Fwiw, I hated A1, but A2 is great. You know the ropes a little bit more, but nobody really expects anything from you. As long as you're willing to learn and pull your own weight, it's a smooth ride.
S1 is supposed to be the worst year.
Eh, it really depends. My A2 year is a shit show rn. I’ve been working busy season hours since January, some being 80-90 hour weeks. Also have a 6/30 busy season.
I've done 3 busy seasons in a year and a half, one of which was consistently 100 hour weeks through filing. I've been around the block. That doesn't change what I said about being an A2, regardless of it being busy season or not.
Left after M1 but from best to worst I’d go the following (obviously service line, office, and team specific): S2, A2, A1, S1, M1.
Senior 2, while you get the more complex areas of the audit, you know how to lead/guide younger staff but there is no real pressure in regards to promotions. A2, similar to S2 but depending on your team, you could be acting senior (although really again as long as you show you’re trying and not completely failing, you’re getting promoted). A1 is not fun in the sense that you’re scrambling to learn everything but upper management (at least if they’re half way decent) know that there is going to be fumbles along the way.
S1, pressure is mounting. You’re truly leading people and while a manager or Senior Manager should be high level reviewing, you start to learn that you’re the last line of defense. Also now you’re interacting with clients and Service Providers more. Lastly M1. Quality of the audit, efficiency of the audit, relaying work downward, relaying feedback upwards, meeting with clients, having tough conversations with staff/seniors, managing budgets. Truly never ends at that level lol
Lol big 4 people are so self obsessed. Literally the biggest babies on the planet. Entry level jobs at big corporate firms all suck because that’s the nature of corporate work when you have no experience. You are only valuable in the volume and ability to learn. Do a good job and move up or gtfo
Hah I was thinking the same thing. At least public accounting tends to have better resource as there is a cadence of people starting out in groups ("the 2024 class") rather than entry levels being started sporadically in the deep end of the pool. In most corporate environment you are truly on your own.
I think being a entry employee in any somewhat to high paying corp job is basically just a piñata. You know nothing and there is virtually 0 accountability for any of your work. You dont have a choice but to just learn things faster or people are gonna see that you’re a slow-starter and just fuking hate you.
I mean that’s got to be the only thing material in that hell hole lmfao
Also you shouldn’t be telling the internet you count sensitive information- there are Russians on here who can figure out who you are if they want to.
He's talking about 29 Palms, its a training area in the Mojave Desert used by Marines to prep for deployment to Afghan/Iraq.
Russians aren't gonna care because its a well known training area.
Just for reference it used to be an Army base that was deemed inhospitable by the US Army. So naturally the USMC was able to buy it for pennies on the dollar and make it into a training area.
Lmao that’s why I did consulting for a few years, got the name on my resume then left for more $$$ and less hours. Audit is a stupid. Get paid less than consultants to do more work 🤣
I have always thought of it as a hazing mentality, the attitude that "I did things the hard way now it's your turn".
Sure that's fine if the hard way is the correct and best way. But in my experience for many this is just their way to justify managerial incompetence
I know right, this gen z generation is soft. They expect a red carpet and the seniors or other assistant to do their job and lay it all out for them 😅 the first year sucks but it build character.
Corporate politics is everywhere not just at Big4. If you are just starting out your career or even in a couple years in, it just gets worse as you move up the ladder and the pyramid gets narrower. I’ve been in the industry and consulting for over 11 years.
Of course, not a competition. But I am soon to be a S4 (normally), and oh man the politic bullshit i’ve seen.
Between managers doing everything to look good, discharging their responsibilities on Seniors or even disappearing from the project while the partner is covering their asses…
I told them to fuck off (politely of course) few months ago and called them on their BS. Let’s see what will happen to me for promotion time…
Worked in audit for 2+ years. I still get nightmares of being thrashed by my partner in a review just because i didn’t check that one thing that nobody in the team thought of checking and perhaps is not even a thing that needs to be checked while doing an audit.
Stick it out! It’s a big learning curve and adjusting to new colleagues but it will get better..communicate with your team and be present, little efforts show.
Dude not to be rude, but I would be willing to bet money 90% of the people you think of as your main work contacts struggle to remember your name. A1 turnover is crazy. Idt you need to do anything other than complete assigned tasks and you’ll be fine til senior at least - no politics required. But also if you hate it, just quit.
“Conform to office politics”
I hate the big 4 as much as the next guy but at A1 office politics for you is to just show up to fucking work. Like no one cares about what else you do as long as you show up.
A1 to A2 is automatic and then A2 to S1 is also borderline automatic. Then you start having real expectations to drink the kool aid and perform well.
