How to choose between mid-tier accounting firms
All mid-tier firms are essentially the same, so the specific office and team you join matter far more than the firm's brand name. When you are working 60-hour weeks during busy season, choosing the firm that pays the most and has the shortest commute prevents burnout.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Choosing the firm that pays the most and is closest to homeDid this help you?
- 2Focusing on the specific office and team rather than the firm nameDid this help you?
- 3Targeting top regional or local non-national firmsDid this help you?
- 4going to school networking events and meet the firm nights to find established firmsDid this help you?
- 5Joining a mid-sized national firm for better work-life balance and faster promotion pathsDid this help you?
- 6Working 3 to 4 years at a major firm before jumping to a higher-paying senior role in industryDid this help you?
- 7Pursuing a Financial Leadership Development Program (FLDP) at a Fortune 500 company insteadDid this help you?
- 8Starting at a small firm to learn tax and small business services to eventually launch an independent practiceDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I’m currently a university student in Vancouver looking for student/co-op opportunities in public accounting.”source ↗
“I’m familiar with the Big 4, but I’m wondering which other public accounting firms in Vancouver are considered established/notable.”source ↗
“Same poop, different scents of stinky. I’d go with the one that pays you the most and is closest to your home”source ↗
“All the mid tier firms are basically the same beast just different branding. What matters more is the specific office and team you land in, that can make or break your experience way more than the firm name on the door”source ↗
“When you're pulling 60+ hour weeks in busy season that extra 45 mins each way will destroy your soul”source ↗
“I’ve worked at both. There is a much higher level of rigor to a big 4 audit than mid-market national firms.”source ↗
“I wasn’t able to get promoted to Sr. at my Big 4 after over 4 years as a staff, so I looked for industry jobs and I got a higher paid / Senior offer for half the firms I applied to.”source ↗
“KPMG and Forvis. I’ve been to the Forvis office and met lots of people and really enjoy it. Only know two interviewers from KPMG. Also just know about how bad big 4 is for wlb”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 5Why can't I get an interview at a public accounting firm?
- 12How to find a responsive accountant for a small nonprofit
- 3How to switch from audit to advisory at another firm
- 8How to get clients for a new accounting practice
- 6Can I skip public accounting and go straight to industry?
- 5Why do I want to work in public accounting when I know it's miserable?