and he asked for the nominal ledger, when in fact it was a "carrier bag" job. He didn't last long.

When I moved to work in industry and became responsible for my own recruitment, I tended to avoid Big 4 applicants for the same reason, and would prefer to take on applicants who were coming from other relatively small/medium firms.

I thought it was banks but that’s the big 5 - or used to be when I was younger.

I’d ignore the stuff about not resigning without another job.

In my industry (although not accountancy) people who work for the bigger companies often think they are superior but the reality is that they have more narrow experience in their roles.

In some ways working for one of the big players will help you get another job as you have experience of stuff that they want to know more about, but it’s not necessarily a quick route into a senior role for the reasons above.

I have never heard of the big 4. I have heard of Deloitte, but would have to look up what EY, PwC and KPMH mean.
I am in academic science.

I wouldn't have considered contributing to this thread because clearly it's outside my knowledge. I presume responses from people who know what the big 4 are would be of benefit to OP.