BIG FOUR

The BIG FOUR are the four largest professional services networks in the world offering audit, assurance services, taxation, management consulting, advisory, actuarial, corporate, finance and legal services.

Known as the “Big Four”, these firms completely dominate the industry. These are auditing more than 80% of all US public companies. The big 4 firms are Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young and KPMG.

Although usually identified as single companies, each one of the big 4 accounting firms is actually a network. A network of independent corporations which have entered into agreements with one another. This is so to set the quality standards and share a common name.

Working for one of the big four accounting firms is a prestigious honor and a goal for many accountants.
Having been employed by a big 4 firm carries a lot of weight in the industry. It can offer you the career opportunities you couldn’t get elsewhere.

How to apply to Big four for articleship?

Ans.: Big 4 in a way created a brand for themselves – and doing articleship training with them is much sought after. Usually, big 4 would take students who have good marks, and cleared groups in single attempt.

APPLY PROCEDURE:

1. ICAI BOS articleship placement:
   http://bosapp.icai.org/
2. Most often the big 4 firms put out the application for articleship on the local ICAI office notice board – so that one can apply it
3. Direct deposit of application form to their office. It’s often wiser method to get telephone of such firm and try to speak to the articleship recruitment department
4. Application through e-mail
5. If you know such CA who is working in such a firm, then that may be a good route to apply

Things to remember:

• In India, ‘Big four’ is a tag for the big consultancy firm on a worldwide basis
• However from the articleship perspective, one should remember that each of such firms has different CA firms attached to them. It is these CA firms where one would be doing articleship
• While at a big four firm, there may be 10-15 partners, but there may be 70-80 CA employees working under them. So it is a big hierarchy. And CA students may not even be able to meet the principal (if Principal is a partner)

Avenues to articleship in BIG FOUR

Apart from doing the ‘normal’ articleship in one of the CA firms attached to big 4, there are other ways also:

1. As per ICAI, one can take training under a CA who is employed in a CA firm. If the big 4 firm(s) allow(s) such a thing, then one can do articleship under any of the CA employee of such big 4 firm
2. One can do industrial training in the big 4 during last year of articleship, as the big 4 (the private limited consultancy) is eligible for providing such industrial training by ICAI

INDUCTION PROCESS IN FIRMS:

The usual way of inducing an article is the interview. In big firms, there may be two levels of the interview – HR interview and Partner level interview. In other firms, it might be Partner directly taking the interview. If you have worked previously with any CA firm, and the CA knows you well, he would not need to take your interview. 

What are the requirements of the BIG FOUR for articleship?

1. Having passed at least one group of IPCC with “above average marks” (preferred but not compulsory)
2. Good communication skills
3. To reach the HR’s desk (and NOT big reference etc), someone to refer your CV on the portal/HR ID (every big 4 has one)
4. Willingness to go the extra mile and work hard
5. Ability to tell about yourself well during the interview (which is necessary for all jobs). Internship with big 4 is not an easy job. It’s like a full-time job and requires focus and diligence.

REMEMBER: Don’t think what amount of money is being offered to you at a big 4 firm. Next, if interviewer tells this to you during the interview: “YOU WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO ATTEND ANY LECTURES FOR CA FINAL STUDIES, YOU MIGHT BE WORKING ON OUT-OF-STATION ASSIGNMENTS FOR AROUND TWENTY DAYS IN A MONTH“, he is telling you the truth.

What are the working hours of articleship in the BIG FOUR?

As per ICAI rules, it should be 35 hours a week. So, assuming a 5-day week, 7 hours a day; i.e. 11 AM to 6 PM. However, many firms rarely follow this. It’s safe to assume, it would be 10:30 to 8:30 on a good day. 10:30 to 6:30 on an excellent day.

For girls, the upper limit is 9 pm depending upon place of audit and distance from home. For boys, it can be around 11 pm or even later. It depends upon what type of assignment you are into and at what stage. If it’s time for finalization or filing of tax returns, boy you are in a big 4.

Where to go??

1. Deloitte: Contact HR Nivedita
Indiabulls Finance Centre
Tower 3, 27th – 32nd Floor
Senapati Bapat Marg, Elphinstone Road (West)
Maharashtra – 400013
Nivedita: 022 618 55049; 022 618 54000

2. KPMG: Contact HR Sanil
Lodha Lower Parel / Mahalaxmi,
Lower Parel East (towards Mahalaxmi)
+912239896000

3. PwC: Contact HR Nimi
Dadar West
Near Mayor’s Bungalow
Shivaji park 02266691332

4. EY: Contact HR Akshita, Ruby
Dadar west (towards Matunga),
Akshita – 02261920092 ; Reception – +912261920000

Source of information -Various online CA-CS-CMA portals including
www.caclubindia.com 
https://superprofs.com/ca/how-to-apply-to-big-4
big4accountingfirms.org
Experiences/ Success Strategy shared on Quora by verified user (Successful Candidates)

Kailasha Foundation - Bringing Solutions To You

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn for regular updates.