Originally Posted by Unregistered

Doesn't matter. If you work at 150% efficiency rate between 9am - 6pm, you will need to pick up the slack of others (for big jobs), or get double decked (especially if you are on small jobs). Audit has a culture that you are expected to help, and you can't expect everyone else to work as fast as you. It is a perfect culture for the underperformers. Either case, you end up working until very late hours.

The only time when I got to end work at more 'decent' hours was when I am senior for a small job, and had to work with 1 junior and 1 blur senior manager. It was a job that I solo as an associate so I know exactly the maximum hours I need even if the GA is not good. Just need to push for budgeted hours same or higher than last year, to avoid self-pwn and burning the team. Having a blur manager helps, since he won't try to value add too much (a couple of stupid questions at best) and can't argue with my budgeted hours.

Could have ended work even earlier if I just solo it again instead of allocating some time for coaching and let my GA familiar with the engagement and general audit workflow.