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re: I know there are some accountants on the OT. Anybody got any experience with KPMG?
Posted on 4/5/21 at 5:36 pm to Odysseus32
Posted on 4/5/21 at 5:36 pm to Odysseus32
I bypassed public accounting altogether (opting for industry) and my career has progressed just as quickly as my public accounting peers and with much better work life balance and compensation.
1
Posted on 4/5/21 at 5:41 pm to Odysseus32
quote:
I'm more concerned with work life balance than any of that.
Definitely not Big 4 material.
Soon to be schlepping 1040s with Mingo-berry at the Block.
Posted on 4/5/21 at 5:43 pm to baldona
quote:
How are you guys pulling 50-80 with this. I'm sorry but its not possible unless you 7 days a week.
You take it all in the summer, or more likely just get paid out when you leave
But, yes at some point you wind up staring at your computer
Posted on 4/5/21 at 5:56 pm to Odysseus32
Used to work there. All Big 4s are the same. Predetermine how much experience you can put up with and get the frick out. Miserable work life balance.
Posted on 4/5/21 at 6:18 pm to Odysseus32
Ignore the people saying go with a regional firm. The best exit opportunities ask for big 4 experience. Not to say that the experience is better but it’s a fact
- Ex-PwC’er
- Ex-PwC’er
Posted on 4/5/21 at 6:26 pm to Odysseus32
(no message)
This post was edited on 4/5/21 at 6:28 pm
Posted on 4/5/21 at 6:58 pm to baldona
My wife works for KPMG and as an example, last week she worked 6 days of 12-15 hours each day. Usually once or twice a week she’s up til about 1 am. This is typical during March/April. Jan/feb is more like 10-12 hour days 6 or 7 days a week.
We’ve decided she will be quitting soon because it’s impacting my life too much as well as making her miserable. It’s been especially hard since she has been working from home and we are in a small apartment, meaning I become limited in how I can relax when she is on calls for hours at like 9 pm.
We’ve decided she will be quitting soon because it’s impacting my life too much as well as making her miserable. It’s been especially hard since she has been working from home and we are in a small apartment, meaning I become limited in how I can relax when she is on calls for hours at like 9 pm.
This post was edited on 4/5/21 at 7:00 pm
Posted on 4/5/21 at 7:00 pm to baldona
quote:For those 70-80 hour weeks you are working 7 days a week
How are you guys pulling 50-80 with this. I'm sorry but its not possible unless you 7 days a week.
quote:For those few weeks you work those hours. 8AM - +12AM M-Th with 1 hour for lunch and 1 hour for dinner. F, S,S working 9-5 with 30 min lunch. Yes, there is actually that much work too.
Because to truly work a 70 hour week you are working 10 hour days 7 days a week or 12 hour days 6 days a week. Almost no one truly works 7 am to 7pm.
quote:Those numbers are for at most 1 month out of the year. Fiscal quarter ends are probably 60 hour weeks. The run up to busy season is 50 hour weeks. The remainder of the time is between 40-50, depending on what you have going on.
I'm not saying you aren't doing it occasionally, but to throw that around like its 3 weeks every months is also BS.
This is all for Audit.
Posted on 4/5/21 at 7:30 pm to Bayou_Tiger_225
quote:
For those few weeks you work those hours. 8AM - +12AM M-Th with 1 hour for lunch and 1 hour for dinner. F, S,S working 9-5 with 30 min lunch. Yes, there is actually that much work too.
The best is order pizza and grab a slice eat it and go back to work. The free food is awesome, and we usually order as healthy as possible, but it turns into grab your food and eat at your desk.
Posted on 4/5/21 at 9:05 pm to ChickennBiscuits
PwC is the one that I don’t understand why ANYONE would go out of school. A third year to make senior while the other firms promote to Senior after two years. PwC doesn’t have prestige to justify that...
Posted on 4/5/21 at 9:12 pm to Bayou_Tiger_225
quote:
Those numbers are for at most 1 month out of the year. Fiscal quarter ends are probably 60 hour weeks. The run up to busy season is 50 hour weeks. The remainder of the time is between 40-50, depending on what you have going on.
This is all for Audit.
Ok, see I can get that. But that’s basically 1-2 months of the year and the rest is 40-50 hour weeks. Total hours worked isnt great but it’s also not horribly.
I’d argue it’s a hell of a lot worse to avg 55 hrs then have to work the occasional 70-80 hr week.
Just like salary, most people overstate what they actually work.
