Is making a jump from staff at a midsized firm to senior at a big4 manageable?

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One thing to keep in mind when moving, it’s because there’s either an immediate shortage or expecting future growth. When there’s a shortage, it’s generally the less desirable engagements that need staffing. Leaning new ways and a bad engagement can be difficult so be aware, but don’t let the stop you from moving to what you want.

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Definitely hadn’t thought about this. Thanks for a new perspective to look from!

I’m not sure you can even say being a senior at big 4 is manageable even for most people that have been with their firm since the beginning. With all the staffing shortages, it’s trial by fire the last few years. Most of my new seniors are probably performing at a staff level, so it just means they have to spend a lot of extra time figuring things out and asking for additional guidance. People also are thrown on more accounts and it feels like busy season has been going on for almost two years. You could be working 6-7 days a week almost the entire year depending on your office and tax service line. Then again, a lot of midsized firms have crazy hours too. I wouldn’t let that deter you from switching though. You’ll just have to get used to the way things are done at big 4 and there will be a learning curve. Be prepared for lots of admin work.

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I echo that it’ll take you a while to get used to how your big 4’s handles the admin side of work and other processes. Find another senior you like that you can go to comfortably whenever you need help. As long as you have people to support you and you ask for help when you need it, you’ll be okay 🙂

I was promoted to senior after 1 year working associate (I’m a high performer) and the key point to this job is knowing what questions to ask and when to ask it (and of course providing high quality deliverables to your managers).

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Unless you have 2-5 years of experience, I’d say no

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About 2 years and likely getting a promotion in the next round of promotions

You’d probably struggle even moving laterally. Big 4 is a wild place to be

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This really depends what you’re moving into, are you changing service lines?

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I would echo what others have said about the staffing shortages vs new work

I think it depends on the type of clients you’re familiar with. If you will work with industries you’re familiar with it should be easier.

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