Unpopular opinion: the worst part of working in public accounting is listening to people who haven’t worked a day outside Big 4 in their lives complain about how much they hate it.

likefunny
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at
Highlighted IconHIGHLIGHTED

I worked at PwC for 5 years and was absolutely miserable, especially when the botched “digital upskilling” and “alteryx is a solution for everything” mantra was adopted. I left almost a year ago and I am so much happier while still doing exactly the same work I was doing before.

like

The Alteryx role out was rough because no one really knew how to use it, but we were expected to implement it. A couple years in, now that there are folks who are skilled in it and our incoming staff don’t know life without it, it has turned into a very powerful tool that has literally saved hundreds of hours from my audit (and will continue to do so every year)

Agreed. I grew up working construction. The client asked me how we do it because our job looks objectively terrible. I told him that, yeah it can be bad with long hours and bad clients, but my dad is 60 years old, works 6 days a week year around, works in the heat, works in the cold, and makes about half of what I do. Of course there are “better” jobs but at the end of the day I’m working for a firm with good resources, I get paid decently well, I have friends at the firm, and when I’m killing myself in February at least I am in an office with heat rather swinging a hammer in a house that is 28 degrees.

like

My mom was a kindergarten teacher and my grandfather a clerk for the local federal reserve branch. As someone from a working class background (if white collar), public accounting is very much a step up still.

like
Recent IconRecent

I hate to admit it but ppl like that actually have a huge impact on my morale (negative). I dont know why ppl dont just leave if they hate their job

like

100% agree. My morale is impacted by people who have no clue what they’re talking about complain about how much their life sucks when it’s honestly a great job.

like

I can think of 100 things that are much worse about public accounting.

likefunny

Not sure I agree with you, it doesn’t take outside comparison for people to realize that something is bad for them mentally and physically.

likehelpful

Yeah, they are. Most people with a 4 year degree get paid less and work as much or more than us and have significantly less flexibility and worse benefits. Public accounting isn’t perfect, but it beats the hell out of a ton of other jobs.

like

The experience varies vastly often between people in the same group, I had people in my starting class work 50-60 hours a week during busy season and are unassigned now and know people who have been doing 80 hours plus since the start of January, obviously those people will have different opinions which is why some people complain more than others

like

Came from a regional firm to PwC. My life was hell at that regional before I got here

like

Switched careers mid-20s. Worked at both smaller orgs and large orgs. What people here complain about is what people at other companies call “being a good employer.”

like

I’ve worked PA (Big 4 7 years, plus 4 years GT). I’ve also worked in Industry for 4 years and now work in a law firm. Every organization has its pluses and minuses. With that said, I can say that without question working at GT was great because I already worked Big 4 for 7 years and knew that despite people’s complaints about GT hours, it was nothing compared to what I worked when I was a young Big 4 associate.

In addition, the flexibility that public accounting provides is unmatched. The pay ain’t bad either.

Finally, working in Big 4 is almost like being in a special fraternity. Once you work there it’s always on your resume and it says something about you. It is also an incredible networking tool. I know people who worked at Arthur Andersen together over 20 years ago and they still talk about it!

Point being, as much of a pain in the butt that it is, it is definitely worth it.

like

I don't think I've heard of this opinion exactly but it sounds hard to argue against to be "unpopular".

Definitely agree though, you can quit at any time*!

like

Went to industry and left after a month. Jan -feb.
They were paying 87k compared to the 69kni make now. Public accounting got incredible flexibility! Don’t take that for granted and always inquire from potential employers on their flexibility threshold before you join them!

like

I feel similarly. The people that consistently complain about it are going to find things to complain about and that doesn’t help morale. It’s not perfect and there may be better things, but complaining neither helps you get more from big 4 nor helps you find that next better opportunity

like

I want to go back to B4 pretty badly. Every day that seems like less and less of a possibility.

Related Posts

Hi fellow EA fish 🐟🐠🐡 I’m hoping to make comp comparisons between MBB and the Big 4 since Glassdoor and other websites aren’t that accurate. Please feel free to DM!

like

Is anyone able/allowed to explain how equity works at firms like AlixPartners and Alvarez & Marsal? Is it similar to a pension at Big 4? (Cross posting w/ the Consulting Bowl.)

like

How much public sector auditing does the Big 4 do? It seems like that area is primarily left to the middle market/regional firms.

like

Management Consulting Analyst at Accenture
or
Senior Consultant at big 4.

Which one is better?

like

What percentage of all big 4 employees do you think smoked today?

like

H1B transfer timeline - i am changing jobs from one big 4 to another. Can i start with receipt notice? Anyone has any idea how long does it take to get approved now, without PP?

like

unsure of what to choose- stuck between fdd at big 4 and finance rotation intern at capone. can i have some pros/cons of each? based on what i know-- capone doesn't promote as fast as B4? i already accepted one offer, but if one is drastically better than the other, is it worth trying to go to the other and try to do FT?

like

Is it easier to get into A&M from Big 4 FDD than if you were to try to jump into A&M from a Non-big 4 FDD firm (National PA firms, Consulting firms (Kroll, FTI, Riveron, etc.) just wanted to hear everyone’s thoughts

like

Has anyone heard of HL TAS? I Wondering if I could get any insight. Do they work similar to big 4? Is comp much better?

like

How is the work life balance in a big 4 firm for a senior in the tax department year round?

