Is this just too much?

[Arraminta]

Roughly how long a working day is typical for a placement student at one of the Big Four? Is working an 18 hour day for 5 days straight (close to a big sign off) just par for the course? I have no experience of the finance industry at all, so just don't know.

Is the placement paid?

Yes it is.

Yes it is but the media are always running articles about how hard people in finance have to work. I think the idea is to do it for as long as you can and then leave with a lot of money behind you.

I knew they worked them hard but didn't expect it to be quite this hard. DD is on her knees right now. She's due to return after graduating but it's back breaking work!

Well, it’s not typical though, is it? Only for 5 days because of the signing. But generally Big 4 is definitely not 9 to 5. Probably 60-70 hrs a week is more typical. My view is that Big 4 is bad value for money vs banking if you are into finance. Is this transaction services/advisory? Big 4 is good for more specialised stuff to be used as a platform. Audit and getting qualified also good.

Not uncommon when there’s a big deadline. Are they paying for meals, taxis home and so on?

The salaries for these roles always look really attractive, but the hourly rate isn’t great! As a pp said, lots of people only plan to do it until 35-40 so work stupid hours to make a load of money then retrain as a baker or yoga teacher!

Yes, I see what you mean, sorry. Up until last week she was probably averaging 10-12 hour days, so that has been the typical. They will fund her to charter and do an MBA but she ultimately wants to do forensic accounting. She has to do the drudgery first though.

I guess it's similar to being a junior doctor hours (without the same responsibilities, obviously) and you just have to get through it.

Thank you. It is a big deadline and they are 2 members of staff down. They keep moving the goalposts back and back and wider and wider. But I expect this is also very common? DD can expense everything luckily. I think right now her hourly rate is probably barely minimum wage, but ultimately it gives her the opportunity to be earning six figures before she's 30 (if she survives).

I worked there for 6 years and yes these hours are unusual but not unheard of in the run up to a deadline - but in these situations I used to get my breakfast and dinner paid for and a taxi home, and they will often let you have a few more relaxed days once the deadline is past.

You do just have to get through it, especially as a
junior - and it’s not for everyone. On the plus side you get responsibility very early in Big 4 and no amount of work stress can phase me now!

I wouldn’t want to do it now but as a graduate without much cash I appreciated having meals paid for and if you had a good manager/team there was an ‘all in this together’ dynamic that made the hours much less bad than they would seem at face value.

And yes I now have a flexible 9-5 City job paying well into 6 figures. Rightly or wrongly, Big 4 experience is very highly regarded.

@LiveLaughGoblin The DD is on a placement year so those hours are brutal. She’s not a proper trainee. @Arraminta I do think that’s concerning. However I do understand it’s fairly normal in that line of work at that type of employer. Ditto law. The only obvious answer is to look at her placement contract (I’m assuming she’s mid degree) and see what it says about hours, if anything. Or go off ill.

Thank you so much, you've reassured me a lot.

14 hours is about the average in my experience. It is hugely competitive and well regarded, she has to grit her teeth. It won’t be forever. She can probably reduce to 12/13 hours a day during quieter weeks/time of the year.

Same here. I did my training at a Big4 firm and yes it was very hard but I now have one of those mythical low stress, flexible, six figure jobs and managed to achieve this in my late 20s. It’s bloody great now I’m married and becoming a mum so I’d definitely encourage her to stick it out. It’s something I’d encourage my own children into if they show an interest as it’s a very good career path, way better then banking or law for career options with a work life balance IMO.

Yes, she's still an undergraduate so I was surprised they have loaded her up so heavily within weeks of starting. She seems to have a lot of responsibility for a 20 year old!

Thank you. Her mantra is short term pain, long term gain! She's very driven and competent (probably why they selected her) and has been really thriving. I just think the tiredness has finally got to her (still good training for when she has a newborn).

You've made me feel so much better, thank you. She knows she's very privileged and has been handed an amazing opportunity. I will let her know what you've said and it will hopefully inspire her to get over the finishing line.

In so many ways she is brilliantly taken care of and they're very generous, but they do expect their pound of flesh.

@Arraminta My DD has friends working at similar companies and in banking. . She laughs that they come up for air occasionally! All friends are seen in a whirlwind and then they go off back to their work bunker. Some of her friends aren’t keen and decided they would take less money and have a (slightly) slower life. DDs boyfriend is an accountant with a Big 4 and is happy though. It is a case of powering through!

Very normal IMO, and very few paths that lead to that kind of Big Money without insane hours. Ethically and morally it's a bit crap, but it's not going to change anytime soon.

Good on your dd op! I really hope she can plough through. They definitely separate the wheat from the chaff early on…. It is not forever and good to be stretched! The rewards are really worth it.

Yeah, Big 4 is pretty hard work. But worth it long term

Thank you. I've told her that everything she does now will reap seriously big rewards in the long term. She's brightened up now and is about to expense a very nice dinner for herself.

She's powering through and has just expensed a nice take out!

Yes, this is fairly normal. I worked out when I started 20 odd years ago I was paid less than the cleaner for an hourly rate!
I slept on a Sunday and rarely saw anyone.
However the experience and the professional qualifications I gained have set me up for life.
Wishing her all the best 💐

personally if all expenses were covered then id consider it.