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This thread continues discussion from /forum-replies.cfm?t=951012&p=66

Does anyone know how long it takes for the contract to arrive after verbal offer? Thanks.

I have heard people receiving their contract on the same day they receive a verbal offer?
Can someone confirm?

Which Big4 company are you talking about?

PwC.

definitely not the same day.

Hey guys,

Just wondering if anyone has received an offer PwC advisory in Sydney, and also what sort of salary/package they are offering grads.

Cheers

boogin07 writes...

Just wondering if anyone has received an offer PwC advisory in Sydney, and also what sort of salary/package they are offering grads.

from what ive read in these threads seems PwC in other states are offering a 53k package.

im assuming it will be around this range.

otehr big4 have similar packages between 50k-55k

I should get my KPMG contract today so i'l let you guys know the figures. I heard they pay the most for their divisions compared to the other big 4

Not sure how the other Big 4 and other states remunerate for Tax, but for KPMG Melb it is $56k package +2k dbl deg.

Blah, PwC have still "not finalised" my application while my mates got callbacks on Friday arvo. Chances are dimminishing by the minute....

suvat writes...

Blah, PwC have still "not finalised" my application while my mates got callbacks on Friday arvo. Chances are dimminishing by the minute....

i haven't heard from PwC since conquest. which division did u apply for? i know a friend that also applied for assurance but they received the rejection last thurs, so i guess there's still the slightest hope...

number11 writes...

but for KPMG Melb it is $56k package +2k dbl deg.

What's the +2k for?

If you completed a double degree, masters, or honours, it's an extra 2k.

Interesting, never heard of that before.

I applied for tax, partner interview was last friday...

Hi Suvat, hopefully you get an offer. If you do, post the remuneration being offered and for which Big 4.

Winfield - apparently it's a "thing" of the Big 4's these days, to offer something like that.

yeah but 2K is quite a lot, 1K is the standard.

The bonus for double degree is just a one-off :P

Nils22 writes...

I should get my KPMG contract today so i'l let you guys know the figures. I heard they pay the most for their divisions compared to the other big 4

Nils22 are you going to take KPMG or Deloitte?

msui writes...

Does anyone know how long it takes for the contract to arrive after verbal offer? Thanks.

congraulations msui?

I got an OFFER from EY!!! Yeah
I have to say EY is so impressive in every way. hopefully i will receive the contract soon

wat helmet writes...

congraulations msui?

Oh wat, nothing's set until I sign and return the contract. I've heard of some really horrible stories about premature celebrations with the verbal offer later withdrawn. It's particularly possible after the crushing final interview I had, so I'm going to cross my fingers for the time being and pray that I haven't dreamt the whole thing.

Will explain everything later I promise.

Come on contract! Where are you?!!!

pashrichie writes...

I got an OFFER from EY!!! Yeah
I have to say EY is so impressive in every way. hopefully i will receive the contract soon

Congrats!!!

woot. offer with PwC Sydney in Business Assurance. =D

Msui, which of the big 4 ? I know PwC in Syd arent sending contracts out for a certain division you need to actually go in with all the other people who got an offer and pick it up.

OMG surenw YOU GOT PwC???

Congrats!!! Thought you applied for IT related field? Or was that just for EY?

Broadbay thanks for the info. Well that reduces the chances of it getting lost in the mail I suppose.

msui writes...

OMG surenw YOU GOT PwC???

yeah pretty excited. lol.

well technology risk management and security risk management in the Business Assurance Service Line.

That's fantastic!

Now please join the line (of people waiting for their contracts) :P

msui writes...

join the line (of people waiting for their contracts) :P

lol

msui writes...

OMG surenw YOU GOT PwC???

Congrats!!! Thought you applied for IT related field? Or was that just for EY?

Congrats surenw. I had to choose between EY and Deloitte but I ended up accepting Deloitte. Now I wanna change my mind, for no particular reason, just that "Young" sounds fun. I didn't see that before, but now that everyone is accepting EY, it get me thinking again. But anyway, I hope it does not matter career wise. I am in Assurance n Advisory btw not IT.

Congrats surenw!! :)

The success rate on this board has been quite phenominal!

WinfieldCharcoal writes...

