<p>How easy/difficult is it to get a job with a big 4 accounting firm (graduate careers)?</p>
<p>If anyone has landed a job or knows about the process I would appreciate insight... I will be graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in Economics in May 2008. I will have completed Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Finance and Investments, courses all taken at the Haas School of Business to demonstrate my interest. </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>if you're graduating from berkeley, you should have no problem getting a job within the big 4.</p>
<p>You won't have much trouble getting into a Big 4. They hire from more than just the top schools, and the process isn't that selective due to supply and demand. Plus, Berkeley is a great school.</p>
<p>I used to work for Price Waterhouse years ago. They never used to be very selective with the schools they hire from...for the simple reason that they know that a high majority of kids will take the CPA exam, and move on for MBAs, law school, etc...</p>
<p>Which out of the Four are the most selective? And which division out of Strategy, Advisory, Tax/Audit, and Assurance (and Consulting in case of Deloitte) is considered to be the toughest to break into? Which is the easiest? Which earns the most money and which is considered to be the most "prestigious" sector?</p>
<p>Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) is arguably the toughest group to get into, and EY and PwC are arguably the Big 2 out of the Big 4.</p>
<p>sweet... so, what is the starting salary like?</p>
<p>I'm thinking around +/- 50k ?</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>Yes, that sounds about right. It should be right around 50K.</p>
<p>weak sauce.</p>
<p>"...and EY and PwC are arguably the Big 2 out of the Big 4."</p>
<p>As much as I would like to agree with that, I don't think I can. Really, the Big 4 is the Big 4--each has its nuances, but they are all strong firms and good places to work. </p>
<p>"Which out of the Four are the most selective?"</p>
<p>One isn't really more selective over the other--it varies more by your local office size.</p>
<p>"And which division out of Strategy, Advisory, Tax/Audit, and Assurance (and Consulting in case of Deloitte) is considered to be the toughest to break into? Which is the easiest?"</p>
<p>I think you may have your lines of service mixed up. At each of the firms, there are three major divisions: Assurance (which includes audit), Tax and Advisory (which encompasses consulting). Advisory jobs are generally extremely competitive for those coming straight out of undergrad--most offices only hire a few people, if any, every year for each of the groups under advisory. Competition also varies at the group level--a particular office may have a sizable Performance Improvement group that needs a few new associates every year, but a small Dispute Analysis group that rarely takes in any. Traditionally, audit is much easier, as there has been a significant demand for auditors.</p>
<p>"Which earns the most money and which is considered to be the most 'prestigious" sector?'" </p>
<p>That's really a bad way to look at a potential career, but Advisory positions are paid more than Audit and Tax.</p>
<p>"I used to work for Price Waterhouse years ago. They never used to be very selective with the schools they hire from...for the simple reason that they know that a high majority of kids will take the CPA exam, and move on for MBAs, law school, etc..."</p>
<p>I can't speak for PriceWaterhouse prior to the merger, but PwC seems (at least in my opinion) to try and recruit at least a little bit from a large variety of schools, whereas the other firms focus on recruiting more from a few number of schools. This will, of course, vary from office to office.</p>
<p>"How easy/difficult is it to get a job with a big 4 accounting firm (graduate careers)? If anyone has landed a job or knows about the process I would appreciate insight... I will be graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in Economics in May 2008. I will have completed Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Finance and Investments, courses all taken at the Haas School of Business to demonstrate my interest. "</p>
<p>Well, it depends--we need more info. What line of service? If you have an Economics degree, I'm going to assume Advisory, as you would not qualify for positions in Audit or Tax (you need to have the educational background, or be on your way to getting the background, required to sit for the CPA exam). The process isn't necessarily hard or complicated--you just need to understand it and know what they are looking for.</p>
<p>If your coming out of berkeley, you could probably get into advisory straight out of undergrad. I know a couple ppl that were able to do that out of Maryland and Berkeley is much more prestigious/hard to get into so Im assuming the firms hire more ppl. </p>
<p>Btw, if your at Berkeley, why do you want to go big 4? Unless your passionate about accounting and becoming a CPA I would have big4 as a backup career. Most ppl who are at the Big4 are those that want to get their CPA, put the firm on their resume, and for the exit opps down the line. With Berkeley, you could probably get those exit opps right out of school (assuming your a good student).</p>
<p>thanks ryanbis. Do you know if Deloitte's FAS is possible for fresh-out-of-college student to get into if I have high GPA?</p>
<p>Yea.. Actually, my heart is set on banking. Because banking is so competitive I was thinking of using Big 4 as a backup.. work 2-3 years then try to transition over to banking.</p>
<p>Academically, and resume-wise I am sound.. job experience, extra curriculars, however my GPA may be a bit low for banking. </p>
<p>I transferred from a community college; so my community college GPA is 3.95 and my UC GPA is about 3.35. I'm not sure if I can combine these or what the protocol is when listing these things on resumes and applications... I don’t want to be wrongly accused of lying/cheating.</p>
<p>"thanks ryanbis. Do you know if Deloitte's FAS is possible for fresh-out-of-college student to get into if I have high GPA?"</p>
<p>Well, I can't speak for Deloitte specifically, but it certainly is possible. I warn you, though, that GPA plays a minimal role in the interview process. A good GPA does not do much for you--it just means you won't be outright eliminated, as many with low GPAs are. In other words, it's a requirement, but it won't differentiate you at all. They want demonstratable leadership and team skills, client service skills and strong technical ability. These are the things you'll most likely discuss in interviews--and you'll need specific examples (i.e. describe a specific event where you demonstrated leadership, rather than just listing organizations you belong to on your resume).</p>
<p>You'll also need to consider that the groups Deloitte groups under FAS are rather technical and, aside from the IT side of things, they most likely prefer people with a few years of experience for these positions (I know that Advisory in my firm likes to try and steal some of the audit superstars once they hit Senior or Manager).</p>
<p>"I'm not sure if I can combine these or what the protocol is when listing these things on resumes and applications... I don’t want to be wrongly accused of lying/cheating."</p>
<p>You should either list them seperately or just your UC GPA--they should not be combined in any way.</p>
<p>Big 4 careers tend to be back-ups for those who prefer to go into IB or consulting since they are far less selective. However, a career with the Big 4 isn't the worst thing in the world. Their internships are especially very well structured programs, and the training is top-notch. It is, though, tough to make the move from audit to IB. The best (and maybe only) way to make the transition is probably through a top MBA program.</p>
<p>what's the starting pay for advisory?</p>