Has anybody ever left Auditing for a completely different career?

Pisco Sour

Hi guys,

I'm just wondering have any of you (or do you know of anybody who has) quit auditing before the end of your contract and made a radical career change? Or have any of you completed your contract and then moved into something totally unrelated to your qualification?

I'm 17 months through the 42 month marathon and absolutely despise everything to do with the profession and really dont ever want to work in anything related to accountancy. I guess I havent quite worked out what I want to do, but it would be nice to hear some positive stories of people who escaped it and are now happy in what they do.

Thanks

censuspro

I know one person who became a recruitment consultant.

Locomotion

I'd leave if I were you. Go travel, go try something else out cos it only gets worse. I'm now 29 months into the 42 month marathon and sadly, don't have the stones to just up and leave.

I left college dying to get my teeth into the business world and try things out. The ACA way of life completely shuts that desire out of you. I wish I had left within my first couple of years. I'm just so close to the end now that I'd be throwing away too much if I gave it up.

I'm hoping that travel after my qualifications will rejuvenate my life a bit but if I was at the 17 month in stage now, i'd up and leave. And you can hear people talk about the recession and having a comfortable job and all but if you hate it as much as I do, then it's not comfortable. It's not enjoyable. And it's not leading you towards where you want to be.

I hope to god that i can get out of the accountancy world once I qualify. I hope that there are opportunities where I can use my qualification to get a job in strategic management or even just run my own business but I know that accounting and certainly auditing are not paths I want to follow anymore

Pisco Sour

Locomotion wrote: »

I'd leave if I were you. Go travel, go try something else out cos it only gets worse. I'm now 29 months into the 42 month marathon and sadly, don't have the stones to just up and leave.

I left college dying to get my teeth into the business world and try things out. The ACA way of life completely shuts that desire out of you. I wish I had left within my first couple of years. I'm just so close to the end now that I'd be throwing away too much if I gave it up.

I'm hoping that travel after my qualifications will rejuvenate my life a bit but if I was at the 17 month in stage now, i'd up and leave. And you can hear people talk about the recession and having a comfortable job and all but if you hate it as much as I do, then it's not comfortable. It's not enjoyable. And it's not leading you towards where you want to be.

I hope to god that i can get out of the accountancy world once I qualify. I hope that there are opportunities where I can use my qualification to get a job in strategic management or even just run my own business but I know that accounting and certainly auditing are not paths I want to follow anymore

To be perfectly honest nearly every day I’m out on audit I think of quitting. Its just one big long struggle. Never feel comfortable in what I’m doing. Feel like I haven’t a clue what I’m doing most of the time, and then have to pretend to the manager when he/she comes in that I know my stuff. It could be going well for say 3 hours out on audit and then suddenly I hit a brick wall again. Also I feel stupid asking questions that I KNOW the managers expect you to already know, so I just don’t bother asking them to avoid looking like a spoon, and try figure it out for myself. And half the time when managers (and seniors sometimes) explain stuff to you they use so much technical jargon that I simply don’t understand. I’ll ask them again, still wont understand, and then just give up, pretend I understand and hope for the best. Never a pleasant situation. I think it really is the type of profession that you will sink or swim in very quickly. Some people seem to take to it so easily and pick things up easily and others don’t.

Its very hard to get myself interested in the stuff aswell. Spend the whole day talking about stuff like credit notes, debit notes, sales ledgers, stock listings and all that sorta stuff. Stuff that nobody really cares about to be honest.

If we weren’t in recession and the economy was like it was 3 years ago I’d definitely have left by now. Loads of my friends from college who have a far inferior average than me (and who have no masters) are all working in jobs that they like in finance. Obviously that’s not an option now.

Its just a painful way to make a living. Spending 12 hours a day in a claustrophobic office with sheets of paper and files all over the place, never in an organised manner. Tripping over wires and chairs trying to get out of the room. Having to ask qualified professionals why they did or didn’t do something 6-7 months ago and feeling like a spoon in the process! Basically telling people how to do their job. Feel like I aint contributing much to anyone (well with the exception of the partners wallets haha) when you compare it to something like doctors or teachers etc! Basically get paid to be a pain in the @rse to other people! Oh and managers picking on the stupidest of things for review points.

