Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered
Hi everyone, if you guys feel jaded about peak let me share with you my journey
2009: Joined Big 4 as an Audit Associate
2011: Promoted to Audit Senior
2013: Promoted to Audit Assistant Mgr and seconded to NYC
2018: Promoted to Audit Senior Mgr
2021: Promoted to Audit Partner
I am not a high flyer per se however I am not the kind that seeks for instant gratification. Many of my peers left big 4 which creates an opportunity for me to rise up to partnership. One would be sensible to press on when everyone else leaves because it would mean less competition for partnership.
I understand that peak is tough for you guys, but every dark clouds have a silver lining and look at the bright side. Big 4 is the only place that could provide you with lateral career trajectory, which translates to faster promotion and higher increments annually. During these 12 years of my career, there were many headhunters poaching me with lucrative offers. However, I rejected all these offers as my approach to career has always been a “long term investor” rather than a “short term trader”. Big 4 is equivalent to US stock market where there are many ups and downs throughout. However, if you are able to weather through all this hardships you will see lucrative gains and huge positive impact to your career as well as your life.
|
I agree, that's why I tell everyone around me with self-respect to avoid audit entirely as a career and go straight to accounting or FP&A or banking or deals advisory or consulting. The only selling point is of audit is "mf is so ugly until nobody want him so if you are willing to torture your eyes every day to kiss him you won't have much competition" as you can see from above. If it's my mortal enemy then I will encourage them to join audit so that they will become bald by 40.
For accounting, at the same pay, you work half the hours and have much more exit options. For everything else, you OT less than auditors but your pay still higher. Heck even for Big 4 deals, we don't meet "corporate targets" while audit does but our bonus is still fatter than yours because our base is higher. We also get catered events while you get DIY food events. And our exit options after 3 years is fantastic because our skills are actually useful unlike audit. There is a reason why we can continuously get first/upper second class talents from top schools while audit have to resort to hiring from cmi schools (sorry, your partners call it "diversity" in candidates but we all know why).
So proud of my uni alumni for advising current students against joining audit. Need to open up their eyes or they'd be conned by Big 4 marketing department and their fantastical 20% (it's only 10% after 4 years. Why not join advisory straight and you get that extra 10% right off the bat, no cramming while OTing needed). Everytime I hear some bright top uni student say they wanna join audit to learn about businesses I will tell them there are other options where you can actually do so.
Just don't join chinaman SME firms. I don't know why these clown partners always say if you don't go big 4 audit you'll be left with nothing but chinaman SME firms.