How to Become a Big Four Accountant
When planning your accounting career, often times people ask how to become a Big Four Accountant. Why is that? Well, there are several reasons behind it but the biggest thing is the prestige that comes with it, which will follow you the rest of your career. The Big Four auditing firms: Deloitte & Touche, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Ernst & Young, and KPMG are the select four that belong to this group. One of the biggest distinctions between these groups being named the Big 4 Accountants is the size of revenues in which they bring in is larger than the other accounting firms. These firms are located in international markets and often audit large, public, multinational corporations which bring in higher fees.
What to do to become a Big Four Accountant
The typical entry path for a Big Four accountant is straight out of college – recruiting is heavy on that front, however there are still opportunities for people to come from industry. The main thing is to differentiate yourself from the other competition in ways that the firms are looking for. The main thing that accounting firms look for nowadays is
Big 4 Accountant Qualities
- Communication skills
- College GPA in Accounting
- Ability to learn quickly
- Community involvement and volunteerism
Why people want to become a CPA at a Big Four firm is a very common goal that only a small percentage of people have the opportunity to do – the latest statistic I heard was that only about 3% of the applicants that Big Four firms receive resumes from actually get hired. So don’t get yourself too worked up if you don’t make it – it is a very hard career field to enter. There are tons of other opportunities to advance in the accounting field, including joining a smaller firm or going into industry. Make sure to check out more of our articles discussion those opportunities in the new accountants guide!
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