​As a finance graduate, you have probably entertained the thought of either working for one of the big 4 accounting firms (PwC, Deloitte, KPMG and Ernst & Young) or starting your career at one of the well-known investment banks (RMB, Investec, Goldman Sachs etc.). In this blog, Network Recruitment will discuss what you can expect should you decide to pursue a career at either of these types of organisations.

There is a difference between how the big four firms and investment banks hire - their recruitment processes are similar to comparing apples to oranges. In the article,It's far easier to get into the Big Four than an investment bank. And the people are nicer, writer Tom Cheeseman says "despite taking on thousands of graduates every year, the vast majority of investment banks' recruits go into the back office. This means that your chances of getting into a 'banking' job are near impossible, and if you're not perfect you will be rejected".

While investment banks hire graduates, their graduate intake is much smaller than that of the big four firms. As a result, it is believed to be more difficult to land a job at an investment bank. However, once you have entered the industry, the work you do is said to be highly satisfying with wonderful opportunities to showcase your skills.

Although admission to one of the big four may be easier, you have to bear in mind that the initial rate of remuneration is generally lower. This means that, although your chances of being hired by an investment bank are slim, your earning potential will be higher than that of your peers who work at a big four firm.

According to Finance Specialist Recruiter, Mia Nel, corporate tax consulting at a big 4 firm pays less than corporate tax accounting in a commercial organisation. Furthermore, it is also notable that analysts and auditors in the accounting and audit niche market earn more at investment banks than their counterparts at the big 4.

Although a career at an investment bank may be financially rewarding, both industries provide great career growth opportunities. Career opportunities at a big four firm are endless. For example, one can branch into different areas such as tax, risk, consulting and so forth. According to KPMG's head of HR, Martin Blackburn, "one of the biggest selling points to working at a large professional services firm such as KPMG is the breadth of opportunity we can offer to our graduates and school leavers. Many of our schemes offer rotations around the firm so that individuals can find the area of the business they most enjoy working in, and in turn, excel at". A career at an investment bank is stable and one has the opportunity to choose from numerous financial and accounting disciplines, especially in terms of public accounting.

Whether you choose to pursue your finance career at an investment bank or one of the big four, you would have made a good choice.

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