Kerry Group Accounting Graduate Programme

conmcma

I have a graduate offer from a Big 4 audit dept and an offer for Kerry Group. I don't know the location for KG yet.

Does anyone have opinions on Big4 vs big industry for accounting graduates?

Cheers!

ElektroToad

My take on it:

At the Big4 you can expect to spend most, if not all, of your time in Ireland for next 3.5 years. They will make you go the ACA route but they typically offer more study leave than in industry. You have the opportunity to go for an industry role once your fully qualified if you decide by then that audit isn't for you as Big4 experience is highly valued by any prospective employer. You will be very employable.

At Kerry you can expect to be rotated to different locations outside Ireland. They expect you to be highly mobile. They prefer ACCA or CIMA and you will get considerably less study leave. But you wont be stuck doing audit. Expect the work to be more varied. But I hear that if you start off in industry it's harder to get into practise later on in your career than the other way around.

So I guess its down to personal choice since both route are quite different.

SashaH

ElektroToad wrote: »

My take on it:

At the Big4 you can expect to spend most, if not all, of your time in Ireland for next 3.5 years. They will make you go the ACA route but they typically offer more study leave than in industry. You have the opportunity to go for an industry role once your fully qualified if you decide by then that audit isn't for you as Big4 experience is highly valued by any prospective employer. You will be very employable.

At Kerry you can expect to be rotated to different locations outside Ireland. They expect you to be highly mobile. They prefer ACCA or CIMA and you will get considerably less study leave. But you wont be stuck doing audit. Expect the work to be more varied. But I hear that if you start off in industry it's harder to get into practise later on in your career than the other way around.

So I guess its down to personal choice since both route are quite different.

Yes good advice. A friend of mine got to interview and was told he could be in UK, France or even Russia at times... Great if you dont have a family to consider. But if you have no ties then enjoy

RT2010

I recently qualified as an ACA through industry with a large Irish company. I found the experience great and was rotated around the companys divisions, all based in Ireland. Auditing wasn't for me and I feel I have gotten a great all round accounting experience which I probably wouldn't have got if I trained as an Auditor. There are a lot of upsides to training with the Big 4 though such as their great reputation, good training and Big 4 trained accountants are also always in demand post qualification. Either choice looks good. If you are free to travel the Kerry Group offer looks good.

notanocelot

conmcma wrote: »

I have a graduate offer from a Big 4 audit dept and an offer for Kerry Group. I don't know the location for KG yet.

Does anyone have opinions on Big4 vs big industry for accounting graduates?

Cheers!

Ask what the study leave options are from both prospects. Take that into consideration.

Next step. Do you have any friends or friends of friends who have worked in audit? If you have a chat with them you should be able to see if any red flags come up. I'd say in my Big 4 audit dept 20% really like it and want to keep it up, 40% hate it and 40% like it OK but the 3 or 3.5 years is more than enough.

pugwall

Well done on receiving two fine offers.
The KG offer is the stand out for me. Go for it if you don't mind the travel. The KG experience would be highly regarded and coupled with the accounting qualification you would be highly sought after in the market place. You will sta nod ut from the crowd, travel to some interesting places and get exposure to real world market activity as opposed to pure audit. Best of luck!

Johnny_Fontane

both are excellent offers. Study leave is definitely a consideration with Kerry. The Kerry Graduate programme is a fairly well worn path and my advice to you would be to talk to someone within the Kerry Group who has completed the scheme. Also look at linkedin and you will see what people on the scheme have done and what they are doing now.