Locomotion

I think you're living my life pal. You're exactly where I was this time last year and all I kept saying was 'It'll all be worth it'. Now I'm in no position to tell you to give up cos I didn't have the guts to do that myself!

But I'm at the 29 month stage now and I can honestly say that if I take only the rest of my contract into mind, then yea from this point to the end, it is worth it. Cos I'll have a good qualification to get and only 13 months to go.

If I was only just walking in the door however, I'd say abolsutely no, it's not worth it. If I could go back 2 and a half years and not turn up on my first day, I would!

The audit world takes from you much more than you get from it. You'll get your qualifications yes, but in the meantime, you'll lose your energy for work, you'll get paid a salary one tenth of what you're making the company simply by being another number on their books, you'll find yourself wishing your life away hoping for nothing more than the day when your contract is over, you'll get considerably out of shape cos of the long hours and lack of chance to keep up any hobbies and most importantly, you'll lose your self respect.

The reason for the last point is that you don't like what you're doing, you know that people don't respect what you're doing, yet you're doing it anyway. Why?! I ask myself tyhe same question everyday. I busted my ass for my leaving cert and my degree and this is the fruits of my labour?! Worst decision I ever made!

NEDDURC

I'm sorry but ye are totally deluded. I'm going to presume you are with one of the bigger accountancy firms. The one thing to remember is that you have joined with a number of other people in your position who you can become very good friends with. You will probably never work in a company like this again with so many people around the same age as you with a great social life.
I think your problem is simple - you don't know what you are doing! And the answer is simple - learn! Don't waste your time on the internet complaining - go read up on prior year work in all aspects of the files. Get the overall picture of your jobs. Understand fully what the company you are audiiting does, their materiality and how your work fits into this. Things become alot clearer generally as you get near the end of your contract. Don't sit there thinking this is crap, make the most of it and try to understand everything fully and I'm sure you'll enjoy it more.

Mr. Incognito

I'm sorry but ye are totally deluded. I'm going to presume you are with one of the bigger accountancy firms. The one thing to remember is that you have joined with a number of other people in your position who you can become very good friends with. You will probably never work in a company like this again with so many people around the same age as you with a great social life.
I think your problem is simple - you don't know what you are doing! And the answer is simple - learn! Don't waste your time on the internet complaining - go read up on prior year work in all aspects of the files. Get the overall picture of your jobs. Understand fully what the company you are audiiting does, their materiality and how your work fits into this. Things become alot clearer generally as you get near the end of your contract. Don't sit there thinking this is crap, make the most of it and try to understand everything fully and I'm sure you'll enjoy it more.

That made me laugh out loud.

Go read up on prior year files? I think your points are sound, in theory but people that aren't interested in accountancy, debits, ledgers and pretty much irrelevant boring, dull, monotonous, repetative, brain dead tasks aren't going to "enjoy" it anymore when they have an in-depth knowledge of exactly what is going on.

Audit, frankly, is a crap job for anyone with any ambition, motivation and sadly, imagination. It's designed, along with compliance I might add for dead-walking- robots.

NEDDURC

Mr. Incognito - I do agree with you that audit isn't a great job but the working environment in these big companies can be great and may never be matched in smaller companies later in your career. Also, I am mainly addressing the point that the majority of trainees in these big companies don't have a clue for the first two years and thus find it all abit over their heads. When if they really made an effort to understand the audit process and the company they are auditing they would benefit greatly and the job would seem less of a drag. There is also alot of things to be learned within each company you audit that can help decide what you want when your contract is up. Overall I am suggesting to those disillusioned to make a big effort for a few months to understand previous jobs you've done, ask loads of questions until you understand exactly what you are meant to be doing. If at the end of giving it a real go you still can't stand it, maybe switch career, but remember a job is a job, nobody is going to hand you money so you can enjoy yourself.

Running Bing

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Audit, frankly, is a crap job for anyone with any ambition, motivation and sadly, imagination. It's designed, along with compliance I might add for dead-walking- robots.

It depends on your perspective. I look at the next three years as an invaluable opportunity to see how business' work, how money flows through them and the importance of it to a business' success.

Audit basically gives you an inside view of the most successful firms in the country and what makes them tick, not to mention a bankable qualification and a decent name on your CV.

I know it wont always be exciting, I know it wont always be easy and I know that at times it will be downright sh1t and frustrating but I feel that after I serve my time I will have learned something and gained knowledge and skills I can use elsewhere.

