Can you change firm during your training contract?

canof7up

Hi guys and girls. Long time reader but first time poster. I was reading a recent thread "How to quit auditing?" http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055731734&page=6
and this made me register and post as i had no idea other people felt the same. Ive just started in a Big4 (2Months), and its utterly terrible. But i dont want the thread to be about that, what i want to now is how do you go about chaging firm?

I read in the other thread that user 4444 changed quite easily. I never knew you could do this, im guessing they dont tell you that on purpose! What im looking for is advice from people who have already changed, or maybe are in the process of changing. I want to apply to smaller firms for their traineeships, but what are the chances a smaller firm will take someone on already in contract by a Big4 firm, would there be extra costs to them etc etc? Obviously i shoud let them know when i apply that i am already in a contract, should i state which firm?

Im also nervous about applying to another accountancy firm, what if they new a partner at my firm? I would rather not let my current employer know that im actively seeking new employment.

Also could my current firm be nasty and not let me transfer? They sponsored me to do a masters, so i would say they would be looking for that money back? What do you think there? I just want to know should i start saving!

Also, what type of conditions can be expected in the smaller firms? Do you get study leave? I wouldnt mind if it was unpaid, but do you get leave? I will ony have to do Final exams.

Im not looking for a rant on the pros/cons of Big 4 vs smaller firms or anything like that. Let just say im miserable in my current position and would like to keep my options open. I know from talking to people in smaller firms that the experience you gain is much more suited to where i want to end up in 5/10 years.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, Thanks!

7up

defiantshrimp

canof7up wrote: »

Ive just started in a Big4 (2Months), and its utterly terrible.

Maybe accounting is not for you?

canof7up

defiantshrimp wrote: »

Maybe accounting is not for you?

sorry if i sound rude, i dont mean to be, but thats not why i posted this thread. The work does not bother me, but i could name numerous other things. Im genuinely looking for some help here about moving to a small firm, not wether accounting is for me or not.

Odats

You have the option and so do you firm of cancelling your contract within one year of your start date. Your contract is a 3 way contract student-firm-institiute. You can get a transfer but it would be hard to find a job in the current climate but you might be lucky. I sat my FAE's last year small firm and got 12 weeks albeit 4 unpaid. However, I know others were only allowed take the quota i.e 7 weeks plus exam days and weren't allowed use OT,holidays,unpaid to supplement their study.
With regard to them sponsoring your masters I'd say they would want that money back and salary wise expect to take a hit.

Jadaol

i sat the faes last year and my contract is finally finished this year. For various non accounting reasons like yourself I wanted to leave my old firm. Towards the end of 2008 i looked for and was lucky enough to get a couple of offers. My old boss didn't know I was looking. Went to recruitment agents etc and chances are he probably heard i was looking (got the job myself, agents were terrible - worth another thread!) - but it didn't matter to me. As far as i was concerned, i'm an adult, and i was allowing myself to do so. They don't own me. Legally that clause doesn't have a leg to stand on - if it's even in the contract at all, if it was, it'd be considered a form of slavery.

One job didn't suit as was too far away but i accepted the other and told my old boss i wanted to leave as the new job suited me better for personal reasons etc. etc. He didn't object so rang the institute and they asked me some irrelevant questions and huffed and puffed a bit, then sent me out the forms i needed to switch contracts. Fees paid and so on are sorted out between the firms themselves and the institute. If anyone wants to make you pay for something, let them come and say it to you and you can agree on something, but it's up to them to sort it out with the institute first about which firm is to pay what. The institute did say you can only do it once in a contract, but i have heard of people moving twice. I think it's generally ok, if there's no objection and hassle between new and old bosses. If they're ok with it there's no reason for the institute to make an issue of it.

Whenever, you decide to tell your old firm you'd like to leave, you can always say there are personal reasons for you wanting to do so and ask them would it be an issue (reasons for leaving jobs are always personal ). They may not want you to be there if you don't want to be there. Ask them what it'd mean if you were able to find a job that suited you better etc. etc. Try and ask one of them in HR 'off the record'. They don't have to know that you don't like the firm or certain people in the firm - whatever the problem is.

As for getting the job in a smaller firm, you won't know unless you try. Costs are the same for them (and they may want you to take a wage cut). I've always worked in small firms and like it, as i like the variety and there's no BS with bureaucracy and there's much less stupid office politics. I had no problems in moving. As with any job change - the hard part was finding the new job! Good luck and hope it all works out

Kauto

I changed firms after 1 year of my contract. I was given the push frokm my original place cos i was failing exams. Found a smaller place with about 20 people working here. Can honestly say i learned more in a week in the new place than i did in a year at the old place. No problem changing firms if the original firm doesnt mind. Finsished contract now and qualified a fre years ago