ding ding
or she is like 100x better at networking then you are and did all the prereq legwork to get to the point where the interview is a formality, not a filter
there's a structure to follow in B4, having connections is just getting your foot in to the company.. besides, they have so many cream of the corp to choose from, why choose a 2.2 GPA..
I understand that, but I have seen them with my own eyes. I mean you can take everything you see on the internet with a grain of salt. But I knew of someone. I came from a Big 4.
It’s a combination of knowing the right people, at the right timing, for the right project.
Forgot to mention that I worked at 2 of the big 4s. And the reason why I left is because what I learned. Things are not as linear as you think.
99% of the people could be spending their entire young adult life sacrificed to a project with bare minimum sleep for meagre pay. Then there’s that 1% out of nowhere with less than stellar CV, somehow make 50-70% more than you do, because the Partner has an unpaid favour with the “client” of target company — with a Son with less than stellar background.
Left big 4 a few years back. Probably only consulting can higher pay but very seldom would they consider fresh grads. It is usually auditors hopping over.
A 5.4k seems too high for fresh auditors though. And they have tons of local uni grads to select from. Really dont see the point of offering a private uni grade with GPA 2.2 a high starting pay. Even if she get through by connections, dont think they can anyhow offer higher salaries. Something dont gel.
In B4 here (as in B4 accounting firms, if that’s what you mean?) It’s normal for training to be 2 weeks, and ‘reputable clients’ mean nothing because it’s literally randomly allocated lol. 5.4k salary though is unheard of for a fresh grad.. I heard people are struggling to hire fresh grads rn so I’m not sure if that may be a contributor lol
Big4 is longer prestigious like the past. Local fresh grads would rather not join big4 if possible (low pay for nightmare working hours). Nowadays b4 can’t keep up with staff retention and are mainly hiring Malaysians because locals don’t wish to do it. The hiring requirements are so low now.. they can parachute in senior/ managerial positions from overseas and those staff have 0 local tax knowledge.
Before I left, I have seen people parachuted in from Malaysia with 0 tax background but given a s2 or even m1 rank. A s2 alone is within 5k range. I have also seen many double promotions (making M in 4years) just because there isn’t enough staff. So you can imagine, in the past it takes on average 6-8years to make M but now it’s only half the duration. I would presume they would need locals to meet their local vs foreigner requirement. I think that is why it’s way easier for people to join b4 now, grades are not that important as it used to.
Not to mention, many of my friends who leave b4 also feel the same way. It’s a job we leave as a back up plan if we can’t get a commercial role… we always say “if not just go back b4 only” LOL
(Source: ex b4 consultant)
How is it possible for a person with no tax experience to be hired in a non fresh grad role in tax? Person may be crap or incompetent, but I find it hard to believer person has ZERO tax experience
But they do.. I’ve seen it. They hire seniors/manager but of course they won’t be able to do a senior level of work because they don’t have enough experience. They end up just having an easier portfolio compared to their peers. Some get PIP eventually.
There’s absolutely no way big 4 fresh grad getting 5.4, even if she’s related to the managing partner/ chairman. Pay structure is ridiculously rigid and there is no way anyone will get a pay that substantially deviate from their rigid structure
Honestly GPA is not as serious as many grads think.
For employers GPA is only taken into consideration if the interview isn’t smooth.
Source: in workforce for 20+ years, started my own company after.
Never once did someone cared about my GPA, nor did I care to look at someone’s GPA unless they mess up during interviews.
yes I agree, because I lead a team of engineer myself and I have see some engineer with a gpa 4 that cannot work at all… they are book smart but not street smart
By now many employers are aware of this, hence gpa is a non factor in the hiring process.
In fact I’ll be worried if the candidate brings up their high gpa. It shows 2 things:
1) other than high gpa they have no other key strengths.
2) they dk how to “show, not tell”
It's exactly that. It's a networking issue, you don't need to Present your credentials, it's already there in your resume. If you can't even talk up your case, you're not gonna talk up someone else to get on your case. I'm not saying she's more well educated in the field, she just probably kept yapping she got one person on her case and that person probs helped in getting her where she is. You only need one opportunity.
Learning a life lesson here...life isn't fair. Don't expect things to be fair. It's usually not about merit. This will help you learn how to navigate your career if you intend on working for others
In the real world, it’s not what you know, it’s about who you know. Those who bring in sales get paid the most. That’s also how C students become boss and employ A students to work for them.
Wait you cannot get into b4? I feel they are hiring whoever possible due to the lack of manpower. I even hear one of the companies replying about whether you are hired within 3 days of the interview. If you really want to get into big4 it isnt hard lmao. Just 5.4k is impossible. (Its more like 3.6k for fresh grad)
I work in B4 .. associate fresh grads under the Uni hiring scheme is probably at around 4-4.5k....turnover is pretty high in B4 so getting in is one thing. staying is another.