Mr. Incognito

I look at the next three years

Someone's just starting out- I remember that optimism.

Pm me in about two years.

Audit basically gives you an inside view of the most successful firms in the country and what makes them tick, not to mention a bankable qualification and a decent name on your CV.

All lies

Pisco Sour

Babybing wrote: »

It depends on your perspective. I look at the next three years as an invaluable opportunity to see how business' work, how money flows through them and the importance of it to a business' success.

Audit basically gives you an inside view of the most successful firms in the country and what makes them tick, not to mention a bankable qualification and a decent name on your CV.

I know it wont always be exciting, I know it wont always be easy and I know that at times it will be downright sh1t and frustrating but I feel that after I serve my time I will have learned something and gained knowledge and skills I can use elsewhere.

This is the key point in this post. I presume you have just started? So therefore you havent realised yet how utterly sh1t auditing is and how little you learn about how a business works. Doesnt matter what the client does, you still audit them in the end of the day, and thats all you will do, audit them! Doesnt matter how interesting the company is, you will still be auditing them! I didnt hate it after a few months in the job either and had a pretty positive attitude to work, but it has all been sucked out of me in the last year. I hope the same doesnt happen to you, I wish you the best of luck.

Pisco Sour

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Someone's just starting out- I remember that optimism.

Pm me in about two years.

Ah ya beat me to it haha

Running Bing

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

All lies

How so Incognito? Im not challenging Im genuinely interested.


If you hate it so much and it is such a **** career why do you stick it?

Mr. Incognito

I work in Tax,

But I'm at the age where a lot of my friends, college mates and work colleagues are just out of contract and, everyone hates it. God- I hate tax compliance myself but consultancy isn't too bad.

The problem is this whole image of gettng a fantastic career and personal development, it's not like that- you're just a cog in the wheel and it turns very very slowly.

Your day to day job will be reconciling numbers and movements of money.
You will be an outsider going into a Firm who have to employ you by law and double checking their work- don't expect welcoming hugs. Expect long hours, in an office surrounded by files day after day after day. It's the slow grind that eventually wears you down doing the same reconciliations over and over and over. You're not auditing the strategic thinking of a company so you don't get an idea of what way a company works- you just get to know what the reimburced expenses policies are.

As for the money- it's over-rated- you're not going to be buying a new car anytime soon.

As fo career prospects- yes- you can go to Industry where you experince of not commiting suicide has entitled you to become embedded in one companies set of accounts for 30 years bothered only anually by those pesky auditors you have grown to hate for marginally better money but you get to listen to Jerry Ryan while you work.

As for sticking at it- you'll find a LOT of accountants by third year have nixers on the side- or have fecked off to another country.

The contracts baby- you've sold your SOUL!

You'll learn in time.

Mr Clonfadda

Left Auditing for IT would never never never never go back :eek:.

However the experience and knowledge is invaluable but i am selling and supporting accounting systems so its very related.

Locomotion

Nigel Sage wrote: »

Left Auditing for IT would never never never never go back :eek:.

However the experience and knowledge is invaluable but i am selling and supporting accounting systems so its very related.

Well Nigel, with a surname like that, why am I not surprised you do what you do?

Cyrus

04072511 wrote: »

To be perfectly honest nearly every day I’m out on audit I think of quitting. Its just one big long struggle. Never feel comfortable in what I’m doing. Feel like I haven’t a clue what I’m doing most of the time, and then have to pretend to the manager when he/she comes in that I know my stuff. It could be going well for say 3 hours out on audit and then suddenly I hit a brick wall again. Also I feel stupid asking questions that I KNOW the managers expect you to already know, so I just don’t bother asking them to avoid looking like a spoon, and try figure it out for myself. And half the time when managers (and seniors sometimes) explain stuff to you they use so much technical jargon that I simply don’t understand. I’ll ask them again, still wont understand, and then just give up, pretend I understand and hope for the best. Never a pleasant situation. I think it really is the type of profession that you will sink or swim in very quickly. Some people seem to take to it so easily and pick things up easily and others don’t.

Its very hard to get myself interested in the stuff aswell. Spend the whole day talking about stuff like credit notes, debit notes, sales ledgers, stock listings and all that sorta stuff. Stuff that nobody really cares about to be honest.

