Career advice: Automotive or Big Four?
Career advice: Automotive or Big Four?
Author
Discussion

greeer

Original Poster:

25 posts

126 months

Saturday 15th April 2017
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hello!
What would be best career decision? Big Four in audit or Ford engineer?
thanks!

Vaud

59,262 posts

184 months

Saturday 15th April 2017
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What makes you happy?

bga

8,134 posts

280 months

Saturday 15th April 2017
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Depends what you want. You will probably get bored witless in Big4 audit (I did) but it will open many doors within the business world.

greeer

Original Poster:

25 posts

126 months

Saturday 15th April 2017
quotequote all
To be honest, I don't mind either! So I guess the money would play a significant role and the opportunities for promotion and exit?

Vaud

59,262 posts

184 months

Saturday 15th April 2017
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How is this a choice? I'm guessing undergraduate with strong maths skills?

greeer

Original Poster:

25 posts

126 months

Saturday 15th April 2017
quotequote all
Umm yeah you could say so smile

Vaud

59,262 posts

184 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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If your maths and programming are strong, but you really want to work in automotive - then maybe look towards analytics. As cars become more connected, there will be a large growth in roles that look at the massive data sets being streamed/batch fed by cars; with autonomous this will even further increase. Having an engineering understanding as well would be an asset.

Countdown

49,247 posts

225 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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greeer said:
hello!
What would be best career decision? Big Four in audit or Ford engineer?
thanks!
Big 4. Far better standard of totty biggrin


waterwonder

1,002 posts

205 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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greeer said:
To be honest, I don't mind either! So I guess the money would play a significant role and the opportunities for promotion and exit?
Based purerly on this criteria big 4 is likely to be better. However be prepared to sell your soul, be exceptional or both. If you don't you're likely to find yourself out on a limb sooner or later.

Ford is a different animal. By comparison pretty easy going and potentially a lot more satisfying with more interseting opportunities. Not a slam dunk in terms of exit though, somebody will always want an ex big 4 auditor, one of the world's leading diesel calibration engineers may end up being somewhat more niche.

anonymous-user

83 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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Money is fab stuff, but being motivated only by money may not lead to a fulfilling job. Obvious comment is obvious, but maybe it isn't?

Jefferson Steelflex

1,607 posts

128 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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I've worked with and been audited by a large number of Big4 audit teams. I've also worked in audit myself (including in automotive companies).

Without exception the people I have met from Big4 have to be the biggest bunch of dullards you could wish to meet, all lacking in personality, sitting in a large room at the client offices behind a laptop having zero interaction with each other. For variety, they occasionally pop out of their office to ask the client a question about a minor accrual or provision on the balance sheet before retreat back into the abyss to type up some notes on that exciting conversation.

Honestly, unless you are a virgin or have zero personality, do something else. Anything. The money might be good if you stay there 10 years and get to partner, but the journey there must be soul destroying.

Edited by Jefferson Steelflex on Sunday 16th April 18:10

anonymous-user

83 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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Q: How do you know when you've met an extrovert accountant at a party?

A: Because he will stare at YOUR shoes while talking to you.

Vaud

59,262 posts

184 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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Jefferson Steelflex said:
The money might be good if you stay there 10 years and get to partner, but the journey there must be soul destroying.
It takes longer than 10 years from graduation from my counterparts; ~15+ would be more realistic and it is very hard (for big 4).

TopGear7

340 posts

205 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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How about a role in the field of Artificial Intelligence? I presume that is quite heavily numbers / analytics based and it's certainly a job for the future.

(Just putting it out there, I no little about it).

768

20,678 posts

125 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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Breadvan72 said:
Money is fab stuff, but being motivated only by money may not lead to a fulfilling job. Obvious comment is obvious, but maybe it isn't?
Undoubtedly true. But unless the alternative is time sensitive it may be one lesson worth learning first hand and switching careers later with a few quid in your pocket. Maybe.

greeer

Original Poster:

25 posts

126 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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Countdown said:
Big 4. Far better standard of totty biggrin
indeed, I was amazed at the assessment centre biggrin

mikees

2,887 posts

201 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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If you are good ( top uni, top degree, can program and do the heavy maths) then google, Facebook etc in London. Otherwise cyber startup in shoreditch, borough market or old street way. PhD better. I know a Cantab PhD in Maths just started at google on 200k. Big data, machine learning and analytics is where the money is.

If you are at camb, ucl, IPL a very easy in.

Good luck

M

greeer

Original Poster:

25 posts

126 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
quotequote all
Breadvan72 said:
Q: How do you know when you've met an extrovert accountant at a party?

A: Because he will stare at YOUR shoes while talking to you.
I have heard that for programmers biggrin

greeer

Original Poster:

25 posts

126 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
quotequote all
I can be equally excited for both to be honest, I like them both so if I choose the one over the other it will be only for the prospects and money.
According to ICAEW, an auditor gets 70k after 2-4 years post qualification, is that money given by Ford or automotive? And Big4 partners make an average of 700k, I suppose you cannot reach that at Ford.

PS: unfortunately I cannot program

Jag_NE

3,339 posts

129 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
quotequote all
greeer said:
I can be equally excited for both to be honest, I like them both so if I choose the one over the other it will be only for the prospects and money.
According to ICAEW, an auditor gets 70k after 2-4 years post qualification, is that money given by Ford or automotive? And Big4 partners make an average of 700k, I suppose you cannot reach that at Ford.

PS: unfortunately I cannot program
70k (base salary) in automotive is senior manager level (non contractor). add more for bonuses and cars but nobody gets that 2 years out of uni. 700k is the top people in a very big company.