I get what ur saying, but that’s kind of the career trajectory for big 4 (and how many jobs work in corporate america).
it’s understandably not cool, but everyone did those things as an A1 and it only gets worse
Uhmmm… you do know that you joined an Audit firm right?
I don’t mean to discount your experience because it may be worse that you’re describing it but this is what firms do and it gets worse after A1. Working for firms is for the experience. Older generations have also seen much worse. I have friends in Audit who had to travel to far flung places at 5 AM to do inventory, only to go back to the office 2-3 hours away to document their workpapere. I’ve seen partners throw cups of coffee at managers for not meeting deadlines. I myself have slept underneath the table to finish work and present to the client the next day.
Literally I had an inventory count when I was an A1 starting at 7pm, 4 hours away Sunday night, I worked it till 2am, slept at my hotel till 4am, and then drove 4 more hours and went In person to wrap up my public clients quarter review in person from 9am-7:30pm. I’m not even that experienced yet (A2 about to be S1), but everyone in my generation is so soft, if they can’t WFH 2 days a week they act like they are working in a concentration camp
I couldn't agree more. So true brother
Sigh.... and then there is investment banking....
Fwiw, I hated A1, but A2 is great. You know the ropes a little bit more, but nobody really expects anything from you. As long as you're willing to learn and pull your own weight, it's a smooth ride. S1 is supposed to be the worst year.
Eh, it really depends. My A2 year is a shit show rn. I’ve been working busy season hours since January, some being 80-90 hour weeks. Also have a 6/30 busy season.
I've done 3 busy seasons in a year and a half, one of which was consistently 100 hour weeks through filing. I've been around the block. That doesn't change what I said about being an A2, regardless of it being busy season or not.
I’m just saying a lot of your experience can depend on your schedule. Some people get fucked more than others
Left after M1 but from best to worst I’d go the following (obviously service line, office, and team specific): S2, A2, A1, S1, M1. Senior 2, while you get the more complex areas of the audit, you know how to lead/guide younger staff but there is no real pressure in regards to promotions. A2, similar to S2 but depending on your team, you could be acting senior (although really again as long as you show you’re trying and not completely failing, you’re getting promoted). A1 is not fun in the sense that you’re scrambling to learn everything but upper management (at least if they’re half way decent) know that there is going to be fumbles along the way. S1, pressure is mounting. You’re truly leading people and while a manager or Senior Manager should be high level reviewing, you start to learn that you’re the last line of defense. Also now you’re interacting with clients and Service Providers more. Lastly M1. Quality of the audit, efficiency of the audit, relaying work downward, relaying feedback upwards, meeting with clients, having tough conversations with staff/seniors, managing budgets. Truly never ends at that level lol
Man up
S1 is hazing, A1 is daycare by comparison
Lol big 4 people are so self obsessed. Literally the biggest babies on the planet. Entry level jobs at big corporate firms all suck because that’s the nature of corporate work when you have no experience. You are only valuable in the volume and ability to learn. Do a good job and move up or gtfo
Hah I was thinking the same thing. At least public accounting tends to have better resource as there is a cadence of people starting out in groups ("the 2024 class") rather than entry levels being started sporadically in the deep end of the pool. In most corporate environment you are truly on your own.
We sent the interns to a cemetery to count the headstones for inventory as a hazing. Big 4 you do your time to get your CPA and resume experience.
Getting on a 3am flight to east borneo then a 10 hour car ride for inventory count was a "fun" experience
I think being a entry employee in any somewhat to high paying corp job is basically just a piñata. You know nothing and there is virtually 0 accountability for any of your work. You dont have a choice but to just learn things faster or people are gonna see that you’re a slow-starter and just fuking hate you.
What the fuck you counting in the Mojave? Nukes?
Doing inventory counts in the Mojave makes you wish for a nuclear winter…
I mean that’s got to be the only thing material in that hell hole lmfao Also you shouldn’t be telling the internet you count sensitive information- there are Russians on here who can figure out who you are if they want to.
He's talking about 29 Palms, its a training area in the Mojave Desert used by Marines to prep for deployment to Afghan/Iraq. Russians aren't gonna care because its a well known training area. Just for reference it used to be an Army base that was deemed inhospitable by the US Army. So naturally the USMC was able to buy it for pennies on the dollar and make it into a training area.
List it out
Dude list all of the betrayals
Lmao that’s why I did consulting for a few years, got the name on my resume then left for more $$$ and less hours. Audit is a stupid. Get paid less than consultants to do more work 🤣
Out of curiosity, what did your consulting work focus on and what did you exit to (and at what level)?