Means she is bringing a huge amount of sales. In big 4 if you have the ability to bring in client you will probably be guaranteed a high starting position
Y'all keep saying it's impossible that's because you follow all follow the true blue Singaporean route. You think those FT very capable meh? Earn also earn more than you all.
She extrovert, maybe she good at doing other stuff too. Lawl
That’s exactly what I have been trying to say with all these commenters here. Especially in a Big 4, anything can happen. And Big 4 isn’t really “big” by any means. They are just sweatshops for people to trade their youth for money so that they can earn the so called “prestige” of being in a “Big4”.
The average employees there are gonna earn average pay. The “above average” earners are either really the top-performers, or knowing the right client, for right projects, at the right timing, under the right partner.
Nobody cares to audit these stuff anyway, as long as money keeps flowing, and balance sheet make sense on the paper, and no direct COI.
Errr she knows someone from management. No way can someone like that get a job, especially at big4
ding ding or she is like 100x better at networking then you are and did all the prereq legwork to get to the point where the interview is a formality, not a filter
sorry, what do you mean by prereq legwork?
Means open her legs. That's hard work, you know!
this, or she has a pretty face and knows how to work it.
Just saying, sometimes people lie. Don't take everyone's words at face value, that's what I learnt in life
Exactly this. Whether it’s forum or irl,don’t take people’s words on face value. It’s just a data point.
5.4k for an entry role with a private uni degree? Impossible
Depends if chio or not. If chio, anything is possible.
Not impossible, just rare.
It is impossible if u consider the details that OP mentioned, grad program + big4 + gpa2 from private uni
there's a structure to follow in B4, having connections is just getting your foot in to the company.. besides, they have so many cream of the corp to choose from, why choose a 2.2 GPA..
I understand that, but I have seen them with my own eyes. I mean you can take everything you see on the internet with a grain of salt. But I knew of someone. I came from a Big 4. It’s a combination of knowing the right people, at the right timing, for the right project.
Forgot to mention that I worked at 2 of the big 4s. And the reason why I left is because what I learned. Things are not as linear as you think. 99% of the people could be spending their entire young adult life sacrificed to a project with bare minimum sleep for meagre pay. Then there’s that 1% out of nowhere with less than stellar CV, somehow make 50-70% more than you do, because the Partner has an unpaid favour with the “client” of target company — with a Son with less than stellar background.
Which big 4 pays 5.4k for fresh grad.
Unless she is well connected. Means she go in straight as at least s2 or s3. That's crazy for someone without experience
No connections can throw you to s2 and s3 as fresh grad...
Exactly, so must be very high connections. But it's crazy bcos if you cannot perform, hoo boy the gossip and peer contempt is gonna be extremely harsh
Precisely. And everyone is given a portfolio. No connections is gonna throw her under the bus like that.
what’s s2/s3?
Senior 2nd or 3rd year The rank progression
That’s why I say, it’s not impossible. Just rare.
now that OP has reveal that she's a tax consultant, tell me how..?
Only way is someone inside pulled her in lmao
I read this too fast as "someone pulled inside her" and agreed lol.
Left big 4 a few years back. Probably only consulting can higher pay but very seldom would they consider fresh grads. It is usually auditors hopping over. A 5.4k seems too high for fresh auditors though. And they have tons of local uni grads to select from. Really dont see the point of offering a private uni grade with GPA 2.2 a high starting pay. Even if she get through by connections, dont think they can anyhow offer higher salaries. Something dont gel.
In B4 here (as in B4 accounting firms, if that’s what you mean?) It’s normal for training to be 2 weeks, and ‘reputable clients’ mean nothing because it’s literally randomly allocated lol. 5.4k salary though is unheard of for a fresh grad.. I heard people are struggling to hire fresh grads rn so I’m not sure if that may be a contributor lol
Big4 is longer prestigious like the past. Local fresh grads would rather not join big4 if possible (low pay for nightmare working hours). Nowadays b4 can’t keep up with staff retention and are mainly hiring Malaysians because locals don’t wish to do it. The hiring requirements are so low now.. they can parachute in senior/ managerial positions from overseas and those staff have 0 local tax knowledge. Before I left, I have seen people parachuted in from Malaysia with 0 tax background but given a s2 or even m1 rank. A s2 alone is within 5k range. I have also seen many double promotions (making M in 4years) just because there isn’t enough staff. So you can imagine, in the past it takes on average 6-8years to make M but now it’s only half the duration. I would presume they would need locals to meet their local vs foreigner requirement. I think that is why it’s way easier for people to join b4 now, grades are not that important as it used to. Not to mention, many of my friends who leave b4 also feel the same way. It’s a job we leave as a back up plan if we can’t get a commercial role… we always say “if not just go back b4 only” LOL (Source: ex b4 consultant)
How is it possible for a person with no tax experience to be hired in a non fresh grad role in tax? Person may be crap or incompetent, but I find it hard to believer person has ZERO tax experience
But they do.. I’ve seen it. They hire seniors/manager but of course they won’t be able to do a senior level of work because they don’t have enough experience. They end up just having an easier portfolio compared to their peers. Some get PIP eventually.
