INTHEBLACK February 2022 - Magazine - Page 64
F E AT U R E
// C A R E E R M O V E : B I G V S S M A L L
make an impact, he says. For example, if an accountant
wants to add advisory services in addition to compliance,
it’s easier to pitch the idea to the partners of a small firm.
“If you really want to pursue something, you can have a
direct discussion with a partner, and then you probably are
given a chance,” he says.
Heng agrees and says that, while the Big Four firms are
renowned for offering opportunities, these opportunities
are often fiercely fought over.
“There were lots of secondment opportunities, where
you tried out different departments, but it’s also very
competitive to get the department you want,” she says.
“It’s still competitive inside the Big Four...it doesn’t stop
once you are in, and it doesn’t feel as easy to approach your
superiors, as it is much more hierarchical.”
THE INNER WORKINGS
Accountant Andrew Allemand ASA started his career
at a small practice and moved to a big advisory firm,
SV Partners in Brisbane, where he is happily ensconced
as a manager in the voidable recovery and forensic
accounting teams.
He admits that his long-term goals could “potentially
have been achieved quicker” if he had started at a bigger
firm, but he wouldn’t change a thing.
“I think I am better off for the opportunities and
experiences I was provided with at a smaller and much
more specialised firm,” he says. “It allowed me to gain
invaluable experience with end-to-end functions of all
business operations.”
In particular, Allemand admires smaller firms for
operating at high levels of output with limited resources.
“I recommend [this path] for any young person seeking
practical and broader business skills and experience, as it
grants a new appreciation for the oil that fuels the cogs
that keep a business operating smoothly,” he says.
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of a small firm
is the access you have to the many components of the
business, AJ notes.
“You speak to the client, and you get the commercial
reality of the business as well,” AJ says. “You actually meet
with the clients, you raise invoices to provide quotes or
present proposals, whereas in a larger firm you are sort
of protected from that reality at the beginning stages.”
In fact, this client connection was one of the chief
reasons AJ started his own firm.
“At least for me, I have found that you can really see the
difference you can make,” he says. “You get involved with
the business owners and build a strong relationship.”
AJ says one of the potential downsides of a bigger firm
is that the work can get “monotonous, and it becomes very
process-driven”.
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“As a young accountant, you want to be exposed to
as many industries and challenges as possible,” he says.
This chimes with Heng, who says that her new role allows
her to branch out into other disciplines more freely.
“I felt, too, that my learning opportunities at a Big Four
were fairly limited, because it was just me on the tax planning
side, and I didn’t really look at other aspects, such as GST,
advisory or mergers and acquisitions,” she says.
“Now I get to do more of that in my current role, including
due diligence for new companies, so I am doing more than
just the statutory tax filing aspect.”
NEXT STEPS
Considering there are advantages to both large and smaller
firms, how should accountants and finance professionals
decide on their next career move?
“If I had to advise myself all those years ago, I would say
to start with a firm that has multiple partners and multiple
disciplines – it doesn’t have to be a top-tier firm,” AJ says.
“That way, there is mentoring and a sense of learning from
colleagues.”
If you want to run your own public practice or firm one day,
then experiencing both ends of the accounting spectrum – from
top tier to boutique – is invaluable, according to AJ.
Allemand says the choice between big and small is an
individual one, depending on what “works for you, and how