Congrats surenw!! :)

The success rate on this board has been quite phenominal!

Haha, I was just about to say the same thing!

Congrats to everyone with offers.

anyone heard from KPMG PERTH!?!?!?!?!

surenw writes...

big4 have similar packages between 50k-55k

Is that much pay for first year graduates(in general any field) and/or does the pay continually go up as you get more experience.

THEY CAN DO THAT???? =|

take back their offer i mean?!

.SliM. writes...

Is that much pay for first year graduates(in general any field) and/or does the pay continually go up as you get more experience.

That's a good starting point. Apparently a small fraction lower than industry, however would not compare to the progression 1-2yrs after. Especially after CA.

Also, the 2k bonus for dbl/hons/mstr degs is a one-off, however after the first year it goes up anyway, so either way you win.

Hi Everyone!!! Can anyone please quote the salary offered by each of the Big 4's in A&A in Sydney

Hi Nils22
Congrats on the KPMG contract!!!! I applied for the ITA division, and I'm going through the final stage on thursday =) A few questions I'd like to ask are:
Did you have do a presentation at all? What sort of scenario did they give in the group discussion? What written exercise did they give you? Lastly, What questions should I expect from the partner?
Any tips from you, or anyone else out there would be greatly appreciated!! =)

Cheers guys and gals!!!

Hey.. Got an offer with EY! They called me an HOUR after i left their premises yesterday arvo! far out they move fast!

surenw, congrats on your offer! and thanks for the clarification of the ey process.. made me feel much more comfortable!

I work at Deloitte in Brisbane. Anyone applied from the forum in our grad program?

msui writes...

Nils22 are you going to take KPMG or Deloitte?

HAHA good qn.... which basicly means i have NO IDEA!!!!!!

I really do't have a clue i decide on one them the other seems a bit more interesting....so yeh any advice from ANYONE would help. I am talking to alot of people and generally they say KPMG. Btw do you reckon it's safe to say divisions on this site or better to be safe and not?

Nils22 writes...

so yeh any advice from ANYONE would help

I would go with which one gives higher pay since they are the same at the end of the day. I had to decide EY and Deloitte but accepted Deloitte because of the pay and Deloitte is easier for me to access, which are really very small things. But I can't find anything that differentiate between them really at this stage.

@Nils22

Are you in Sydney mate? Are the two offers for the same division (ie IT advisory, audit or tax)?

Guys if you had to choose between PwC, KPMG and Deloitte, which would you choose and why?

maybe think about location... where they are in the city?

if they are close to CBD

I know in Australia Deloitte is actually the 4th of the Big 4 by a decent margin but they are trying to catch up (don't know if this means anything to you)

Depending on which of the Big 4 you are at... you might have to hot-desk which means you don't even get your own desk... you have to share!

wat helmet writes...

Depending on which of the Big 4 you are at... you might have to hot-desk which means you don't even get your own desk... you have to share!

I know that KPMG does this. How crap is it :( You don't even get your own desk. You have to sign in in the morning to get a desk!

Big4 sounds great, but imo due to the large intakes (and revolving door) syndrome that they have I think you're really just another drone. Hence why most people stay for a few years and then go somewhere where you're more of a human :)

My advice to everyone at big4 is to get all the training and learn as much as you can in as little time! Although it's possible it's highly unlikely you will progress to being a partner.

ISWAK writes...

Guys if you had to choose between PwC, KPMG and Deloitte, which would you choose and why?

What about EY? :P

wat helmet writes...

Depending on which of the Big 4 you are at... you might have to hot-desk which means you don't even get your own desk... you have to share!

PwC does this too... hmmm

wat helmet writes...

if they are close to CBD

I know in Australia Deloitte is actually the 4th of the Big 4 by a decent margin but they are trying to catch up (don't know if this means anything to you)

LOL I really wanted to get into EY for that reason.

Deloitte Touche Tomatsu is bigger in the States than here.

@ Mongie

W00t! I just got an offer from Deloitte Brisbane. Should receive the package via courier later today.

I went for Risk Services, specifically Security and Privacy. What division are you in?

@Ltgeo,

Congrats mate!! Have you heard from anyone else yet?

WinfieldCharcoal writes...

