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Original poster

What next after burnout from big4

83 replies

Peachhearttree · 01/08/2025 11:59

2 months after burnout from Big4. I have started to feel more like myself again but I don’t think there is going back to this environment so will hand my resignation.

The time I have had to heal has been great, I am so exercising more, eating better, reading, feel happier and more relaxed, loving the freedom but may feel different in winter with the short days and teens back to school.

I am an Accountant, I don’t want to go back to the rat race but need to make a living; I am early 50s, not enough pension. DH wants to retire in 4 years when DC2 finishes school.

What options are out there? Term time jobs, part time jobs, work for myself, work in a school,

Would be grateful for any advice.

OP posts:
Original poster
Peachhearttree · 01/08/2025 21:49

Talkinpeace · 01/08/2025 21:44

walk away from the recruiters
look at the employers

where do you live
look at the councils

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London

OP posts:
LegalllyBrunette · 01/08/2025 21:52

OP I'm in a similar position to you (not accountant but my username is a clue) and I'm leaving my corporate job due to burnout and stress after 20 years in that environment. I would like a change but it's hard to know what to do instead.

Amoonimus · 01/08/2025 21:53

Peachhearttree · 01/08/2025 21:32

Thank you. Where do I look for jobs in public service?

Previous jobs have bern through net working, indeed, reed.

I guess I should approach recruiters directly too

Edited
Show quote history

Should be a link on your local council website for local authority. If you google civil service jobs a link should come up. It's a gov.uk website.

Original poster
Peachhearttree · 01/08/2025 21:54

Ineffable23 · 01/08/2025 21:48

Try NHS Jobs, Civil Service Jobs and searching "public sector jobs <county>" to find the public sector advertising website for your area.

Presumably you're on 70k or so as a manager?

What do you need to get paid?

I think you'd find Grade 6-7 jobs in the civil service broadly right for your level, or 8a-b-c in the NHS. Pay will be lower but the pension is a decent top up and would make a nice addition to your retirement pot (though bear in mind you'd need to find out the value if you took it earlier than 67).

Yes, 70k, plus pension as the company contribute around 9%

OP posts:
TizerorFizz · 01/08/2025 21:55

@Peachhearttree What about school bursar or finance officer in a school? Finance officer might be term time only. Being a school governor might interest you too. Local authorities might be another area with quite a variety of work. NHS too.

SunnySummerHols · 01/08/2025 22:00

You mention working in a school. An alternative would be to work for university or an accountancy college.

Original poster
Peachhearttree · 01/08/2025 22:07

Thank you all,

Some really good ideas here which are making me feel more positive about job hunting. I know is a tough market but I can’t stay in current job. Hopefully something better will come up.

OP posts:
MounjaroBingo · 01/08/2025 22:09

ShesTheAlbatross · 01/08/2025 21:40

Yep me too. We don’t call it enabling services but I assume it’s the same thing. My team is very flexible, I don’t do long hours, and there’s lots of options to move around within the non-client facing areas for different experience.

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We may work for the same one. 3 lettered abbreviation for the equivalent of enabling services?!

Original poster
Peachhearttree · 01/08/2025 22:13

MounjaroBingo · 01/08/2025 22:09

We may work for the same one. 3 lettered abbreviation for the equivalent of enabling services?!

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Please let me know if you are recruiting ❤️; I will however look at internal roles in all the websites at big4 .

OP posts:
Evenworseformeeces · 01/08/2025 22:15

You will likely find that finance and accounting roles in higher education or local authority is a lot more flexible and more likely to be able to facilitate part time offers. However both are sectors where there is a lot of restructuring happening at the moment, so there may not be many posts being advertised at current.

Alternatively the charity sector may be a good fit. You will likely need to take a big pay cut, but for many charities there’s such better work life balance than private sector.

ShesTheAlbatross · 01/08/2025 22:39

MounjaroBingo · 01/08/2025 22:09

We may work for the same one. 3 lettered abbreviation for the equivalent of enabling services?!

Show quote history

Used to be 3, there was a rebrand, now it would be two but I think they don’t use the initials deliberately.

