I just moved to a foreign country and I am really in need of a job. I applied to a big 4 and spent weeks making it through interviews only to get turned down, because they wanted someone with big 4 experience. How can I get big 4 experience if a big 4 isn’t willing to hire me? I feel defeated.

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It is defeating looking for a job in the Netherlands. If you don’t speak Dutch then you will have a hard time getting in- you need a referral or a specific job need to get hired. You didn’t mention your specific area of expertise but global audits of companies with a Dutch presence are good spots and also transfer pricing teams. I am former Big4 tax in Amsterdam (and am a US citizen) and the only reason I got the job was there was a specific need for my skill set not served by the local market. CPAs are a very “club” kind of crew in the Netherlands so you have to figure out how to get into the club

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Well I was in tax so I can’t speak to the audit world at all. Both had their positives and negatives for me. But I have worked in a few European markets and paint a broad stroke: unless you were born and raised here (started your career at the Big4) then nobody has any interest in your personal/professional growth. You will never make Director or Partner (unless of course you were already brought in at that level). If you didn’t start your career here then it’s just a means to the end but don’t count on progression like you would in the US. I left on good terms with my team but I do not maintain those good terms anymore because HR had given me a discriminatory work contract (one that treated me worse off than Dutch people) and are demanding I pay back costs that a Dutch person would never had paid back. I got my lawyer involved and he sent them a “back off” letter but they are still demanding the repayment.

Where did you move to and where did you move from and what type of experience do you have? What level at big 4 are you trying to enter

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I moved from the States to the Netherlands with 6 years of experience at regional firms. I’m a senior, about to be promoted to manager, but I am looking to enter as a senior.

Try RSM or Mazars, i think they are top 5 and 6 over there.

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You can message me about RSM if you want.

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