Although it's possible it's highly unlikely you will progress to being a partner

That's right with all companies though not just with Big4. It's all about your merits. Even with banks, like CBA, it t's highly unlikely you will progress to division manager or something like that simply due to limited opportunity, unless you are extremely good at what you are doing.

Point in fact is, don't expect to go far if you are not ready to put in the hard works or give it 110% every day. I know it's easier talk than done, but if people want an easy job, the public sector is the best place to be.

Yeah I heard from EY. Didn't get an offer. They said it was very close but they had already filled their quota for Technology and Security Risk Services with interns, but that they almost decided to take me anyway. Not to worried about that though, I really wanted Deloitte.

I had my partner interview for KPMG ITA yesterday and he said he'd be letting me know today, so that's another possibility.

ISWAK how are you going with yours??

sotheara2000 writes...

That's right with all companies though not just with Big4. It's all about your merits. Even with banks, like CBA, it division manager or something like that simply due to limited opportunity, unless you are extremely good at what you are doing.

Completely agree. However, banks don't have that revolving door factor like the Big4 have. They don't have a move up or get the hell out attitude.

Each to their own though :)

No doubt that hard work/dedication/attitude/networkin­ g and grabbing the right opportunities at the right time (and watching out for the political games) can get you very far.

Ltgeo,

sent you a WhiM =)

hi:

i applied 3 of the Big 4 firms for the graduate programs this year, got an interview with one of them, is there anyone who applied with Qantas graduate program in finance this year, i heard some one said 'Qantas = Deloitte' .... so does anyone know what kind of questions will they ask in the phone interview by Qantas..... thanks

@ surenw

Congrats, I also just got my verbal offer for pwc ba last night. Waiting for contracts and looking forward to seeing you guys come May 21st.

- Side note, with pwc BA, every person I spoke to at the final interview had a combined degree.

Congrats infly! What's on 21 May?

p.s. The courier just came..........to deliver my dad's box of wine..........Got me all excited for nothing. Gosh the wait is killing me.

amyscoop writes...

i heard some one said 'Qantas = Deloitte' ....

I said Qantas != Deloitte. Which means Qantas is not Deloitte. The reason I had said this was you were posting about Qantas in the Deloitte thread. :)

Phone interview will be why you, why us, behavioral type questions.

msui writes...

Congrats infly! What's on 21 May?

Celebration party to everyone who got offers. :)

Really? How did you find out about that?

msui writes...

Really? How did you find out about that?

I was told during my offer call.

Oh OK thanks. Was it partner who interviewed you who called you? I just got told "yay congrats here you go an offer" and nothing else. Did they say when will the contract be coming/picked up infly?

msui writes...

Oh OK thanks. Was it partner who interviewed you who called you? I just got told "yay congrats here you go an offer" and nothing else. Did they say when will the contract be coming/picked up infly?

Yup, the partner who interviewed me, called me. I think she said something along the lines of - Human Capital will call us sometime during the week and sort everything out then. She also mentioned to think about when you would like to start - (???)

I also asked how many BA took in this year and it was only 8 people - ouch.

Guess we are all a bit anxious waiting, but just got to be patient, need to remember they are still making offer/rejection calls up till 5pm today. So hopefully a call will come thur/fri.

Thank you so much infly for the info!

Makes me feel less anxious (as I thought Sydney interviews were over last week, at least for tax).

Congrats on making the narrow cut!

@msui

Sorry I missed your offer post, what line of service did you apply for? Tax Legal?

Yup. I applied for tax for all Big 4 but got rejected straight away by the other three. lol. Too bad PwC Legal aren't taking in graduates. Would love to break into that area.

I think graduate programs in PwC have rotation programs so we can rotate within the divisions (ie within tax or within advisory) for the first year.

Has anyone heard from KPMG in Brisbane, today is offer day for QLD, and I haven't had a call yet. That was my last hope! Congrats to everyone who have received offers, I hope your contract comes soon msui :)

MBee!!!!!!!!!!! It must be you! *hugz*

Hope you get a call soon! Fingers and toes crossed for you.

Hello,

I randomly found my way to this forum and had been reading it for a few days before I actually registered. Congratulations to those that have offers!!

