Ever wondered if it’s worth taking a pay cut to work for the Big4?

So you work for a mid-tier practice firm but are keen to join a Big4 but they pay less – What’s that about? And why should I take a cut??

In an ideal world you never want to take a pay cut but why should you perhaps think about it?

 

Long term gain – playing the long game both within practice and in industry.

Within practice, candidates are often seen as more valuable if they have the Big4 background. It’s a fact that the experience you gain puts you in good stead for practice roles at smaller firms. If you can handle what the top tier throw at you then you can be confident to lead the way and make positive change if you then decide to work at a mid or lower tier firm.

If industry is your end goal then we regularly place ex-practice candidates into industry roles and typically the first demand our clients make is “they should be ex-Big4”. We’re not saying that if you don’t work for a Big4 it’s impossible to secure your ideal role in industry but what we are saying is that your chances will be higher if you do and you’ll have access to a larger pool of international companies.

 

Is it really a cut?

They may initially require you to take a small cut but salaries do increase substantially as you change grade plus you have the additional bonuses, car allowance, medical, etc that come hand in hand with the infrastructure that a larger company can offer so when you add it all up the cut may actually be a gain.

You need to make the decisions that are right for you at any particular time in your career – take the time to weigh up the options, list the pros and cons and see what the long term ramifications could be – you might be surprised.

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