Should i quit before getting let go?

lightspeed

Hi

I currently work in audit in one of the big 4 firms and ive recently sat my cap 2 exams.

Im in my first year and the working experience has not been enjoyable to date. Ive received poor ratings on some jobs and dont feel like ive got any sufficient training or experience.


Regardless of the reasons, In a few months time my probationary period will be up and i will be let go if my performance has not improved.

At the moment im thinking to myself should i quit before im let go?

If i do get let go, how difficult will it be for me to get a graduate accounting job elsewhere?

I already have exemptions from the ACCA fundamental exams and im considering studying for the remainder.

Im thinking if im let go, i could take a few months out and try pass the remaining 5 ACCA exams and then look for graduate accounting job.

I'd be grateful to hear advice and opinions, particularly from anyone been in situation similar to the above.

tina1040

Do you have a list of areas to improve? Have you asked for help and advice for any of those things?

lightspeed

tina1040 wrote: »

Do you have a list of areas to improve? Have you asked for help and advice for any of those things?

Ive sat with them and discussed it. Id rather not be too specific here but i feel like ive not been exposed to much jobs or given much training and when i ask questions im just an inconvenience and end up with a poor rating.

My intention in the short term is to make the effort to try and bother others less and do more on my own but from what I can see of the big 4 its only going to get worse.

From talking with others in the current company im in and also people from other big 4 firms, i thinks its similar all big 4 firms. it seems like all pitch themselves as companies that offer top notch training but then in reality out on client sites, those in management dont have the appetite or resources to give any proper training.

The objective of every senior seems to be to qualify and get out ASAP.

So even if I can improve, im not sure I want to stay.

Regardless of how they feel about my performance, in my head im thinking why am I going to suffer through 2.5 years in a job i hate doing audit just to be able to work as an accountant in industry, when i could just leave and get accounting job in industry now?

JeffKenna

At the end of the day regardless of what anyone says its only a job. If you really don't like it and you feel its affecting your own heath then you should leave. However you need to be careful of how you phrase your leaving to future employers. If someone I knew said they left because there wasn't adequate training in a big 4 company then I would seriously question that reason. Would be just better to say you didn't like audit.

With regards to the job itself I would sit down and look at the feedback you've received so far. It's difficult not to take it personally but you must learn to do this (even if the feedback is incorrect in your view). For your next job make a special effort to implement that feedback and even say it to the senior in charge that you have goal xyz. Then on the last day of the job when the manager is reviewing do your appraisal form at this stage. Give it back to the senior and ask for it to be filled in as soon as they could as you need to get it back. Then send it straight on to your appraiser. It's really all about attitude.

Give this a go for the next job and see do things get better?

dbran

Hi

Working in the Big 4 can be a lonely and scary place especially it you think it is not working out for you. There is a lot of pressure to meet deadlines and stay in budget and there can be consequences if either of these are not met.

One thing I can tell you is that you are not going to be spoon fed and you will be expected to be able to pick up thinks quickly by yourself. Hence the reason why the big 4 only recruit a certain caliber of staff from college. They need to be bright and quick on the uptake. Nobody really has the time to babysit.

However a lot of sutuations can be retrieved and turned around provided you have the right attitude. Jeffkenna set it out quite well in his previous post. You need to consider all of the jobs that went "wrong" and why they went wrong. What did you learn from them and if you had to do them over again what would you have done differently. Take on board what has been said to you. They are not likely to be saying it to be nasty to you, but for a reason. Try and implement all of these things in your next job as best you can.

You cannot change things that have already gone wrong, you can only change things that are going to happen in the future. What really used to rile me up as a manager was when I got the exact same or similar mistakes on the file every time and when it was clear that there was no change or thought of improvement. If you can show that you are working on the problems and are improving you might find people giving you a chance.

Hope this helps and best of luck

Dbran

lightspeed

dbran wrote: »

Hi

Working in the Big 4 can be a lonely and scary place especially it you think it is not working out for you. There is a lot of pressure to meet deadlines and stay in budget and there can be consequences if either of these are not met.

One thing I can tell you is that you are not going to be spoon fed and you will be expected to be able to pick up thinks quickly by yourself. Hence the reason why the big 4 only recruit a certain caliber of staff from college. They need to be bright and quick on the uptake. Nobody really has the time to babysit.

However a lot of sutuations can be retrieved and turned around provided you have the right attitude. Jeffkenna set it out quite well in his previous post. You need to consider all of the jobs that went "wrong" and why they went wrong. What did you learn from them and if you had to do them over again what would you have done differently. Take on board what has been said to you. They are not likely to be saying it to be nasty to you, but for a reason. Try and implement all of these things in your next job as best you can.

You cannot change things that have already gone wrong, you can only change things that are going to happen in the future. What really used to rile me up as a manager was when I got the exact same or similar mistakes on the file every time and when it was clear that there was no change or thought of improvement. If you can show that you are working on the problems and are improving you might find people giving you a chance.

Hope this helps and best of luck

Dbran

Well firstly i dont think my attitude is the issue. I am willing of course to try improve but i dont feel like communication has been sufficient to date regarding my performance.

Id prefer to be in industry training as an accountant rather than sticking it out in audit to end up in an accounting role anyway after qualifying.

What im still wondering though is, how difficult will it be for me to get an accounting job elsewhere if im fired?

Would there be much of a difference if I choose to leave compared to if im fired?

Im not sure if the best option is to look for other accounting roles elsewhere and leave if i find something. I understand this will involve having to pay back fees and probably near impossible to register a new contract with the CAI.

Alternatively, I stick it out for now, try to improve and then if im let go i will look for accounting roles elsewhere and id imagine in such a scenario i wont have to repay any fees.

bigmc23

lightspeed wrote:

Im not sure if the best option is to look for other accounting roles elsewhere and leave if i find something. I understand this will involve having to pay back fees and probably near impossible to register a new contract with the CAI.

I highly doubt it's near impossible to register a new contract with CAI. Just make sure you get your CA diary entries locked down by ur mentor before u leave tho. People not liking jobs is part of life. Give them a call. Re the fees I'm not sure what they'd say if u told them u didn't have the cash to pay back the fees. Would they chase u for this?

lightspeed wrote:

Well firstly i dont think my attitude is the issue. I am willing of course to try improve but i dont feel like communication has been sufficient to date regarding my performance.

lightspeed wrote:

Id prefer to be in industry training as an accountant rather than sticking it out in audit to end up in an accounting role anyway after qualifying.

The whole point that we train in audit is to get the varied and broad experience which you don't get to the same extent in industry. It's a well beaten path for the trainee accountant for a reason.

lightspeed wrote:

What im still wondering though is, how difficult will it be for me to get an accounting job elsewhere if im fired?

I doubt it would look favourable to potential employer if u got fired!

lightspeed wrote:

Would there be much of a difference if I choose to leave compared to if im fired?

lightspeed wrote:

Alternatively, I stick it out for now, try to improve and then if im let go i will look for accounting roles elsewhere and id imagine in such a scenario i wont have to repay any fees.

Tbh I'd recommend sticking it our and trying your best to improve. Making the effort to get on well with your seniors is v important also.