Question : What kind of firm to select for articles ?
Answer :
PRIMARY DECIDERS :
Would the firm understand that you are a student first and employee second?
Would they offer flexible timings to adjust to your college/class timings?
Would they give you the leave for college and CA exams as per your requirement in the amount you want?
Would they make you work as per Institute's rules of 35 hours per week (exluding breaks)?
Would there be a lot of outstation travel ? Would that interfere with you coaching, college or study?
OTHER FACTORS :
Kind of exposure they give.
If they say they have all round exposure, ask them, do they give it to all articles?
If they have a long structure of orgaisation and if you are going to be at the bottom, would you end up doing routine work in so called all areas of exposure?
Do you actually need all type of exposure? If you think any firm actually gives, then ask yourself do you need it at all? If you need, what for? For passing exams? For better career? Is there proven co-relation between practical experience and better performance, say in audit or tax? If you need it for career than are you so tentative that you cannot make up your mind if you want to have career in tax or in audit or in accounts or in finance.
If you wanted career in tax and audit, then do you know tax and audit exposure will help you if you want to practise? But what if you want to practise after you become a CA? Do you know how many CA pass outs practice? Is there a trend to take up a job after becoming CA? In case of taking up jobs, which are the best areas or sectors for career growth and good financial rewards if you take up a job? And at the end of 3 years of articles, would your CV show enough experience to get in that area?
NEUTRAL POINTS :
Large, small or medium size of the firm does not matter. If you intend to practice, small firm will give you all the experience. But same thing will be utterly useless if you want to take up a job in large multinational company or a bank. Working in large or medium firms will not get you the best paying jobs, unless you have experience in that sector.
Stipend should not be a material factor unless you are in financial need.
Your friends have joined a firm so you will have company.
P. S.
I know lot of students will not agree with my view that all round experience does not matter.
In a small firm, you can all round exposure, but after 3 years if you wanted to take up a job say in large organisation, you really do not have god CV and expeirience.
Similarly, if Big 4 and other large, medium firms may have all areas of practise, but you will not be offered all.
That is why it is very important for a CA student to decide what he wants to do after he qualifies - practise or take up a job. Based on answer to this, he has to select the firm offering the right exposure - but nothing at the cost of primary aim of passing CA exam.
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