[Lost1]

The same old small firm vs. B4, but would appreciate your input. Specialized tax/major market/in 30’s

Current: small firm, above market salary and good reputation built within the firm, positive outlook on the manager promotion within about a year.

The prospect: One of the b4 tax, step down to “semi-senior” with a somewhat significant pay-cut.

I already know the answer; what do I wanna do in the long run, right? And I’ve thought about that a lot. I think both paths offer a good chance to make a decent living. I feel like I want the b4 for the shallow reasons, a brand name associated with my name kinda thing. One of the partners (a good mentor and I got a lot of respect for the guy) tries to encourage me and assure me with the future with the firm, stressing the point that the b4 experience is overrated in terms of learning. But the funny part is that when he talks about his career or someone in the industry he used to work with, I can tell that he is proud to be a b4 alumni (and he should be). That does make me question it. It’s like – someone’s telling you to buy a brand that they don’t wear; if you only wear designer jeans, don’t tell me how I should keep it real with Levis. Why should I get a Nissan Leaf to save the planet when you are driving a Toyota Tundra TRD Pro.. wasn’t trying to put b4 on the pedestal but things happened this way.

On a different note, the whole “gotta jump to get paid” culture is toxic but I can’t fix that. If you stayed with the same company for 5+ years, share your thoughts – what made you stay long term and what’s your plan now?

"If you can do it, I can do it better."

[Son]

Lost1, obviously no one will make that decision for you, just a couple thoughts to consider.

In your position – if you make the move – I think you'd want to stick around with Big4 for at least 2-3 years, until you make manager and stay in that position for about a year. Otherwise I don't see much benefit to it – just to be able to put on your resume that you were a senior with Big4 is not bad, but not that attractive either. Especially considering your 5 years of experience. Also, as a manager you're typically exposed to a greater variety of clients and projects, so that's the experience you're likely looking for if you want to distinguish yourself.

Another thought – you'd probably have a few other opportunities to join a smaller firm down the road (either come back to your current firm or find a similar one); but will you always have an opportunity to get that Big4 experience?

To your last question – I've only been with my Big4 firm for 4 years, but what kept me going were amazing people and continued growth. I was promoted every year, and every time it's challenging but also exciting. If you feel stuck in your current job and feel secure the pay cut won't affect your lifestyle much I'd consider the Big4 opportunity.

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[Author]

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