Big 4 ACA Vs CIMA FTSE 250 (and advice on current situation)

Would appreciate people's thought's on several issues. Firstly, I'm a highly ambitious individual and see myself with a future in some of the top positions within finance, e.g CFO or Financial controller of a large company. Would I be correct in thinking that ACA at Big 4 will be superior in terms of career progression than CIMA at FTSE 250? From what I can tell ACA qualified accountants seem to occupy many of the very top positions, but ofcourse correlation does not imply causation.

My current situation is this:

CTA offer, £19k, local = rejected it
CIMA FTSE 250 offer, £25k, London = considering it
ACA Big four = Assessment centre for 2014 stage
Fortune 100 company, Analyst (no accounting qualifications), 28k, Peterborough

Bit unsure of what to do, basically I feel CIMA is not the right qualification for me and will be restrictive for my future career so my current feelings are go for the Big four ACA and accept a job to do for a year until then, which would probably be the Analyst position as the pay is pretty good in a very cheap place to live, where as if I accepted CIMA and exited after a year I'd have to pay exam costs to buy myself out of the contract. Thoughts?

Reply 1

GR3YFOXXX

My advice would be go for Big 4/ACA, but I'm naturally biased (as a Big 4/ACA)

Reply 2

EmptyBracket

I want to go for the Big four, but the position doesn't start until 2014 so this begs the question should I accept one of the other roles for a year (which start now) and continue the big 4 application process whilst working there, or should I take a year out and concentrate on securing a big four position for sure and then go travelling or something until the start date..

Original post by GR3YFOXXX

My advice would be go for Big 4/ACA, but I'm naturally biased (as a Big 4/ACA)

Reply 3

Tokyoround

I'd take the FTSE250 if it's a company I love and can see myself there for the forseeable future. Otherwise, try my luck with Big 4.

Reply 4

M1011

What position is it within big 4? If your goal is to head towards CF/FD/CFO kind of positions, then a big 4 audit ACA contract will set you up better than a big 4 tax contract for example. The experience is always going to be more important than which of the three qualifications you do, bear that in mind.

I won't ask you to name the FTSE 250 / Fortune 100 as I recognise that's sensitive, but you have to take the companies it in to account as well. There's plenty of FTSE 250s I actively wouldn't want to work for, it doesn't automatically make it a great destination!

Out of the options I think the big 4 one is the strongest (from the limited info provided), but whether it's strong enough to wait a year is another question!

Reply 5

EmptyBracket

It is Big four Audit, not interested at all in tax because I would like to pursue the career path you mention. The FTSE 250 CIMA is with a construction company, but having said that I also have a final interview with another very well known company that is renowned for providing an exceptional working environment, all I will mention is Cocacola have a 90% stake in them (you can probably work out who it is). What would you look for in a CIMA opportunity then? And do you think it would look bad if I accepted the CIMA position and then left to take up ACA at big four in 2014; should I take something like the graduate analyst job I have been offered instead and do that for a year until the ACA 2014 contract begins (I'm gutted I missed the 2013 opportunity which closed during my assessment centre stage). I suppose I could consider transferring to London for a Spring start too. Thanks for your input by the way.

Original post by M1011