How are hours for internal audit at google. Also want to break into google from big 4 can I do it after 2 years?

like

How is the volume at RSM compared to the Big 4?

like

Can anyone refer me for a Assistant manager - Pursuit/deal advisory role in big 4? I have a total of 9.5 YOE in pre and post sales support. Please DM
PS- I worked with EY for 4 years as a Virtual Account Manager.

like
like

Does BCG/Bain hire H-1B visa holders? If so, could anyone kindly provide a referral? Currently a data & analytics senior consultant at big 4.
Would be great if any BCG/Bain 🐠 share their experience

like

Hey everyone,
I’ve been at big 4 for 4 years already and am looking to move more into strategic advisory. Can anyone compare WLB between Deloitte and BCG? Miami office specifically

like
like

Hi all! Has anyone worked at BAC in risk before? Any feedback / advice? Looking to transition from big 4 consulting to BAC risk in Charlotte. Thanks!

like

More Posts

What is the salary range for Engagement Manager at IQVIA?

like

How much package I can expect as powerbi developer. My current stack is MSBI and planing to learn powerbi. How much package should I expect? YOE -8.5

For arguments sake let’s say you make $180k as a Senior Creative in Los Angeles, and you’re asked by a recruiter what you’re looking for what do you say?

Scenarios
A) Lateral Move
B) Title Change

Hello Fishes

Could you please help me evaluate the below package

Skill set : PMO , Project management

Offer in hand : EY LLP 19 lac fix + 2 lac joining bonus
Current package : 13 lac fix
Years of experience: 7.5 years

Can you please advise if i can get more ?

like

Any recommendations on the best digital marketing firms? Who does your company use?

like

41/m/nyc anyone interested in grabbing a drink

Hey Folks, Can anyone tell if Amex provides any annual performance bonus along with variable pay. And if it is only variable, how much percent of variable is usually paid out. TIA

Wanted a dog since I was a small child. Found out I am allergic to some species. If when looking I fall in love with a dog who I happen to be allergic too, what are my options?

like

Anybody use bells by the door for your dog to let you know they need to go out? How do you prevent them from playing with the bells when they don’t need to go out. Three month old golden retriever still figuring things out

like

Hi everyone My joining date in tcs is coming this Monday. But I have not received any onboarding mail till now. Before how many days from joining we will receive the onboarding mail.

like

EY is actively recruiting for FDD positions across all levels (senior managers, managers, seniors) and offices. DM if you’re interested in applying and we can chat about any questions you may have. I’m based out of the east region (NYC, Tysons/DC, Philly, Boston) and can communicate directly with the partners I work with to hopefully expedite the process! But happy to still connect if you’re interested in joining another office.

like

I have heard lots of mixed reviews for Citiustech Healthcare Technologies CitiusTech
Is it a good company or bad company ?
What kind of projects they provide development / support ?
Is any having idea ?

like

Good morning! Are there any companies that will provide training for certification for wfh nurses? Example: hedis, oasis, coding or case manager.

like

Mechanical keyboards over zoom- yay or nay? I tested it and Zoom will filter out the background noise if I’m not talking. If I am speaking while typing, others can hear clacking

like

Are any top consulting firms hiring for experienced analysts currently? I know ACN and some others are cyclical for resources 2-3 years out of college, but I’m looking to make a move sooner than fall

like

Is an inbound or outbound sales role more difficult? Which one is more interesting/rewarding?

like

What do you wish design students would learn in school to ease the transition into needs of business? I have seen an increasing need for more education/inclusion/overlap into other areas of business that depend on design teams so they understand what goes into the process. As well as design teams into the other business teams. This would alleviate tensions and improve quality product delivery due to the major miscommunications that occur so frequently.

like

I have 2 offers in hand. One is from Oracle which is 13.2 Lpa and Deloitte USI offers 16 Lpa, possition in both will be Oracle SCM cloud consultant. Kindly suggest which one should I go with. Years of experience 4 years

Additional Posts in Accounting

The right way to roll off a engagement team? Talk to manager working directly with first than to team PPMD?

like

What percentage of all big 4 employees do you think smoked today?

like

So PwC has $1k for care if reg care not available per fiscal period. Has anyone utilized? How much max per day? What support do you need to provide?

like

So I did my parent's return this year super early and it was before the filing instruction limits were released for our state. So they were over the threshold for the state's tuition deduction cont.

like

Opened my mailbox and found a speeding ticket. My monday has gone from bad to worse. 🖕 the police

like

Currently headed to the airport, wondering if firms pay for TSA pre check? In a group that typically travels if that makes a difference

like

About to purchase home fitness equipment using the EY $500 fitness program allowance. so i just buy with my personal card and submit claim form? have you ever gotten denied?

like

Soooo what non-accounting job can one get with an accounting degree and CPA...? #askingforafriend

like

Not understanding why my Traditional IRA deduction limit is just $330

like

PwC NY anyone know who the promotion day speaker is?

like