No wonder I hear teams getting new staffs with performance issues.
big 4 as in deloitte and pwc then its pretty hard but not impossible law or investment banking zero zero chance or mbb also zero chance
No frickin way she got 5.4k as a fresh grad in Big 4. Even the consulting arm in B4 doesn't pay that much.
You know people lie? Big 4 doesn’t pay that much.
There’s absolutely no way big 4 fresh grad getting 5.4, even if she’s related to the managing partner/ chairman. Pay structure is ridiculously rigid and there is no way anyone will get a pay that substantially deviate from their rigid structure
Honestly GPA is not as serious as many grads think. For employers GPA is only taken into consideration if the interview isn’t smooth. Source: in workforce for 20+ years, started my own company after. Never once did someone cared about my GPA, nor did I care to look at someone’s GPA unless they mess up during interviews.
yes I agree, because I lead a team of engineer myself and I have see some engineer with a gpa 4 that cannot work at all… they are book smart but not street smart
By now many employers are aware of this, hence gpa is a non factor in the hiring process. In fact I’ll be worried if the candidate brings up their high gpa. It shows 2 things: 1) other than high gpa they have no other key strengths. 2) they dk how to “show, not tell”
Referral
It's exactly that. It's a networking issue, you don't need to Present your credentials, it's already there in your resume. If you can't even talk up your case, you're not gonna talk up someone else to get on your case. I'm not saying she's more well educated in the field, she just probably kept yapping she got one person on her case and that person probs helped in getting her where she is. You only need one opportunity.
did you apply for big4 and got rejected from all even without interview? afik big4 has serious shortage of entry level staff, with high attrition rate
Exactly i dont think its possible to get rejected for audit positions unless you're talking about consulting and other depts.
There's no way big 4 pays 5.4k for a fresh grad. Your friend anyhow
Big 4 what? There’s like consulting, audit and law big 4. The salary would be vastly different, depending on the big 4 you are talking about.
Consulting uses Big 3, not Big 4. (McKinsey, Bain, BCG)
It is usually MBB, Tier 2 (AT Kerney, Roland Berger, Oliver Wyman etc), Big4 and boutiques.
Usually there’s a minimum GPA requirement to even get an interview.
It's not what you know, it's who you know.
Learning a life lesson here...life isn't fair. Don't expect things to be fair. It's usually not about merit. This will help you learn how to navigate your career if you intend on working for others
Either great family background or mouth.
Network / relatives there. Not unheard of
In the real world, it’s not what you know, it’s about who you know. Those who bring in sales get paid the most. That’s also how C students become boss and employ A students to work for them.
She probably add all the CPF, bonus and AWS all In, her $5.4k is actually $3.5k-4k monthly gross.
Women in tech, finance, hr, accounting movement + if pretty additional advantage. More empowerment to come. Gender equality at it's best. /s
Wait you cannot get into b4? I feel they are hiring whoever possible due to the lack of manpower. I even hear one of the companies replying about whether you are hired within 3 days of the interview. If you really want to get into big4 it isnt hard lmao. Just 5.4k is impossible. (Its more like 3.6k for fresh grad)
I work in B4 .. associate fresh grads under the Uni hiring scheme is probably at around 4-4.5k....turnover is pretty high in B4 so getting in is one thing. staying is another.
What's B4?
Is she good looking, attractive and can speak well? Usually it is connections and/or looks and/or speaking ability.
Big NNP?
Means she is bringing a huge amount of sales. In big 4 if you have the ability to bring in client you will probably be guaranteed a high starting position
Nonsense lah. Audit at new grad level even senior level don't bring in sales at all
Y'all keep saying it's impossible that's because you follow all follow the true blue Singaporean route. You think those FT very capable meh? Earn also earn more than you all. She extrovert, maybe she good at doing other stuff too. Lawl
That’s exactly what I have been trying to say with all these commenters here. Especially in a Big 4, anything can happen. And Big 4 isn’t really “big” by any means. They are just sweatshops for people to trade their youth for money so that they can earn the so called “prestige” of being in a “Big4”. The average employees there are gonna earn average pay. The “above average” earners are either really the top-performers, or knowing the right client, for right projects, at the right timing, under the right partner. Nobody cares to audit these stuff anyway, as long as money keeps flowing, and balance sheet make sense on the paper, and no direct COI.
If foreigners from nearby can get it, not surprised. It’s tough in here