If we weren’t in recession and the economy was like it was 3 years ago I’d definitely have left by now. Loads of my friends from college who have a far inferior average than me (and who have no masters) are all working in jobs that they like in finance. Obviously that’s not an option now.

Its just a painful way to make a living. Spending 12 hours a day in a claustrophobic office with sheets of paper and files all over the place, never in an organised manner. Tripping over wires and chairs trying to get out of the room. Having to ask qualified professionals why they did or didn’t do something 6-7 months ago and feeling like a spoon in the process! Basically telling people how to do their job. Feel like I aint contributing much to anyone (well with the exception of the partners wallets haha) when you compare it to something like doctors or teachers etc! Basically get paid to be a pain in the @rse to other people! Oh and managers picking on the stupidest of things for review points.

sounds to me like you need to cop on and get on with it, you sound like you havent a clue what you are at, knuckle down and understand the stuff, that should make it a little easier.

yes the work sucks, but the social life can be good, also its a great opporunity, especially the way things are

suck it up

searay

Have you considered looking for a transfer to another department within the firm? I worked in insolvency, audit and corporate finance during my contract and believe it gave me a good range of experience that I could apply in the general business world.

Just because you don't like auditing doesn't mean you won't cut it as an accountant. :cool:

Pisco Sour

Locomotion wrote: »

I'd leave if I were you. Go travel, go try something else out cos it only gets worse. I'm now 29 months into the 42 month marathon and sadly, don't have the stones to just up and leave.

I left college dying to get my teeth into the business world and try things out. The ACA way of life completely shuts that desire out of you. I wish I had left within my first couple of years. I'm just so close to the end now that I'd be throwing away too much if I gave it up.

I'm hoping that travel after my qualifications will rejuvenate my life a bit but if I was at the 17 month in stage now, i'd up and leave. And you can hear people talk about the recession and having a comfortable job and all but if you hate it as much as I do, then it's not comfortable. It's not enjoyable. And it's not leading you towards where you want to be.

I hope to god that i can get out of the accountancy world once I qualify. I hope that there are opportunities where I can use my qualification to get a job in strategic management or even just run my own business but I know that accounting and certainly auditing are not paths I want to follow anymore

Suppose I was to do my CAP 2 exams this June and then quit would my 21 months in contract along with passing both CAP 1 and CAP 2 be worthwhile additions to a CV? Surely it would be ok to put it down on the CV as I worked hard for my time there and never got a bad review, always pretty standard job reviews. Or is it a case of if you dont finish your contract then nothing was gained from my time in audit and it would look bad putting it on your CV because you gave up? This would be very unfair in my opinion.

Also suppose you pass your CAP 2 and complete half your contract, is it possible to come back later in life (if you really really had no other option) and get 21 months experience in another company and complete your FAE's? Or does it all have to be done at once?

Pisco Sour

searay wrote: »

Have you considered looking for a transfer to another department within the firm? I worked in insolvency, audit and corporate finance during my contract and believe it gave me a good range of experience that I could apply in the general business world.

Just because you don't like auditing doesn't mean you won't cut it as an accountant. :cool:

Dont think thats an option in the Big 4, especially in todays climate. They hired me as an auditor and thats where they will have me working!

4444

I was in a similar situation to you, 2 years in Big4 Auditing. I moved to a smaller practice, so that i can still qualify, but where im trained and treated with respect.

For those of you contemplating joining a big4 i would recommend you understand the REALITY of it. Its long hours, unbelievable stress, deadlines (think as stressful as your final exams college) weekly, and total arrogance and bullying by management and seniors. You will not have a life. You may breakup with your significant other if they cant understand that you have to work 13hr days, 6 days a week, and cant take ANY holidays from Nov - April.

Its a farce to say its a 'training contract'. You are lumped out in clients, with prior year files.. and told.. go do.

In my new post, my partner spends 3 /4 hrs going through things first time round with me, TEACHES me. I have honestly learnt more in a few months, then I did in the big4 for 2 years.

Word of warning, no job is worth sacrificing your life, or confidence. A guy who is a friend of mine in Big4 recently had a breakdown. With only months to go in his contract. He worked his bum off for them for 3 yrs, only to be told.. thats not good enough... do more.. until he couldnt sleep anymore with the stress.