Posted on 4/5/21 at 9:27 pm to Odysseus32
My son works for EY in Northern Virginia. They do the Navy audits so he got to travel to Italy and Portugal in his first year until Covid hit. Like most, he will probably move to another company after getting his two years in. They are still working from home which I don’t think is fun for anybody.
I’m a CPA also, but I avoided the Big 8 in my day and went into healthcare.
I’m a CPA also, but I avoided the Big 8 in my day and went into healthcare.
Posted on 4/5/21 at 9:29 pm to Auburn80
quote:
They are still working from home which I don’t think is fun for anybody.
Speak for yourself
Posted on 4/5/21 at 9:31 pm to baldona
You can catch some higher hour weeks through out the year as well (around 65) if you work on private clients who fiscal year end isn't a calendar year end. Those usually align with the end of a quarter.
Posted on 4/5/21 at 10:41 pm to Mingo Was His NameO
Working from home is pretty clutch at a big four 80% of the year. Especially at manager + level.
Posted on 4/6/21 at 9:37 am to Bayou_Tiger_225
quote:
They paid for my CPA exam, gave me a nice bonus when I passed.
Did they clear your work schedule and give you time to study? If so, how much time were you given?
Posted on 4/6/21 at 9:42 am to BayouENGR
quote:
Did they clear your work schedule and give you time to study? If so, how much time were you given?
No, but when you are on boarding you will run into slow times for the first 6 or 8 weeks just because you are new. I took that time to study.
I always tell interns or people that ask to get it as much done before you start because the longer you wait the harder it is. I finished two and got most of my studying done between finishing school and starting work. Finishing that last one after working all day was significantly less fun.
Posted on 4/6/21 at 9:49 am to Odysseus32
Prepare to work a lot. I think they’re mostly working remotely currently. I think all of the work papers are done electronically now. Smaller office will likely expose you to a range of clients from government, small business, wealthy individuals to Fortune 500 sized clients. I’ve heard larger offices/larger clients will have you more focused on certain areas, pigeon holed if you will.
Posted on 4/6/21 at 10:40 am to Odysseus32
Big 6 alum. I worked for 2 firms and interviewed with 3 more.
In some sense, working in the Big 4 is fungible. All of the firms are huge organizations. Globally, probably comparable to the staffing levels of the US Marine Corps. There is so much diversity of experience within the firms that it's hard to have a one-size-fits-all "here's what it's like" description. Your immediate leadership is hugely important, as is the dynamics and culture of your immediate group.
IMO, your best bet is to try to navigate to working in a consulting group. Cranking out tax returns sux. In consulting, it is less deadline driven than corp tax compliance, but the workload is still tough.
As a junior staffer, your top concerns are technical proficiency (i.e. learning your job), a positive attitude (you want managers seeking you out for projects), participation (go to the happy hours etc), professional reading (spend about 15 minutes every day reading updates relevant to your field - i.e. court cases, rulings, etc.).
The best trait you can have is self-confidence. Specifically, confidence in your knowledge and knowing your job. Confidence will enable you to hammer a charge code and not "eat time." A lack thereof often results in staff working themselves to death, eating time (i.e. not putting billable work on a timesheet) and hiding what they perceive as their own inefficiencies. If you are confident, you can march into the manager's or partner's office and communicate that they didn't bill the job correctly. Good luck.
In some sense, working in the Big 4 is fungible. All of the firms are huge organizations. Globally, probably comparable to the staffing levels of the US Marine Corps. There is so much diversity of experience within the firms that it's hard to have a one-size-fits-all "here's what it's like" description. Your immediate leadership is hugely important, as is the dynamics and culture of your immediate group.
IMO, your best bet is to try to navigate to working in a consulting group. Cranking out tax returns sux. In consulting, it is less deadline driven than corp tax compliance, but the workload is still tough.
As a junior staffer, your top concerns are technical proficiency (i.e. learning your job), a positive attitude (you want managers seeking you out for projects), participation (go to the happy hours etc), professional reading (spend about 15 minutes every day reading updates relevant to your field - i.e. court cases, rulings, etc.).
The best trait you can have is self-confidence. Specifically, confidence in your knowledge and knowing your job. Confidence will enable you to hammer a charge code and not "eat time." A lack thereof often results in staff working themselves to death, eating time (i.e. not putting billable work on a timesheet) and hiding what they perceive as their own inefficiencies. If you are confident, you can march into the manager's or partner's office and communicate that they didn't bill the job correctly. Good luck.
This post was edited on 4/6/21 at 10:42 am
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