Witteven

Hey everyone, my name is Ben and this is my first blog. I’m a full‑time accounting manager and former Big Four professional living in Virginia. In this post, I want to answer a common question: does having Big Four experience really matter, and how does it impact your career financially and in terms of opportunities?

My experience began as a full‑time auditor after an interview with one of the partners at Deloitte. I spent about four years working at a Big Four accounting firm. While the hours were intense and the work was stressful, my colleagues and managers were great, and the experience I gained was invaluable.

After leaving the Big Four, I moved into industry as a regional accountant, earning a salary nearly three times higher than what I made before. But it’s not just about salary. You gain enormous skills in understanding business processes, learning how companies operate, reviewing their business plans, and seeing how those plans impact audits. You truly understand debits and credits in a real‑world context. While the impact may not seem immediate, these skills helped me tremendously throughout my career in business.

Let’s talk about what you actually do at a Big Four firm as an auditor. From day one, you roll up your sleeves. You attend training, receive your laptop and IT equipment, and get assigned to a project. If you join before busy season, you’ll visit client sites and begin performing tasks such as understanding your client’s business processes and internal controls. You’ll meet with department heads at large corporations and ask questions about how their businesses operate.

These people are often some of the smartest professionals holding high‑level positions, so you learn quickly how to ask thoughtful and relevant questions. And yes, sometimes you’ll be burning the midnight oil to meet project deadlines. No pain, no gain.

So what does Big Four experience really give you? When you work with clients and study their business processes, you begin to understand how large corporations operate internally. You see how financial data is generated, how accuracy is ensured, and how compliance is maintained. You don’t just identify compliance issues—you develop a sharp eye for anomalies, irregularities, and even potential signs of fraud.

You also build a reputation as a value‑added advisor by making recommendations that help clients comply with regulations and reduce risk. In my opinion, this knowledge is invaluable and has a lasting impact on your career after the Big Four.

Another major benefit is exposure to diverse industries, complex business environments, and high‑profile clients. Building relationships with these clients can open doors to incredible career opportunities, partnerships, or even future business ventures.

When it’s time to move into industry, Big Four experience helps you stand out to future employers. It gives you a competitive edge when applying for prestigious roles or transitioning into consulting, private equity, or entrepreneurship.

Should you join a local accounting firm or a Big Four firm? Regardless of where you work, audit standards are the same. We still comply with GAAS, follow GAAP, and perform similar testing. If you work with multinational companies, you may also apply IFRS standards. The key difference is scale. At the Big Four, you audit massive multinational corporations like Apple, Samsung, or Caterpillar. I personally audited some of the largest railway and airline companies in the industry.

Is it ever too late to join a Big Four firm? I believe the Big Four is a career accelerator, offering a structured path, clear promotions, and hands‑on training from top professionals. Even spending a couple of years there can significantly boost your knowledge, skills, and long‑term career prospects.

Thanks for reading. I hope this post was helpful. For more content, feel free to subscribe and follow along. Until next time—thanks.