[Anonymous]

Hello everyone,

I have been reading this forum for months and I finally decided to register. I’m hoping to get some career advice. I’ll try to make this all as clear as possible.

I’ve worked several internships and took a job in public tax. All of them have been at a regional firm with several hundred employees and about a dozen locations. In the competitive interview process at my former university, it was the first internship I got and I stuck with the firm because they gave me a chance and I enjoyed preparing taxes. However, after a couple internships and now into my full-time career, I’m getting a bit bored and I have wondered what I’m missing by not going bigger.

I want the name recognition, I want the bigger clients, and, *most importantly*, I don’t want to feel as though I’m limiting myself. I know tax people don’t travel as much but I’d especially be open to moving anywhere (in the US or beyond) as needed to challenge myself and go where they need me. At my firm, I don’t feel that they adequately compensate their employees compared to my friends’ firms, the benefits are just OK, I heard story after story about how they are slow and hesitant to promote (if they even do it at at all), and the “cliquey-ness” drives me crazy. I know culture will be unique to every office but… I don’t know. As many of my co-workers have never even attempted the CPA, I feel like I’m surrounded by people that are just along for the ride whereas I’m up to the challenge in order to reap the rewards later on.

On that same note, I’m hesitant on what I’ll find in public tax. At the high point, my tax season hours were about 60-65, which I was fine with. But, I have no idea if I’ll enjoy the workload, the type of work, etc. in the Big 4 or if I’d even have a chance of getting in at the Big 4. If given the offer today, I’d seriously consider jumping ship but I would hate to come running back after I find out that the Big 4 makes me miserable! But, if I stay put, I’ll never know.

So, what do you guys think? Do I keep my eyes open? How long to I work full-time before thinking about applying elsewhere? Has anyone started at in regional tax and moved upwards within a year or two? Am I stuck in a rut since I started in regional? I’d even consider a few of the bigger firms (Clifton, BDO, etc.) but I don’t really know about those offices in this market.

Sorry for all the question 🙂 All advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Mrs 300]

The problem is that every single place at every single office is different. I worked Big 4 for 5 years and I ended up being bored. I worked on the same clients year after year. Sure, it was exciting at first, because they were large clients but all I knew was THOSE clients.

Then I moved to a Regional firm (a large regional firm – possibly one of the 2 you mentioned above :-)) and I can't BELIEVE how many different tax returns I've seen or different situations in the last 2.5 years.

Can I ask what city you are in? If it's Chicago, I know a ton of people working in tax departments in different offices at Big 4, small firms and regional firms.

How long have you been working full-time? Have you started speaking to a recruiter yet? Do you have your license?

REG - 80 (Becker only)
BEC - 76 (Becker only)
AUD - 71, 76 (Becker only)
FAR - 65, 74, 81! (Becker, Wiley Test Bank, Ninja notes & Audio)

CPA Class of 2012 🙂

[Anonymous]

That's what I've noticed with regional too. I've worked on so many different types of clients.

I'll say that I'm not too far from Chicago in a slightly smaller market. I haven't been working full-time for long…. I'm actually thinking more along the lines of after this next busy season. Because of this, I'm naturally not speaking to any recruiters yet. I do have at least one friend at Big 4 that will refer me after I have adequate experience but that's all the farther I've gone! That's actually another concern of mine: getting my foot in the door. This is just something that has been on my mind for quite a while. I don't have my license as of yet but I do anticipate having it by the end of the year, at the latest… I'm real close 🙂

Sorry if I made it sound like I was ready to switch right now. I'm just trying to figure out if I should plan on “moving up” after April or get realistic and appreciate what I have.

[gennatay]

This is interesting. I m actively looking for recruiters in regional firms but I keep coming up short. Someone told me that working at a Big 4, you learn more the first couple of years, but working at a regional firm, you learn all time time. Is that true?

[Anonymous]

@ AnonymousCPA, what kind of tax work are doing for your clients? From what I hear and it could be wrong, but at big4 you're working on schedules. You'll master certain schedules/forms you're assigned to work on and as a team, you bring your schedules together and the tax return is done.

When you work for a smaller firm, like me, you're in charged of the client's entire tax return and see it through from beginning to end. In case you're interested in smaller firm work, below is what I do.

1040s, partnership, s/c corp, trust, non profit, 1099s, sales/use tax, city/county tax returns, and the other half of my work is doing accounting for my clients. Some are monthly, but majority is annual review of their books so I can prepare their tax returns. As travel goes, I do occasionally travel to client's to do their accounting at their offices or go out to the client when we first engage them to learn more about their operations,etc.

If you don't enjoy what you're doing, see if you can transfer to audit?

[Anonymous]

@cpham4, I'm currently doing work similar to yourself. Started on primarily 1040s, now starting pretty heavily on partnerships, and starting to dabble in C corps, S corps, etc.

As far as only working on specific schedules in the Big 4, I've heard both sides of this. One of my co-workers told me that his time in the Big 4 was more along the lines of getting assigned a big client and spending 40 hours on a company, doing the return from start to finish. I've also heard about people only doing schedules and not the whole return.

I'm not at all suggesting that I don't enjoy taxes. I really do enjoy it. Both busy seasons were enjoyable (yeah, I actually enjoyed it) and it keeps me coming back. It's one of the first jobs that I'm not constantly looking at the clock.

Like I mentioned earlier, my concerns are more about compensation, benefits, the people, the prestige, and the opportunities. I'm willing to give a firm my all in exchange for a firm that actively checks salary competitiveness in the market, provides quality benefits, surrounds me with supportive and fun co-workers, and gives me the opportunities to work the bigger clients and have more opportunities down the road if and when I do leave public.

I'd love to hear from someone that went from a smaller firm to a larger national or international firm.

[Author]

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