I was focused on change management and exited to Tech strategy. I was a consultant at Deloitte for 3 years. Managed to increase my salary by 50%
Considerate your internship then move on.
It’s worst now A1s used to be very valuable before they started the India outsourcing in the 2010s they have taken all the legacy A1 work
Gotta pay ur dues bro
Like the frat freshmen, but you get paid to do the work & parents are proud this time
I have always thought of it as a hazing mentality, the attitude that "I did things the hard way now it's your turn". Sure that's fine if the hard way is the correct and best way. But in my experience for many this is just their way to justify managerial incompetence
If not A1s, then who should do the inventory counts?
I know right, this gen z generation is soft. They expect a red carpet and the seniors or other assistant to do their job and lay it all out for them 😅 the first year sucks but it build character.
You’ll hate your next job just as much lol
Welcome to working in a corporate environment.
Nah big 4 was way worse than other corporate jobs I’ve had
Corporate politics is everywhere not just at Big4. If you are just starting out your career or even in a couple years in, it just gets worse as you move up the ladder and the pyramid gets narrower. I’ve been in the industry and consulting for over 11 years.
Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter
Remind me again how much you get paid to show up at work and count things? Couldn't possibly be worse. s/
Of course, not a competition. But I am soon to be a S4 (normally), and oh man the politic bullshit i’ve seen. Between managers doing everything to look good, discharging their responsibilities on Seniors or even disappearing from the project while the partner is covering their asses… I told them to fuck off (politely of course) few months ago and called them on their BS. Let’s see what will happen to me for promotion time…
Out of the firm, please.
Stfu sardine, document those selections
45% But the other 55% is more than enough.
Worked in audit for 2+ years. I still get nightmares of being thrashed by my partner in a review just because i didn’t check that one thing that nobody in the team thought of checking and perhaps is not even a thing that needs to be checked while doing an audit.
Stick it out! It’s a big learning curve and adjusting to new colleagues but it will get better..communicate with your team and be present, little efforts show.
Dude not to be rude, but I would be willing to bet money 90% of the people you think of as your main work contacts struggle to remember your name. A1 turnover is crazy. Idt you need to do anything other than complete assigned tasks and you’ll be fine til senior at least - no politics required. But also if you hate it, just quit.
“Conform to office politics” I hate the big 4 as much as the next guy but at A1 office politics for you is to just show up to fucking work. Like no one cares about what else you do as long as you show up. A1 to A2 is automatic and then A2 to S1 is also borderline automatic. Then you start having real expectations to drink the kool aid and perform well.
What the fuck is A1 to A2
Associate 1 to Associate 2 (Experienced Associate)
That person doesn't belong in this thread. Stop answering them
Fair, was just trying to help lol
I know. These kinds of people don't have good intentions. You'll start to notice those kinds of comments moreso.
I get what ur saying, but that’s kind of the career trajectory for big 4 (and how many jobs work in corporate america). it’s understandably not cool, but everyone did those things as an A1 and it only gets worse
Just wait until you're a senior. You haven't seen shit yet.
Especially once you start in-charging
Damn did not know it was this bad…
Uhmmm… you do know that you joined an Audit firm right? I don’t mean to discount your experience because it may be worse that you’re describing it but this is what firms do and it gets worse after A1. Working for firms is for the experience. Older generations have also seen much worse. I have friends in Audit who had to travel to far flung places at 5 AM to do inventory, only to go back to the office 2-3 hours away to document their workpapere. I’ve seen partners throw cups of coffee at managers for not meeting deadlines. I myself have slept underneath the table to finish work and present to the client the next day.
Literally I had an inventory count when I was an A1 starting at 7pm, 4 hours away Sunday night, I worked it till 2am, slept at my hotel till 4am, and then drove 4 more hours and went In person to wrap up my public clients quarter review in person from 9am-7:30pm. I’m not even that experienced yet (A2 about to be S1), but everyone in my generation is so soft, if they can’t WFH 2 days a week they act like they are working in a concentration camp
Guys grow up. Sometimes it sucks. It will pay off if you stick it out. Trust me. But you can’t just give up. Everyone feels that way.
stockholm syndrome much?
the audit profession is a joke. it can be so unprofessional in so many ways! Im getting the hell out of audit this year!
Remember: Not everyone loves it in the big 4. Im glad I got out after a couple of years. Life got %1000 better.
Same
Ruh roh
A1 is the easiest year. Shutup
Wait, so it gets worse?
ehhh not necessarily worse imo, you just have more responsibilities and people actually have expectations of you
So yeah worse
go to one of the offshore teams if you want low expectations and menial work
No thanks I want money