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Original post by RedArrow
I always wondered about this thread. I don't know why, but I'm not happy whenever I hear that someone is quitting the Big 4 because of the work load! Regardless, wishing you the best.

Best./


Well, it's a lot of work! Some people can't deal with that
Reply 41
Original post by Hedgeman49
Well, it's a lot of work! Some people can't deal with that


How bad can it get? :biggrin:

Honestly though, I can understand some people's plight. They just don't have what it takes.

Or the right mentor....
Original post by RedArrow
How bad can it get? :biggrin:

Honestly though, I can understand some people's plight. They just don't have what it takes.

Or the right mentor....


I can't talk for audit, I'm doing a front loaded course so just constant exams. It can get stressful near exams just like uni. But we're not talking IB hours or anything
Original post by Destiny_808
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Hey there! Can I ask how things are going for you now/how you're feeling now? :smile: I'm in a very similar position myself.
Reply 44
Original post by brokenlogic18
Hey there! Can I ask how things are going for you now/how you're feeling now? :smile: I'm in a very similar position myself.



Hey, I am actually feeling very heartbroken and regretful over the decision I made!! Ive spent the last two days crying my eyes out because I just feel that leaving was the biggest mistake I've ever made and I didn't appreciate what I had. I would highly recommend you don't do what I did and stick out the three years- or at least have a solid back up plan already in place before you leave.
Reply 45
Original post by Destiny_808
Hey, I am actually feeling very heartbroken and regretful over the decision I made!! Ive spent the last two days crying my eyes out because I just feel that leaving was the biggest mistake I've ever made and I didn't appreciate what I had. I would highly recommend you don't do what I did and stick out the three years- or at least have a solid back up plan already in place before you leave.


how is 24k for dance and holistic therapy plus leaving at 1830 every day working out?
Reply 46
Original post by Pariah
how is 24k for dance and holistic therapy plus leaving at 1830 every day working out?


How is gloating over someones broken heart and ruined life on an internet forum working out for you? It must feel good to be such a nice person
Reply 47
Original post by Destiny_808
How is gloating over someones broken heart and ruined life on an internet forum working out for you? It must feel good to be such a nice person


err, you have posted that you were incompetent, didn't like your colleagues and hadn't revised for the exams that were a condition of your continued employment.

how exactly did your heart get broken?
Reply 48
Original post by Pariah
err, you have posted that you were incompetent, didn't like your colleagues and hadn't revised for the exams that were a condition of your continued employment.

how exactly did your heart get broken?


It isn't as black and white as that, just because you hate something it doesnt mean you don't love it at the same time. It's difficult to explain if you've not had a similar experience/job before
Original post by Destiny_808
Hey, I am actually feeling very heartbroken and regretful over the decision I made!! Ive spent the last two days crying my eyes out because I just feel that leaving was the biggest mistake I've ever made and I didn't appreciate what I had. I would highly recommend you don't do what I did and stick out the three years- or at least have a solid back up plan already in place before you leave.


Hi there thanks for replying! I'm sorry to hear how you've been feeling but it's a perfectly understandable reaction given that it was a big decision and a change to your life. Things will quickly take a turn for the better, new opportunities will present themselves etc, don't worry!
Reply 50
Original post by brokenlogic18
Hi there thanks for replying! I'm sorry to hear how you've been feeling but it's a perfectly understandable reaction given that it was a big decision and a change to your life. Things will quickly take a turn for the better, new opportunities will present themselves etc, don't worry!


Hi no worries! and thanks :wink: I am really broken-hearted atm (it's the only way I can use to describe it) but like you say you never know what will happen within a year or two so I am hoping that by this time in 2015 I can look back and say it was one of the best decisions I ever made!

Right now tho as it feels so horrible I would strongly advise you to keep going and control yourself. Are you still at your firm? What are you finding hard about it? whether or not you want to leave is up to you, I know personally 4 people who all left before me and they are all much happier having leaving- one of them landed his dream job working in politics, another ended up in the deloitte office in NY, another is working in HR and another opened his own business. So it depends on what you want I think. Personally leaving hasn't worked for me cos I miss the security, the corporate environment, the office/area/building and ofc the regular paycheck. But if you can do without these things and value more creativity, flexibility, etc. you will do fine. Just think long and hard before you make the decision - is it really the job that is the problem or is something else ? Cos it could be that the hours are long, maybe you're lonely, the exams are awful etc. but if underneath you still love the job enough and the problems can be rectified without quitting, then consider staying as a viable option. I hope this helps
Original post by Destiny_808
Hi no worries! and thanks :wink: I am really broken-hearted atm (it's the only way I can use to describe it) but like you say you never know what will happen within a year or two so I am hoping that by this time in 2015 I can look back and say it was one of the best decisions I ever made!

