Big 4 or Mid Tier?
13
I have an offer for EY and for Grant Thornton. I am struggling to decide between the two. I have a few cons for EY despite it being BIG 4, EY is offering me a 2.5k lower salary, potential for less varied audits or to be pingeonholed into somewhere. GT have been excellent in the recruitment process and are actively communicating with me post offer. I think that EY may give me more career options down the line, is this true? What company should i choose?
Reply 1
Original post
by rehelpmeI have an offer for EY and for Grant Thornton. I am struggling to decide between the two. I have a few cons for EY despite it being BIG 4, EY is offering me a 2.5k lower salary, potential for less varied audits or to be pingeonholed into somewhere. GT have been excellent in the recruitment process and are actively communicating with me post offer. I think that EY may give me more career options down the line, is this true? What company should i choose?
what location for ey and gt
Reply 2
rehelpme
OP
13
Original post
by aa.90726what location for ey and gt
Both manchester
Reply 3
Both are decent choices. I say that Big 4 has a more diverse client base and the largest clients. But it depends on your service line and the team you are in. I would recommend that you always go for the bigger one at the start of your career.
Reply 4
what is the ey salary out of interest?
Reply 5
rehelpme
OP
13
Original post
by morrisminor12what is the ey salary out of interest?
22
Reply 6
10
If you care more about pure prestige, take the EY role. If you care more about passing the ACA, take the GT one as you have a better chance of making it out the other end.
The ACA is tough and the B4 are a nightmare for 'busy season'. They will want you to sit and pass 3 ACA exams at a time every 6 months. If you score below 45% in any, you're gone. GT are a little more understanding and from what I've heard, they sit 2 at a time instead but with the have the same 45% policy.
Exams aside, the training you will receive at EY will be substantially better than at GT and £2.5k is not worth discounting them over. The difference in average audit partner salary is likely £1m per year and thats obviously reflected even when leaving the firm after 4 years of ACA. I've known people to leave Deloitte at 25 years old on £120k per year.
Overall, neither a bad option. B4 are always keen to take people who have experience at smaller firms as they struggle to hire within the UK due to the lower practice wages when compared to industry. They're so desperate these days they pay people to move over from Nigeria/South Africa etc. Even with the terrible retention rates they do it anyway. (A manager joined a few months back on £70k and he just stopped coming in to work and ignored all calls/voicemails after he got an NI number, another guy joined and didn't know what a TB or Journal was despite having supposedly passed similar level exams...)
Whatever you decide, good luck!
The ACA is tough and the B4 are a nightmare for 'busy season'. They will want you to sit and pass 3 ACA exams at a time every 6 months. If you score below 45% in any, you're gone. GT are a little more understanding and from what I've heard, they sit 2 at a time instead but with the have the same 45% policy.
Exams aside, the training you will receive at EY will be substantially better than at GT and £2.5k is not worth discounting them over. The difference in average audit partner salary is likely £1m per year and thats obviously reflected even when leaving the firm after 4 years of ACA. I've known people to leave Deloitte at 25 years old on £120k per year.
Overall, neither a bad option. B4 are always keen to take people who have experience at smaller firms as they struggle to hire within the UK due to the lower practice wages when compared to industry. They're so desperate these days they pay people to move over from Nigeria/South Africa etc. Even with the terrible retention rates they do it anyway. (A manager joined a few months back on £70k and he just stopped coming in to work and ignored all calls/voicemails after he got an NI number, another guy joined and didn't know what a TB or Journal was despite having supposedly passed similar level exams...)
Whatever you decide, good luck!
Reply 7
Hiya which one did you decide to go for?
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