Im from Sydney and just had my second round interview for KPMG on Monday but i haven't heard back from them. Are the offers made based on the day? So it has been 2 days since I did the interview, my chances of getting an offer is very slim (or i'm on their reject list already). Anyone else heard back from KPMG yet?

Thanks!

hey everyone
has anyone got any offers from BDO KENDALLS.. i got an offer so just wanted to know how different are their contracts.. im in qld.. cheers..nd congrats to everyone for getting offers.. also to everyone u havnt got anything yet... to be honest i had given up.. having gone through so many interviews (2big 4 final stages) and getting rejected made me feel so lost.. but i got the and i was hell shocked.. so just a piece of advice for those u dint get any (bcoz i was one of them till last nite) dnt give up..regardless of how many times u get knocked back dnt give up.. i went to 4different cities to give interviews and got knocked back from all..so just in one line - dnt give up..keep trying.. good luck and eventually u will get it..!!cheers!!

I can't agree enough with islifefair's post about not giving up. Here's my list of rejections: I've applied for 14 positions in total for graduate programs, got knocked back for 12 of them (the Big 3 rejected me straight away). It's so saaad and demoralising at the time (not even getting past the online application stage) but:

AMP - rejected straight away
CocaCola – rejected straight away
Mars – rejected straight away
St George – rejected straight away
Deloitte – rejected straight away
E&Y – rejected straight away
KPMG – rejected straight away

CBA - did online test and got rejected
Westpac - did online test and got rejected
Macq Bank - did one interview and got rejected

ANZ - email updating status, nothing further.
Greenwoods & Freehills - nothing yet

NAB - did online test, phone interview and assessment centre – then nothing
PwC – verbal offer

I have a question for the people who got offers from the big 4.

If you don't mind me asking, what type of GPA/WAM do you guys have?
Also what degree?

I would appreciate any answers. Thanks.

Heya Negzy,

I <will hopefully> have a BCom/BEc from UNSW..WAM=71.204

and got a <verbal> offer for PwC Audit!

..but my accounting marks blow!

dethroned writes...

Im from Sydney and just had my second round interview for KPMG on Monday but i haven't heard back from them. Are the offers made based on the day? So it has been 2 days since I did the interview, my chances of getting an offer is very slim (or i'm on their reject list already). Anyone else heard back from KPMG yet?

Hey Dethroned

Just to let you know i was at monday as well and they called me about 4:30 on monday to tell me i got the job. I was in audit though so divisions are different. Don't be disappointted until you receive the rejection

Negzy writes...

If you don't mind me asking, what type of GPA/WAM do you guys have?
Also what degree?

Got KPMG audit with a gpa of 2.05 out of 4 lol and i go to macquarie university in Sydney. Credit is 3 so yeh my marks are pretty bad. But i can talk so i ripped in. These firms are really moving away from marks because so many ppl have good marks but can't say a word.

Btw if i had my time back i wouldnt let my marks slip like that you play the risk game which ain't fun

Nils22 writes...

Got KPMG audit with a gpa of 2.05 out of 4 lol and i go to macquarie university in Sydney.

Nice work, also a Mac grad here :)

Congrats on your offer.

GPA is 2.74 across B BusAdmin/B Info Tech. I'm still trying to get the university to get rid of my withdrawals! This would bring it up to 3.01 or something.

Not that it matters much now, but I'd prefer to graduate with a "clean" transcript.

I also go to Macquarie Uni (yay Nils22) and is doing Com-Accg/Law. My GPA is crap, for accounting it's 2.591 and for law it's 2.851 so less than the credit average like Nils22.

Although I must say the Big 4 puts less emphasis on marks. I think alot of the firms are looking for well-rounded person and I believe (this is from the feedback I got) the reason why I got rejected straight away after online application was because my resume was too sterile and apparently showed no outstanding interest. (ie as if I have the personality of a potato)

I think it's a true reflection because the places that have allowed me to progress past the online application andhave an interview, and have gotten to see me in person and my interests etc, I've done OK for them. (Besides Macquarie Bank, which is a different story alltogether)

So, what I'm trying to say is....

WINFIELD YOU'VE GOT YOUR CBA CONTRACT SO CAN YOU EMAIL ME YOUR RESUME NOW??????????????????????

ah yes i wanted a look at that resume too!

really5, nils22, WinfieldCharcoal and msui thanks for your replies.

