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The Big Four accounting firms are well-known for their auditing services but many also have a strong IT Consulting component and they're hiring a lot of new developers in my area. As I like to work as an IT Consultant/Vendor, I may apply at some other IT Consulting company in the future.

Would past experience for one of the Big Four or a similar "accounting consultancy" add more or less value to a developer's resume compared to similar experience at a lesser known pure-IT consultancy?

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    Sorry, but I'm having a hard time even understanding the question. Could you try to edit it to use more or less proper English? – sleske Apr 11 '16 at 15:18
  • I have changed my question. Please have a look :) – Lewis Apr 11 '16 at 15:24
  • @Marv: Your edit changed some current situation.. – Lewis Apr 11 '16 at 15:34
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    Is this your question: "Would working for one of the Big Four add more or less value to an IT consultant's resume than similar experience at a lesser known pure-IT consultancy?" – Lilienthal♦ Apr 11 '16 at 15:50
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    Voted to reopen. While I can argue that this is opinion-based, I believe the situation is common and general enough to receive useful answers and add to the site. I do think that answers should make an effort to cite sources or speak from experience, although that goes for most of the questions on this site. Compare this similar question: Can a Ph.D. have a negative impact on your career in the software industry? – Lilienthal♦ Apr 11 '16 at 19:25
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Usually, the big 4 or whatever the number is, on any given day, used to be a big selling point for developers and engineers, who consulted under their brands. I know one of my previous employers used to directly hire consultants sent to us from one of those consulting firms.

Although it is not as much prevalent nowadays as it was in the past, if you get on board with a consulting company with a well known name, it will help you open the doors in the future. Working for consulting company shows, you are flexible, can learn fast and be very agile, as you potentially change clients frequently and no two clients are the same.

IT consulting companies, do not have as much agility as the accounting firms as far as moving you from one assignment to another. Accounting firms specialize on audits and those need to be done in a short period of time like few months tops. IT consulting projects are usually working on very large scale projects for long duration of time slices. Both have their positives. Neither is to balk at if you are looking for work and gain experience in my opinion

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  • So are you trying to say that, in the past those Big 4 Accounting also provide IT Consultant? Because I have some friends work there and they say don't have (or maybe they don't know).. – Lewis Apr 11 '16 at 15:04
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    It depends what you mean by IT Consultant. The developers they hire tend to be for working on in-house applications. The consultancy roles tend to be more advisory than hands-on development e.g. governance, information security, internal controls. The level of IT knowledge required varies hugely from engagement to engagement. It is very unusual these days, however, for a Big 4 company to provide development resources to a client. They typically view that as high risk/low reward. – Laconic Droid Apr 11 '16 at 15:38
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IMHO, the names of these firms don't hold a lot of weight. What matters more is the type of work you've done, technologies used, transaction volume, and how much money or resources your work affects. Lastly, this is all underlined by how well you can communicate what I'm describing here to a potential employer or client.

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  • Agreed. There was a time when names mattered, not anymore, especially the big names. The IT boom did that in. Idiots were able to hide in niche departments, so a hiring manager has no idea if you were on the cutting edge or simply doing your time. – Old_Lamplighter Apr 11 '16 at 17:45
  • And if you've ever been on the receiving end of, "The consultants are here to save you poor slobs!" from a Big Boss, you would forever after automatically discard a resume that had one of those names on it. – Nolo Problemo Apr 12 '16 at 18:19

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