Difference in Big 4 and small audit firm - Part 3

NewGuy96

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For my internship, I have been assigned to audit for Financial Services - Insurance. Quite disappointed as I am not really interested in insurance sector and insurance has a bad rep....
Will I be able to jump out of insurance to other financial services or general assurance in the future?

In the meantime, has anyone done auditing for insurance? How was the experience?
 

Milo-Dino

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For my internship, I have been assigned to audit for Financial Services - Insurance. Quite disappointed as I am not really interested in insurance sector and insurance has a bad rep....
Will I be able to jump out of insurance to other financial services or general assurance in the future?

In the meantime, has anyone done auditing for insurance? How was the experience?
Only ever went into an insurance financial audit to help out for 1-2weeks.

Insurance financial reporting is pretty niche with its own set of disclosures
 

lovemyself123

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For my internship, I have been assigned to audit for Financial Services - Insurance. Quite disappointed as I am not really interested in insurance sector and insurance has a bad rep....
Will I be able to jump out of insurance to other financial services or general assurance in the future?

In the meantime, has anyone done auditing for insurance? How was the experience?
PM me your questions..
 

jace88

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For my internship, I have been assigned to audit for Financial Services - Insurance. Quite disappointed as I am not really interested in insurance sector and insurance has a bad rep....
Will I be able to jump out of insurance to other financial services or general assurance in the future?

In the meantime, has anyone done auditing for insurance? How was the experience?

Depends on which firm as they have different clients but insurance in general is quite challenging and in some ways is an opportunity.

Don't worry too much though as the whole point of internship is to try and see how you go, and there's nothing stopping you from transferring or changing parts of your portfolio too.
 

investpedia2019

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For ex auditors that are in commercial roles now, do you still pay for ISCA CA membership?
Do not see any benefits but have to pay $400+ annually.
 

noname2016

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For ex auditors that are in commercial roles now, do you still pay for ISCA CA membership?
Do not see any benefits but have to pay $400+ annually.
I just claim from my company.

Anyway I was from big 4 long ago. I’m just wondering - is it very hard to get into big 4 nowadays?
happened to meet some younger people and they all went to mid-tier firms even though they were from local uni with decent results (2nd upper). In my era, it wasn’t very hard to get an offer from big 4 if you were from local uni -cus of the tri-uni recruitment fair (or is this no longer a thing??)
p/s - nothing against other uni. Just curious what’s the current situation.
 

KeroMax

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For ex auditors that are in commercial roles now, do you still pay for ISCA CA membership?
Do not see any benefits but have to pay $400+ annually.
Yea whats the benefit ah?

I know its good to put on your resume when applying for job, but once you got a job you intend to stay long-term, still got any purpose?

No plans of becoming public accountant.
 

woodpecker123

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Anyone know if big 4 sponser scaq and tuition fee for experienced hire? Only heard there is for fresh grad but haven't heard anyone sharing for experienced hires.
 

kekeNarwen

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Their internal ops and not their outsource services ? Can expect some OT once in a while, but definitely not as siong as the average accounting firm auditor.

This also depends on which function you work at.
Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. It's their accounting outsource services.
 

kekeNarwen

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Oh, that I am actually more familiar with. :D Regular OT, maybe about 1-2 hours a day. I only base on a sample size of two though, haha.

Quite a few different systems (Sun, Navision, etc.) you will need to use, including some older ones for certain clients.
Haha. Are the people there willing to teach? Then your weekend got do OT? How often and long is the OT during weekend, if any.
 

kekeNarwen

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Not sure about bolded, but based on what I was told, the accounts usually aren't too complex. Just tedious and sometimes messy.

The two people I know were at junior and manager levels. The junior hardly ever went back during weekends based on what I was told, whereas the manager got bring laptop home to work over the weekend... Gotta mention that the manager isn't a very efficient worker though, based on the time we worked together in a previous firm.
Haha I see. Any idea how the workload and OT for Senior Associate like? Should be similar to junior, i guess.
 
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阿里巴巴杰克

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For EY firm, does anyone know does extended assurance (fs) role is the same as faas ( financial accounting advisory service)? they look quite similar in the job details.
 

Memories123

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Have applied to KPMG (not thru SURF) for audit and had an interview last month. Hirer mentioned that interview went well and will be hearing from them. However 2 weeks have passed and I've made a call asking for updates and the hirer mentioned that they are still finding some details internally and kept asking if I have any other job offers.

Is it normal for the Big 4 to postpone updates and asking if you have had any job offers?
 

Laxoda

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Have applied to KPMG (not thru SURF) for audit and had an interview last month. Hirer mentioned that interview went well and will be hearing from them. However 2 weeks have passed and I've made a call asking for updates and the hirer mentioned that they are still finding some details internally and kept asking if I have any other job offers.

Is it normal for the Big 4 to postpone updates and asking if you have had any job offers?
I interviewed a few weeks back and got my offer within 3 days. Quite normal for them to ask if you got other offers since I believe most applicants would have applied to other big4 also. I was called up by HR and asked the same before they sent me the offer. Not sure why they’re taking so long to get back to you if interview went well
 
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