Negzy writes...

I have a question for the people who got offers from the big 4.

If you don't mind me asking, what type of GPA/WAM do you guys have?
Also what degree?

I am also doing double Law/Acct. Average is like close to credit ~ 63 for both. So marks is not my selling point. But I do have some experience (in both fields) and extra curricular activities. Got offered: EY, Deloitte, ANZ, Auditor General Dept (SA), NAB...and some more mid-tiers. Rejected outright: PwC, KPMG, to name a few. I have tons of rejection email in my inbox.

What I am saying is: mark does not count for big firms! Try to avoid fails, and remember experience is much more important than marks.

52xax writes...

EY, Deloitte, ANZ, Auditor General Dept (SA), NAB...

Wow!

p.s. yes industry related experience is great advantage too. A friend who applied during her last year got rejections all round so she found a part-time job in an accounting firm and the next year when she re-applied she got into KPMG MMA.

@msui

totally agree..i lacked industry experience (ie i didnt have a vaccy thing on my CV) but my extra curriculars and ok marks pushed me through i reckon

@ negzy

I'm doing Bachelor of IT at QUT in Brisbane. GPA is 6.88 out of 7. I don't know how that compares to other states...Roughly 90% average I think. But I went specifically for technology roles.

Nils22 writes...

These firms are really moving away from marks because so many ppl have good marks but can't say a word.

I agree to an extent - not sure about others but I felt PwC is the most traditional, basing a lot on marks and performance. I guess they have to be tough to grads to stay #1 I don't know. I've worked with their auditors and maybe it was a bad bunch but they had no clue about how to ask questions and relate to employees of their clients. The other firms definitely focus more on your ability to relate to others.

Based on these threads EY seems to be the "young ones", which probably shows through their marketing campaign via Facebook. KPMG seems like a small firm here in Australia however I don't really hear anything -ve about them, if anything they are the 'perfect' underdogs. I know of companies who have replaced PwC with KPMG services.

I have no clue about Deloitte.

(My 2 cents)

Also, it seems all firms use the 'hot-desk' system, however more for the Audit and Advisory teams - Tax get a permanent desk.

You are quite right about your assessment of PwC and EY, but KPMG are in fact 2nd in terms of revenue, and similar in size to EY here in Australia, with Melbourne and Sydney being the 2 largest offices.

However, like yourself, I'm not too sure about Deloitte.

number11 writes...

Also, it seems all firms use the 'hot-desk' system, however more for the Audit and Advisory teams - Tax get a permanent desk.

My friend at PwC tax is currently hot-desking... :P

apparently growth for kpmg is slowest whilst deloitte is growing the fastest (then pwc then ey). however it is all relative but remember australia is a small fish....
PWC do seem to have such a good hold on the number 1 spot though

Congrats infly! What's on 21 May?

p.s. The courier just came..........to deliver my dad's box of wine..........Got me all excited for nothing. Gosh the wait is killing me.

lol we havent been ocntacted about contract arrangements yet.

infly, im am in a single degree course - although it is a co-op program.

dethroned writes...

Hello,

I randomly found my way to this forum and had been reading it for a few days before I actually registered. Congratulations to those that have offers!!

Im from Sydney and just had my second round interview for KPMG on Monday but i haven't heard back from them. Are the offers made based on the day? So it has been 2 days since I did the interview, my chances of getting an offer is very slim (or i'm on their reject list already). Anyone else heard back from KPMG yet?

Thanks!

Hey Dethroned

I guess we are in the same situation here. I attended KPMG's 2nd round interview (Audit) on monday as well, hv't heard a word from them. I'd say the chance is nearly non. I thought HRs r supposed to communicate results within 48hrs even rejections.

Thinking of giving a follow-up call tmr.

Cheers

Hi Nils22

congratulation for KPMG's offer.

Was it the HR called you or the partner? oh, btw, were you in Audit 1 or 2?

Sydron writes...

Was it the HR called you or the partner? oh, btw, were you in Audit 1 or 2?

I was called an hour after I left the 2nd rnd interview, and the senior manager called me. The next day, the package offer arrived.

number11 writes...

