Like any job you’ve ever had, at some point you end up weighing the Pros and Cons of why your actually there. Â Especially when other options are on the horizon or things aren’t working out as planned. Â For this purpose, I’ve made a Pros and Cons list for anyone who is thinking about joining or leaving a Big 4 Professional Services firm.
Just for clarification, the firms that currently make up the “Big 4” (in no particular order) are:
- PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
- KPMG
- Ernst & Young
I think that in this industry it can be especially helpful to know what you’re getting into, as the lifestyle tends to be drastically different from “normal” jobs working in “industry”. Â Some will love it, some will hate it, but most can’t do it forever.
PROS:
- High Salary
- Potential for Upward Mobility
- Job Security
- Prestigious reputation/Great Resume Builder
- Large Network of Industry Professionals
- Large Network of Projects to Choose From
- Very Structured
- Potential for a lot of Travel
CONS:
- Hard to Get in
- Long Hours on Client Work
- Competitive Work Environment
- Up or Out Policy
- Lower Pay (For some experienced professionals)
- Little say on Which Projects you are Assigned to
- A lot of Time on Extra Firm Activities
- Poor Work-Life Balance
- Very Structured
- Potential for a lot of Travel
So maybe this lifestyle is for you….maybe not. Â But these are some of the things that I considered before joining a large firm.
