MAILBOX: What company should I pick for Chartered Accounting articles?

A young Biznews.com community member writes:

You come into contact with a lot of big guys in business, from a perspective of wanting to make a difference in business (ultimately go into ethical capitalism, sustainability) that genre of work… Should I do my articles at a traditional audit firm (one of the big 4) or through a bank like RMB or Investec? Or will I learn the best problem solving skills from a smaller audit firm like BDO or a management consulting firm like Bain and Co. Ultimately I want to be in a challenging environment where people are keen to help one learn and problem solve. No one in my family is a CA and any guidance from you, or contact with someone who is knowledgeable on this topic will be greatly appreciated as I’m at a career intersection right now.

Alec Hogg’s response:

A Singaporean entrepreneur told me that the difference between people in the West and the East is that Asians always ask a potential employer – what can you teach me? Not, what will you pay me? I’d suggest you apply that to your own circumstances. One can easily get lost in a bigger firm. On the other hand, they do provide the opportunity for greater specialisation. In smaller operations, you are likely to be exposed to more. But fewer big clients that might want to hire you when articles are over. The best way around all of this is to do your own Due Diligence on prospective employers. The most important question you need to ask is – what can you teach me. How they answer will make your final decision rather obvious.

MAILBOX: What company should I pick for my Chartered Accounting articles?

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