Articleship- from where to do?

A big question coming into every Chartered Accountant student mind, before commencing
Articleship is that WHERE TO DO ARTICLESHIP? In this Article, Let us try to know about
every aspects of Articleship and from which type of firms it should be done.
As a student, every students wants a firms having big exposure and providing a great and
big opportunity to learn the things and growth to its career. Many students run behind to join
Big 4’s and many students are gone through with mediocre firms. It’s not about that any firm
is good or bad, it’s about the selection of firms based on your interest and articulate better
knowledge and skills.

Big 4’s
As far as Big 4’s concerns, First, these firms are mostly accepted as article only those
students who has cleared CA Inter both groups in their 1 st attempt and hardly goes to accept
2nd or more attempts. Unfortunately, the student who took more attempt in clearing CA Inter,
are not able to get opportunity in Big 4’s.
Apart from that, there is separate segment/department of every type of work, like Internal
Audit & Risk advisory services, Mergers & Acquisitions, Statutory Audit Department, Direct
Taxation, Indirect Taxation, Audit & Assurance, Transfer Pricing department and so on.
Student should take care of while choosing particular department on the basis of their
interest develop in subjects studied in Intermediate.
Further, Big 4’s has provided an interaction with big clients, MNCs, which leads to greater
impact on knowledge and skills and dealing with clients to their premises under a well
experts seniors along with working ability in team work has play vital role in grasping the
things which really helps in their professional career. They provided a good working
environment with various facilities to work in a focused and efficient manner.
Moreover, Big 4’s has also provided a higher stipend as compare to mediocre firms which
help student to meet their expenses and can utilize in best possible manner in studies and it
is also add-on value to student resume if completed Articleship training from Big 4’s.
Apart from that, If student join Big 4’s as article, Student will get limited leaves for
preparation of examination which is a core factor for clearing CA examinations, student must
considered this factor while taking decision that whether to join Big4’s or not.

Now, let’s come up to another side of the coin that is mediocre firms, simply say mid-size
firms.

Mediocre Firms
Student who wants to join a mediocre firm should analysis all aspects before joining. The
first and foremost important factor which every CA Student must kept in mind before joining
mediocre firms that is Work Exposure. If a student gets good work exposure in such firms,
then it will definitely help them in their professional life.
Mid-sized firms provided multiple type of works under a single roof such as Internal Audit,
Statutory Audit, Income Tax and GST, TDS & Tax Audits, Bank Audits, ROC work and
various tax compliances. Student gets opportunity to learn multiple work and make himself
expertise in any area of his interest. As an article assistant, there is a lot to learn in mediocre
firms and deal with different clients, different work makes his best in all type of practical
knowledge which a successful CA should must have, moreover, the level of clients and
interaction with them is also add on value in their working experience and under the
guidance of experienced CA’s and seniors, student polished their ability and potential and
also develop skills to handle work at own.
Further, the best part of joining the mediocre firms is that these firms are allowed sufficient
leaves for examinations which helps in better preparation for CA exams, student can make a
proper schedule and plan their study in effective manner along with Articleship period but
student gets stipend as minimum fixed by ICAI and little bit more and that would not be
sufficient to meet study expenses.

Conclusion
On the basis of above discussion, it is all about in the interest of student, not as per their
convenience, and should consider factors which plays key role for a student in betterment of
their career as a whole. Work exposure, area of interest, study planning along with
Articleship, preparation leaves for examinations are the key factors in taking decision of
Articleship- from where to do?. Student should not take this decision just on the basis of
stipend they got because these three year time period of Articleship is for student learn, not
for earn. So take decision wisely.