My only wish is that someone/media would expose the treatment of trainees in these firms. They are not untouchable They are breaking all regulations/laws for employees, but no one does anything because they are scared it'll hurt their career later on.

I want to save one person the heartache, I, My friend, and collegues are going through.

Change your firm, not necessarily your job. Its easier to move. Try Premier recruitment agents. They were my angels. I got 3 job offers in the 1st week I started to look.

It is possible to move.. its not jail!! although they brainwash that!

Locomotion

4444 wrote: »

I was in a similar situation to you, 2 years in Big4 Auditing. I moved to a smaller practice, so that i can still qualify, but where im trained and treated with respect.

For those of you contemplating joining a big4 i would recommend you understand the REALITY of it. Its long hours, unbelievable stress, deadlines (think as stressful as your final exams college) weekly, and total arrogance and bullying by management and seniors. You will not have a life. You may breakup with your significant other if they cant understand that you have to work 13hr days, 6 days a week, and cant take ANY holidays from Nov - April.

Its a farce to say its a 'training contract'. You are lumped out in clients, with prior year files.. and told.. go do.

In my new post, my partner spends 3 /4 hrs going through things first time round with me, TEACHES me. I have honestly learnt more in a few months, then I did in the big4 for 2 years.

Word of warning, no job is worth sacrificing your life, or confidence. A guy who is a friend of mine in Big4 recently had a breakdown. With only months to go in his contract. He worked his bum off for them for 3 yrs, only to be told.. thats not good enough... do more.. until he couldnt sleep anymore with the stress.

My only wish is that someone/media would expose the treatment of trainees in these firms. They are not untouchable They are breaking all regulations/laws for employees, but no one does anything because they are scared it'll hurt their career later on.

I want to save one person the heartache, I, My friend, and collegues are going through.

Change your firm, not necessarily your job. Its easier to move. Try Premier recruitment agents. They were my angels. I got 3 job offers in the 1st week I started to look.

It is possible to move.. its not jail!! although they brainwash that!

But what is the process of leaving for a smaller practice.

1) Do you not have to repay all your prior exam / lecture fees to the big4 company that you're leaving or get your new firm to re-imburse them?

2) Do you not have to tell your current firm that you're looking for a move BEFORE you approach another firm?

3) Will it not look bad on your CV to have spent 2 years in a big4 and then transferring? I'm just thinking of future employers expecting that you "couldn't cut it" in the big4 world?

I couldn't be in closer agreement with how you summed up the big4 auditing world. They really need to be exposed for who they are and what they're doing to their staff.

I've known a few people myself that have been kicked around by these places and even if they do make it to the end of their contracts, they're a mere shadow of what they used to be. No desire, no motivation, no confidence.

I'm hoping that once I do get out (1 year to go!), that a few years travelling will re-awaken who I once was.

I'm hoping......

4444

To answer your questions :

1. I didnt have to repay any exam fees. Now this may have been chance, or that Big4 arnt really that bothered to chase up a few €k's .. to them its peanuts. However, a collegue here came from a smaller firm, and she did have to pay herself. But thats because the firm had 10 people in it.

2. Nope you dont need to tell them your leaving, until you give them that magic resignation letter, in my case 4 weeks notice. I gave mine on the monday, they said I could leave tuesday... Hmmm. luckily I had 3 weeks overtime to use up so I still got paid a proper month.

3. Spoke to highly considered business people about the fact of leaving a big4 after 2 years. Their reply was, perhaps bad idea if less/1yr, but 2yrs shows stickability, but also that you have the balls to know if something isnt right with it.

The only reason any1 qualifys in a big4 is to get the illustrious CFO/CEO jobs in the big multinationals. For me, I want to work for myself eventually. So smaller clients, better exposure really was what suited me more.

Clients, and big multinational heads are usuallly ex-Big4. All clients I came across ex-Big4 vowed that it was the hardest time of their lives. And that they'd never do it again.

I didnt even mention leaving my job, and clients were offering me jobs.
However, I wouldnt go down that route. It may be marred with bad feeling/repercushions by the Big4, you have usually signed something saying you wont go to competitor for 6 months.

Bottom line, you have to believe in yourself, in your ability. Trully, trully decide what you want in your future. I've never been prouder of myself for leaving. And I tell you I have had 10/15 ex-collegues asking me how I did it, is my firm recruiting etc etc.

