Being a consultant in the Big Four can be a nightmare
If you're thinking of working for a Big Four firm, I would like to offer you some words of caution: steer clear of their advisory divisions and stick to audit. Or maybe tax.
The advisory divisions of Big Four firms are all about advising clients. You might be working on M&A deals, management and strategy consulting, or risk consulting, but the client will be your boss. Herein lies the problem.
If you work in the tax or the audit divisions of a Big Four firm, you will have your busy season. It will be no fun, but it will end.
In consulting, it is endless. It is 24/7/365. Like most Big Four firms, mine talks a lot about work-life balance initiatives, but I don't participate. Now that COVID's over I'm on the road again, at clients' sites. Once a year, I attend the in-house business school in a backwater, and share a room with a colleague. This will be the extent of my awesome team building experiences.
My audit and tax colleagues get a lot more perks. They use the company's suite for concerts and sports matches. When I take paid time off (PTO), I take your cell phone and laptop too. I have no time for online courses. I have no time for extra training or professional development.
Because I travel I also find it hard to move to other positions at the firm. The people in tax and audit play the corporate game in the home office and get face time with the leaders. There are better places to be.
John Burgos is a pseudonym
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