TizerorFizz · 01/08/2025 22:48

School jobs are fairly consistent. HE a bit more volatile. LA jobs fairly consistent too unless contracted out.

thinkfast · 01/08/2025 23:09

I’m in a top 10 accountancy firm OP. It’s very well run, very flexible, treat you as grown ups etc. long hours are not the norm. you just need to find the firm with the right culture!

jayritchie · 02/08/2025 00:21

Charities as a sector seem to be where accountants in London go when they want VERY steady hours and can cope with the reduction in pay.

Otherwise - how about contracting? Great way to throw money into pensions and more scope for time out if you need a break.

PickledLily · 02/08/2025 01:17

Company/team culture will be everything, and be careful that you don’t end up inadvertently working for an ex-Big4 employee who is still of the ‘work all hours’ mindset. I’m not ex-Big4 or in finance but have worked for ex-Big4 bosses twice now, both were a**holes when it came to work expectations (long work hours, excessive work loads and inflexible about part time). Maybe I’ve just been unlucky.

GelatinousDynamo · 02/08/2025 08:06

Sundaybananas · 01/08/2025 19:48

Stupid question from me (given I am Big 4) - never heard of Next 7 - what is it? Even Professor Google doesn’t know.

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Deleted (double post)

GelatinousDynamo · 02/08/2025 08:06

Sundaybananas · 01/08/2025 19:48

Stupid question from me (given I am Big 4) - never heard of Next 7 - what is it? Even Professor Google doesn’t know.

Show quote history

Copied it for you from a quick Google search:
There are other players in the game, commonly known as the the Next Ten (or, more recently, the Next Seven). These are some of the largest auditing and consulting firms globally, and the top contenders to the Big Four.

BDO
Rödl & Partner
Forvis Mazars
Warth & Klein Grant Thornton
Baker Tilly
Ebner Scholz
RSM
Dornbach
DHPG
PKF

Original poster
Peachhearttree · 02/08/2025 08:22

jayritchie · 02/08/2025 00:21

Charities as a sector seem to be where accountants in London go when they want VERY steady hours and can cope with the reduction in pay.

Otherwise - how about contracting? Great way to throw money into pensions and more scope for time out if you need a break.

Will look at charities too. Thank you

OP posts:
Original poster
Peachhearttree · 02/08/2025 08:30

Thank you all. I am going to look at NHS, civil services, internal finance roles, schools, HE and charities.

Do people use Indeed or just look at Companies websites directly? Are there and websites to look for jobs in charities, schools, HE?

OP posts:
SecretCS · 02/08/2025 08:37

I work with lots of ex-big 4 in the CS. All the direct entry jobs are posted here: www.civilservicejobs.gov.uk Set up an alert and it will send you daily notifications when new jobs are posted.

Im a senior manager and I work part time. Term time only is rare (and the two people I know who did it eventually stopped because it wasnt really working out for them) but i know lots who work PT hours around school time (most common ive come across is 22 or 30 hrs over 4 or 5 days to allow a 3pm finish).

http://www.civilservicejobs.gov.uk

SecretCS · 02/08/2025 08:39

I just looked and there are 25 vacancies based on key word accountant alone. Probably more if you widen to finance.

Venalopolos · 02/08/2025 08:40

Aliksa · 01/08/2025 18:51

Manager is the worst level - trapped between the juniors who do a crap job, and the partners who demand the impossible.

Id say go for industry for sure. Not sure working in a school would be a sensible move.

I thought this about manager. And then about senior manager. But director is definitely worse and if it wasn’t for pay I’d go back to being a manager tomorrow. The pay is what makes director (and presumably partner) acceptable.

PawsandWhiskers · 02/08/2025 08:49

Have you considered becoming an accountancy tutor, it’s what I do (albeit at lower level) but there is a shortage of people teaching accountancy and with your background they’d snap your hand off!

NellieChambersNC · 02/08/2025 08:52

Big4 too here - albeit consulting not an accountant. I think the job market is buoying now, quite a few handed in their notice this week. I’m currently negotiating with another big4 actually. I’ll find it hard to leave in reality because I love the people so much.

I’d consider an internal move at M or trying another team or line of service - they come up all the time at my firm. Have you started telling people in your network you’re looking to move?