I am training for ACA. So to transfer all you have to do is get the Partner in your Big4 to signoff this form (that HR already have) that its ok to transfer training contract. Amazingly, I had no problem whatsoever. HR tookover, and had it signed within 2 days. Given the circumstances, they are happy to let you go, its cost saving!

Cyrus

4444 wrote: »

I was in a similar situation to you, 2 years in Big4 Auditing. I moved to a smaller practice, so that i can still qualify, but where im trained and treated with respect.

For those of you contemplating joining a big4 i would recommend you understand the REALITY of it. Its long hours, unbelievable stress, deadlines (think as stressful as your final exams college) weekly, and total arrogance and bullying by management and seniors. You will not have a life. You may breakup with your significant other if they cant understand that you have to work 13hr days, 6 days a week, and cant take ANY holidays from Nov - April.

Its a farce to say its a 'training contract'. You are lumped out in clients, with prior year files.. and told.. go do.

In my new post, my partner spends 3 /4 hrs going through things first time round with me, TEACHES me. I have honestly learnt more in a few months, then I did in the big4 for 2 years.

Word of warning, no job is worth sacrificing your life, or confidence. A guy who is a friend of mine in Big4 recently had a breakdown. With only months to go in his contract. He worked his bum off for them for 3 yrs, only to be told.. thats not good enough... do more.. until he couldnt sleep anymore with the stress.

My only wish is that someone/media would expose the treatment of trainees in these firms. They are not untouchable They are breaking all regulations/laws for employees, but no one does anything because they are scared it'll hurt their career later on.

I want to save one person the heartache, I, My friend, and collegues are going through.

Change your firm, not necessarily your job. Its easier to move. Try Premier recruitment agents. They were my angels. I got 3 job offers in the 1st week I started to look.

It is possible to move.. its not jail!! although they brainwash that!

sorry thats how it was for you, thats not the way i found it all and that doesnt sound like an across the board experience to me

4444

In reponse to Cyrus:

Of my intake of 35 (particular audit department), 7 left within 1 year, 1 was fired, and 6 left by the end of second year. 1 person has just returned from 2 months off on 'stress leave' and another is off indefinatly as they are on the verge of a breakdown.

Of my flatmates, 2 are in the other Big4 firms, and one is in a top7. The trainee in top7 is earning less than I am in a tiny firm. He went to work last week to be told to bring a bag.. he'll be away for 3 weeks. No notice. In the top7 they dont even get timeoff for overtime anymore.

Its a disgusting practice of treating people appallingly across the board. This is from first had experience with friends in PWC, KPMG, EY, GT, Mazars. both in Financial and Industry Audit.

Cyrus

dunno, sorry to hear it

i finished my training contract 2.5 years ago in the largest of the irish big 4, and while it was tough going i enjoyed it,

this crack of people going on stress leave is odd, maybe they arent cut out for it and should seek alternative employment/career

Bren1609

It seems to be a recurring post about people not enjoying their jobs in the bigger firms. I wouldnt thought this to be the case since the big 4 firms are always in the "50 best companies to work for"

Does anyone else have any similar stories?

Cyrus

Bren1609 wrote: »

It seems to be a recurring post about people not enjoying their jobs in the bigger firms. I wouldnt thought this to be the case since the big 4 firms are always in the "50 best companies to work for"

Does anyone else have any similar stories?

i think some people just cant hack it, which is fair enough, its not for everyone but at the same time a lot of people come out of college into their first real job and it takes them a while to realise that it is a real job and its serious

Running Bing

4444 wrote: »

You may breakup with your significant other if they cant understand that you have to work 13hr days, 6 days a week, and cant take ANY holidays from Nov - April.

Sorry thats bullsh1t. I have loads of mates in Big4 in all different departments who have great social lives and never work this many hours.

They did warn me when I start not to get a reputation as somebody who will work all hours every day of the week. Seems a lot of people are very meek and only air their grievances on the internet. Did you actually ever tell your manager how you felt?

Mr. Incognito

Sorry thats bullsh1t. I have loads of mates in Big4 in all different departments who have great social lives and never work this many hours

Did they all just start- same as you?

First years socialising is Brilliant!!

In fact work hard play hard all the time- by second year it's clicky and fades out and by third year sporadic at best.