I was called an hour after I left the 2nd rnd interview, and the senior manager called me. The next day, the package offer arrived.

congratulations man.I guess all the positions are filled. were u applying to audit as well?

Sorry I just wanted to let you know that that was the process for me, but I'm in Melbourne so timing is different between states. You still have a chance. I applied for Tax, not Audit, but I think it just depends. I hope all goes well.

Sydron writes...

Hi Nils22

congratulation for KPMG's offer.

Was it the HR called you or the partner? oh, btw, were you in Audit 1 or 2?

I thought i was audit2 but my letter of employment states accountant 1 so im not really sure. I know my nametag had audit/2 on it. Don't give up hope. Unitl they reject you your still in with a chance....basicly they've clearly given out first round offers but alot of people will reject to go elsewhere which may open up a couple more spots. Just stay positive if you think you did nothing wrong in the process your in with a chance. My partner called me BTW

pork08 writes...

apparently growth for kpmg is slowest whilst deloitte is growing the fastest (then pwc then ey). however it is all relative but remember australia is a small fish....
PWC do seem to have such a good hold on the number 1 spot though

not really, Deloiite did have the highest growth % out of the big 4, but that because they are the smallest and thus a change would have more effect. In terms of revenue from last year, KPMG and Deloitte were identical with EY behind both of then and PWC owning the market.

PwC has the audit service going great guns for them imo and other services on par if not less than some of the other Big 4 (?).

Nils22 congrats on joining KPMG audit. I work in audit in the Melbourne office.

52xax writes...

mark does not count for big firms!

this is true to a certain extent, but if you don't have the marks you better have a lot else to offer.

In talking with managers who interviewed candidates (this is for my firm KPMG) their biggest question was "Can I have this person talking to a client". Just try and relax in interviews and have a chat with your interviewer. In my interview, we didn't even talk about my grades or anything it was all about football.

I second that - the partner who interviewed me didn't even go through all the questions he had in front of him. He closed it up and just talked the whole 30 minutes. And that to me, is the best thing you can do to really get to know a person in the limited time.

Nils22 writes...

not really, Deloiite did have the highest growth % out of the big 4, but that because they are the smallest and thus a change would have more effect. In terms of revenue from last year, KPMG and Deloitte were identical with EY behind both of then and PWC owning the market.

yeah i said its all relative.. as in relative to its size.
also, it took it into account forecasts for until 2010, ill try and find the article :)

pork08 writes...

yeah i said its all relative.. as in relative to its size.
also, it took it into account forecasts for until 2010, ill try and find the article :)

You'll also find if you get into some area's it's not just australia you'll be looking at big 4 projects can take you world wide.

Hey guys, new user, long time reader :) I have a few opportunities grad wise for accounting, ranging from pure tax, pure super, "commercial services" to super + audit, to pure audit.

What I will say though is the pure tax one has a much better pay rate then all the others, and its what I have wanted to do for ages, but now I have these offers in front of me and contracts at the ready... I don't know anymore. Would I be nuts to turn it down and go with a more broad base now but at a smaller firm? Does it rule me out of doing international stuff such as transfer pricing and the like in the future?

Sydron writes...

Hey Dethroned

I guess we are in the same situation here. I attended KPMG's 2nd round interview (Audit) on monday as well, hv't heard a word from them. I'd say the chance is nearly non. I thought HRs r supposed to communicate results within 48hrs even rejections.

Thinking of giving a follow-up call tmr.

Please tell me how the call went, thanks!

number writes...

but now I have these offers in front of me and contracts at the ready... I don't know anymore. Would I be nuts to turn it down and go with a more broad base now but at a smaller firm? Does it rule me out of doing international stuff such as transfer pricing and the like in the future?

That's the exact dilemma facing me now, especially today seeing as it's the deadline to accept offers and I still have the contract in my hands. What I've gathered from so many people is that - we've been given this opportunity that so many others applied for and didn't get, but we were selected, so in their eyes it would be crazy not to accept. Of course there will be those who are anti-Big 4s. The one, sticking point out of all my discussions is not the question of "should I take it?" but more "will I regret and always wonder 'what if'?". Anyway, whim if you like.