Right now tho as it feels so horrible I would strongly advise you to keep going and control yourself. Are you still at your firm? What are you finding hard about it? whether or not you want to leave is up to you, I know personally 4 people who all left before me and they are all much happier having leaving- one of them landed his dream job working in politics, another ended up in the deloitte office in NY, another is working in HR and another opened his own business. So it depends on what you want I think. Personally leaving hasn't worked for me cos I miss the security, the corporate environment, the office/area/building and ofc the regular paycheck. But if you can do without these things and value more creativity, flexibility, etc. you will do fine. Just think long and hard before you make the decision - is it really the job that is the problem or is something else ? Cos it could be that the hours are long, maybe you're lonely, the exams are awful etc. but if underneath you still love the job enough and the problems can be rectified without quitting, then consider staying as a viable option. I hope this helps


Hey thanks for your reply!

Fundamentally, I just don't think I like the job. The technical aspects are relatively straightforward but not interesting/enjoyable. Of course the hours are long and I am quite lonely too, but I don't love the job either! I basically took it because the skills they were looking for were ones I felt I had to offer and I just didn't have a route/idea of where I wanted my life to go back then.

Really I'm a scientist at heart and always saw myself going that way. I've an offer to study something I really really want to study at Manchester University and I think I'll regret it if I don't pursue it. I will of course miss the security of this job and I'm not sure how well I'll deal with a student loan after a full time salary but it's something I think I need to do because ultimately I think I'll be happier and be on a more fulfilling/suitable career/life path.

Besides what's the rush, we're all going to live til we're 1000 anyway.
Reply 52
I was forced to leave a Big 4 audit firm after two years because I failed an exam. It's not the end of the world but it does make an impact. It took me a good four years to reach the salary level of post qualified that would have taken one more year had I been able to stay.
Reply 53
Original post by AW1983
I was forced to leave a Big 4 audit firm after two years because I failed an exam. It's not the end of the world but it does make an impact. It took me a good four years to reach the salary level of post qualified that would have taken one more year had I been able to stay.


Out of interest, what did you do next?
Reply 54
Immediately after leaving the big 4 audit firms, I did a couple of year long contracts with two fund administration companies as a fund accountant (permanent was an option, but contracting pays better). I then moved into work as a trustee with a relatively large (top 20) global bank's custody business (using audit skills, along with knowledge of the particular collective investment schemes I was assigned to) which I did for two and a half years. During this time I completed the ICSA professional exams and became a chartered secretary. After that I moved to Australia for two and a half years joining my current employer (top US investment bank) where I held roles in governance and controls. Recently, I returned to the UK where I govern the projects implementing regulatory change. I plan to do this for a few years whilst completing some legal study (undecided as to what that will be!) before I look at another international move.

What I would say is that there is life after the big 4, certainly if you still want to work in finance, but don't underestimate the usefulness of having completed a big 4 training contract. Had I not failed that one exam and just worked that bit harder, I think I would have much better job opportunities now. Everyone I know who finished their training contracts, including a couple whose work ethic didn't come close to matching their exam performance, are in more senior positions today than I am. As I said, it took about four years to reach the point that I could have been at in just one more year in the big 4.

However, the original poster doesn't seem to share that interest (in which case I would say leave. The sooner you can start building a career in something else, the better. Don't get stuck in a career you hate, it gets harder to leave when your salary starts to increase).
Reply 55
Original post by brokenlogic18
Hey thanks for your reply!

Fundamentally, I just don't think I like the job. The technical aspects are relatively straightforward but not interesting/enjoyable. Of course the hours are long and I am quite lonely too, but I don't love the job either! I basically took it because the skills they were looking for were ones I felt I had to offer and I just didn't have a route/idea of where I wanted my life to go back then.

Really I'm a scientist at heart and always saw myself going that way. I've an offer to study something I really really want to study at Manchester University and I think I'll regret it if I don't pursue it. I will of course miss the security of this job and I'm not sure how well I'll deal with a student loan after a full time salary but it's something I think I need to do because ultimately I think I'll be happier and be on a more fulfilling/suitable career/life path.

Besides what's the rush, we're all going to live til we're 1000 anyway.


hey! aw that's a shame, at least you have something to move onto that you're passionate about I think that's the most important thing, and if you're sure that's what you want you wont regret leaving!! Is it a Masters degree then? good luck with it!
Original post by Destiny_808
hey! aw that's a shame, at least you have something to move onto that you're passionate about I think that's the most important thing, and if you're sure that's what you want you wont regret leaving!! Is it a Masters degree then? good luck with it!


No it's an undergradute degree! I don't actually have a degree. Until now there wasn't one I felt I would enjoy enough to commit three/four years of my life to. This job I guess has reaffirmed my passion for science and that I should try and move my career towards science rather than finance.
Reply 57
So how did you find life after 1 year of big 4 ??
Original post by dsa
So how did you find life after 1 year of big 4 ??


This thread is two years old and the other posters are not all still active. I'm going to close this thread and suggest you start a new one if you have a question to ask.

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