Working in consultancy, particularly Big 4

[BrighteyesBonnie]

How is the work-life balance? How is the pay and benefits? Are you enjoying it or you looking to leave?

I have been approached to join one of the Big 4s at the Director level in Advisory.

Have you been given a base pay indication?

Between £150k and £165k

My friend works for the big 4 at Director level and works all the hours god sends, evenings/weekends/lots of travel to clients.

Life is too short personally.

This sounds horrible.

Yes I know! Sad to say, but she’s obviously not as present in her children’s lives too.

I know someone else who left Big 4 due to pressure and being performance ranked in order, a certain % having to be in the low category. Not the kind of work environment I’m interested in!

Pay and benefits are fantastic. Work life balance is awful. For example, one of the Big4 has a 35 hour contractual week but utilisation is based on a 40 hour week of which you are expected to bill 80% to clients, so expect to do all non client work eg admin in your own time.

I’m director level in big 4, but in internal services (compliance). It’s full on but I’m not working all hours. Client facing will be different. However sounds like your salary will be more than mine.

How well is she paid for this? Is she in advisory or auditing?

Why does she stay?

Anyone with positive experiences?

It's great you have been offered this. Well done.

Sorry to say this but I think if you have to ask about work life balance it's probably not for you. I worked for PwC and they talk already game about being flexible but the reality is that you need to be giving it your all and then that gets taken for granted and you're left being the chump working evenings, weekends, giving up leave, cutting short family events so you can do work related travel on a Sunday evening.

The culture is "up or out" so they will encourage you to be thinking about your move to partner and building the business. That means that although at first you will be allowed to act as a director you will be encouraged over time into a partner role but the actual process for partner is gruelling to say the least.

The good news is they are keen on promoting women nowadays and the pay is great. But it comes at a price. Don't do it if you have young or teen dc you actually want to see in the working week.

I don't work in the big 4 now ( am an advisory director also) and I seek balance so that I work 4 days and 2 of those are work dedicated days where my dh takes charge at home and 2 days I work flexible hours but still do work late as well. I am also looking for promotion and given my background at pwc, long hours don't bother me.

That should say they talk a good game about being flexible

@ZenNudist are you now at a non Big 4? You mentioned that you are still in advisory.

Non- Big 4 but to be honest my experience was the same. Came out of consulting when my youngest was 5 as was so fed up with the juggling and feeling guilty. I wouldn't go back into consultancy for love nor money.

Were you at the director level? Is there more control to drive flexibility if you are a director?

In short you will be expected to work all hours and be driven to make partner. If you don't want that I would either use it as a stepping stone into industry or avoid.

Assume you are talking accountancy consulting rather than management consulting (which has a big 3 not 4) - I worked in the latter and it is not an industry that has work life balance!

I'm a director in a big 4 in technology consulting and have to say my work life balance is pretty good. I finish work at 6 and very rarely work weekends. My bosses have been very supportive of me and respectful of the fact I have young children. Think it depends a bit on the team culture as well I suppose

I guess there will be people who will work weekends and nights but one thing I made sure I did early on is to delegate as much work as possible!