You know guys, as a graduate you're so young and got plenty of years ahead of you to explore what you really like to do. I think whatever skills you get out from working with the Big 4 would only enhance your opportunities in the future, by then which you'll still have plenty enough time to explore. So why shut the door on Big 4 so quickly?

Personally I think doing the Broad--->Narrower--->Special­ ist approach is safer than the other way around.

msui writes...

Personally I think doing the Broad--->Narrower--->Special­ ist approach is safer than the other way around.

If you don't know what you are interested in, then yes I agree. It just gives you the option to explore and decide. But if you know definitely what you want to do in your career, then starting out as specialist will maximize your income potential.

52xax writes...

But if you know definitely what you want to do in your career, then starting out as specialist will maximize your income potential.

I agree here if you know exactly what you want to do, it means you get to specialise from earlier on, and hence *theoretically* be able to become an expert in that area at an earlier stage in your career.

That is great advice, an angle I haven't really thought about much..

Exactly. I was just thinking about it then, if I rejected big 4 tax right now I don't think I would ever get rid of that "what if" voice. I loved tax, so much so I did Advanced tax and that has been favourite course at uni so far, and it resulted in me being unable to get a finance major (not that I am loosing any sleep over that :P ). If I rejected it the voice would still be there..... I have until the 14th, god I hope I can make my mind up by then!

number writes...

Exactly. I was just thinking about it then, if I rejected big 4 tax right now I don't think I would ever get rid of that "what if" voice. I loved tax, so much so I did Advanced tax and that has been favourite course at uni so far, and it resulted in me being unable to get a finance major (not that I am loosing any sleep over that :P ). If I rejected it the voice would still be there..... I have until the 14th, god I hope I can make my mind up by then!

OK, what are the offers if you don't mind me asking? I assume it's big4 vs banks? If so, I was in that situation before, but I just want to do audit more than the money. So I choose Big 4, never regret. But if its big 4 vs big 4, choose the highest pay.

Big 4 Pure Tax
v
Mid Tier "Commercial Services"

Still not sure... The Commercial Services would give me a much more broad base to start my career on, but I did enjpy tax at uni. The difference is 6.5k in starting wage, but I am not overly concerned about that. From what I hear your wage from then is performance based anyway and good work is rewarded. CA support is different, but hell I really liked the way the mid tier did it and not so keen on the Big 4 method. But its the big 4... Its an amazing opportunity to get into there tax department, but what if i end up hating it.... Then again I just have this voice "but what if..." going on in my head... Gahhhhhhhhhhh this is so hard :(

Yeah, I know it's hard to make a decision.

But anyway, if I were you, I choose Big 4. To me, the starting salary is not important, although no one can totally discount it. It's a 40 years or so career, so the starting salary is very small in the scale of things.

Big 4 has lots of market recognition, and that is invaluable to me. Your mates earn more than you now, but after 3 years, then your background with big4, what you learned there, your experience and training will make up for the lost pay.

I had to forgo 8.2k when I sign my current contract. Just my 2 cents.

Oh sorry, I should say that the Big 4 is UP 6.5k over the mid tier :)

48.5 for big 4 tax

42 mid tier commercial services, the other few mids i got offered where 38....

Its two different jobs though. If i went Big 4, its only tax experiance, if i went commercial services with the mid guys, its everything... But I do really like tax, just the thought of 70 hour weeks is putting me off a bit.

Any of the Big 4, have mid-year programs?

Hmm I don't think so

The choice is clear, to me at least. Anyway, good luck with your decision.

Thanks mate :)

Accepted my offer with Deloitte today. Risk Services, Brisbane. So who out there are my fellow future Deloittians?

BTW I dont think its smart to state company, position and location. HR watch forums like these you know :)

number writes...

BTW I dont think its smart to state company, position and location. HR watch forums like these you know :)

Why would HR care? :)
Free "good" marketing for them :)

number writes...

BTW I dont think its smart to state company, position and location. HR watch forums like these you know :)

I can't see why it would be a problem, as long as no business sensitive information is shared.

I'd imagine most HR people see this board as a free source of publicity for their programs, and would be happy to see successful people share information to inspire others to apply in the future.

Edit: Winfield, you beat me to it :)

Plus it's not like you're listing your real name. HR can't hold anything against you for what you say on a free discussion board.