“Do industry firms view the employees as inferior to the Big 4?”
It depends. Some will require or favor the Big 4, while pothers will have different viewpoints. While one can be successful anywhere, Big 4 usually has the best brand name in terms of resume recognition, and the availability of opportunities is higher.
All things being equal, I always think BIg 4 is the best choice. But things don't always work out that way. They may be a variety of reasons why you'd want to pick a Regional/National firm instead.
I'd say you should consider:
1. Types of clients and size
2. Size of the office
3. Reputation of the firm in the local area you want to work in (for example, I've heard my firm in a certain city has absolutely horrendous hours due to turnover/bad work environment).
4. Your own comfort with the firm culture. Generally, the larger the firm the more “corporate” the feel will be. However, size of the specific office is always a factor.
Also, it's always a good idea to go to indeed, robert half, or some other job website and search for “big 4” in the area where you want to work. If you get a lot of hits that say Big 4 “required” or “preferred” then that's another indication that the brand is stronger there. If not, then it might not be as big as a factor.
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