The main problem is the work itself imo- repetative, tedious, long hours, high stress. Very hard to have a happy athmosphere in that environment.

Running Bing

Cyrus wrote: »

i think some people just cant hack it, which is fair enough, its not for everyone but at the same time a lot of people come out of college into their first real job and it takes them a while to realise that it is a real job and its serious

I think this is the problem.

Sorry to sound harsh but it smacks to me of Celtic cubs finally getting a dose of the real world.

12 hour days? 13 hour days? Its sh1te but thats what has to be done sometimes. A lot of people seem to be of the impression that your spoonfed and gradually brought along....why would that be the case? These are huge firms with loads of demanding clients and trainees are the lowest stack on the totem pole.

You cant expect anybody else to look after your interests or have everything explained slowly multiple times. Its just not practical. My view of it is it might be tough but in the long term it will stand to you.

spongeman

Hi there,

I have been in practice for 12 years ........

During that time I have seen qualified people who crashed and burned, simply could'nt do the job. Of the people who I have worked with Id say that I know about 5 who are still in practice.

I think that its something you can either do ot you cant. Being qualified is nothing to do with it. Can you do the job ? This week a chemist...next week a factory......Can you adapt yourself to different situations ? If you cant then leave.

People still need their accounts done, even in a recession. People with good audit experience will always be needed. They are hard to find.

Running Bing

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Did they all just start- same as you?

First years socialising is Brilliant!!

In fact work hard play hard all the time- by second year it's clicky and fades out and by third year sporadic at best.

They all qualified last April. Im talking more so about the 13 hour days 6 days a week comment. They always had time to play a game of footy during the week or head out for a match. Hours in Big4 are long but their not mad. If people spent a month in an Investment Bank or a big London Law firm they would see what mad is.

The main problem is the work itself imo- repetative, tedious, long hours, high stress. Very hard to have a happy athmosphere in that environment.

Thats what a lot of jobs are though. Ive worked in banking and its the same
story. Long hours, often repetitive, tedious, loads of stress. Thats what's required. Some people thrive on that.

The other problem is a lot of people expect big4 to be like college, a fun house with suits. They think you spend 8 hours a day (with a one hour break) being taught whats going on and having a chat with mates. A lot of people are not prepared for the real world imo.

spongeman

I agree with ya man.

Practice is the real world.

4444

Such an expected a-typical PR/propaganda response from those in Big4 firms, usually above trainee level. 'They simply arnt up to it' doesnt wash with those of us who actually do, and continue to do the job.

Simply fact, I'm not sure that in my ex-firm Big4 that you could EVER do enough work/hours. Expectations are infinate. But people arnt.

The majority of people leave directly (or have done at least in good economic times) after qualifying. Not because they cant do it, but because they prioritise respect, time with loved ones over it. If you look around, most Big4 managers are foreigners, or from small practice background. The top-nosh who qualify, see it for what it is.

And I for one am proud that I have learnt the lesson early. That a job is not everything. That other things need to be considered.

And no, I wont ever give up my ambition, I'll suceed in spite of all that.

Anglo, and all its revalations has shown that Ire.Inc has lost all sense of integrity and the rule of accountability, and abiding by the laws. Producing broken, disheartened qualified out of Big4 where they have been used and abused has been a direct input into this.

Its not going with the flow that counts, its doing the right thing. And if your willing to work hard, never give up your ideals, you'll make it, and probably be more sucessful than the spineless egos that fill our top brass in financial and accounting circles.

There is another way to qualify as an accountant. Move to smaller practice. LEARN how to audit, income tax, corporation tax, business proposals, liquidations, vat returns, paye returns, RCT returns etc etc.

You'll be a far more rounded person, in both professional and business sense.

Cyrus

4444 wrote: »

Such an expected a-typical PR/propaganda response from those in Big4 firms, usually above trainee level. 'They simply arnt up to it' doesnt wash with those of us who actually do, and continue to do the job.

sorry, thats nonsense

again, i trained in a big4, and i left after my contract as a career as an audit manager didnt float my boat

and i have been proven right given the experience i have gained over the past 2.5 years.

however its a simple fact, out of every 10 trainees taken in, generally 2 are very good, 4-5 are ok and the other 2 or 3 just dont cut it in the industry.

that does not mean they are useless or something is wrong with them just that they chose the wrong industry to go into.