[Peanut Butter is Good]

I’m talking about <10 people, partners all CPA’s, mostly tax work for non-profits, small businesses, and high-income individuals. No SEC clients, that’s for sure. Some audit work, again mostly tax.

Can you make the jump from a firm like this? Or do they not consider this to be legit experience?

[Anonymous]

Yes you can.

[Peanut Butter is Good]

can you go from this type of firm, to doing Audit, even if you've been mostly doing tax?

[Anonymous]

Maybe.

It really all depends on the partner or partners' needs and personality.

But, having a tax guy can come in handy when testing tax assets, liabilities, and expenses.

[Peanut Butter is Good]

Are you a partner, Bill?

[Anonymous]

I'm not, but I've spoken with a few over the years. My wife is higher up the totem pole at a Big 4 firm and I've had the pleasure of meeting a handful of them inside and outside the workplace.

The biggest thing for a less experienced hire (approx. two years exp., or less) is “fit”. They know that the audit teams are going to be locked into a war room for 65 hrs. a week and that it's really important to have teams that work well together.

They can teach you the audit programs, analytical procedures, and substantive testing, but they can't teach you to play well with others.

Simply put, they want you to be smart and friendly.

[Anonymous]

I should add that I've had a couple different partners ask when I plan on joining them and they're areas of specialty weren't anywhere close to mine.

[Peanut Butter is Good]

How do you judge someone's ‘fit' on a brief conversation? How can you possibly tell someone isn't full of **** to get the job, and that someone who might seem a little reserved at first is simply feeling you out, because they're smart? It's unbelievable.

[soyanks]

When you go from a really small firm to Big 4, you may have to repeat a year.

For example, if you worked at a small firm (10 people) for about 2 years, and you move over to Big 4, you may be considered a first year staff instead of second year staff.

And to repeat billbrasskey – yes, you can. It's actually quite common, especially when there's a huge turnover and Big 4 needs to replace the experienced staff who left the firm.

FAR - 86
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[Peanut Butter is Good]

soyanks, Is this is true even when, as I said, the firm is not even SEC clients? Mostly tax returns for small businesses, non-profits, and high-income individuals. It's mostly all partners. I might be one of like 2 or 3 younger staff, total.

[Anonymous]

I agree P.B. I have no idea how they can. In fact, they probably can't. I'd be willing that many people are full of doodey in an interview.

That's probably why referrals are so big in professional services.

It's the whole birds-of-a-feather thing. A firm has a better chance of getting a good prospect from a solid employee and they can just ignore referrals from the bum employees.

[Anonymous]

P.B.- it's a good thing that you have experience working directly with partners. Most Big 4 associates don't get that.

[Peanut Butter is Good]

You would think, right? I don't know…I've gotten several interviews based on referrals, but the interviewers didn't have any real connection to the person referring me…I didn't get an offer anyway. I don't even know how I would find experienced hire recruiters, I only have the contacts for the ‘campus' recruiters. Hell, I don't even have the offer from the small firm yet, they just made strong indications, and it's by far the smallest firm I've interviewed with. They don't even have a decent website or logo graphic. If I get in, I might try and arrange for some of my web designers/graphic designer friends to help these guys (and me) out, which they'll probably do for free just to get it in the portfolio.

[Anonymous]

You can find the recruiters on LinkedIn.

The best way is to network directly with the partners. Find out what NFPs or professional committees they are on, and get in on that action as well. This is how the partners saddle up to executives they are trying to sell to. It's the same principle, really.

It's amazing what you can find on the Internet these days.

[Author]

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