What next after burnout from big4

[Peachhearttree]

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.

I think there are a few of us here! OP let me know if you want to have a chat, I am in and enabling area and a coach and have a lot of conversations with client servers who are thinking about options

@Peachhearttree Larger secondary schools might list their own vacancies of go via a LA jobs board for education. The TES also lists jobs on line and Indeed too. Think about how far you would travel and see what comes up.

https://www.jobsinfootball.com

Finance and accounting jobs in the football sector

Great. Thank you

@Peachhearttree in case you missed the other links

This. I know you are an accountant not a lawyer but lawyer friends of mine are ecstatic when they switch from Magic Circle firms to in-house for a stable mainstream company. Good working conditions, truly 9-5. But there may be a huge drop in salary compared with what you are used to, if you were a partner at one of the Big4.

Thanks a lot, this is very helpful

The people was one of the reasons I was holding on to this job. Glad to hear the employment market is bouncing back. I will start telling people in my firm.

The salary should be totally doable at a smaller local practice. Depending on where you live. Here in Surrey most of my friends in practice earn minimum £80k.

I moved into industry 20+ years ago and most of my friends who are Finance Directors are on £80k+, many on £100k.
Many are only working 4 days, as I myself chose to do.

Good luck.

Have you had some counselling, some mentoring, some career guidance? To think about what really went on, address it, so you don't fall into the same traps?

Thank you. I will hand my resignation in the new few days and crack on with the job hunting.

I did talking therapist, a few sessions.

The therapist decided I didn’t need more as already figured it out what caused it and what my priorities are. Basically I don’t think there is going back to current team due to not very good culture.

I think you would be very unwise to hand in your notice. Just keep your job whilst looking. It makes you more attractive to potential employers. At 50+ and a manager then you might seem less employable.

I'm a partner in a mid tier firm. Fled big 4 a long time ago. Culture much better in the smaller firms. I wouldn't recommend working for a PE backed one.

Thank you.

You are right regarding being more attractive when you are still employed. We have 3 months notice and I am not sure I can stay as I feel I am being pushed out and there has been unfair treatment.

Why wouldn’t you recommend working for a PE one?

Just to say the job market is really bad ATM for accountants (the AI spectre looms plus offshoring plus even the public sector is looking at redundancies). Try to get a payoff if you sense they're managing you out and nothing internal comes up.

Can I ask what burnout looked like for you OP? How long did it take you to get to that point where you recognised it and what steps did you take?

Hi OP, I was also Big4. Manager. And managed out last year with a hefty pay.

as an accountant you may be in a better position. I’m not an accountant. I was in consulting. Jack of all trades. Industry is looking for specialists.

I have been struggling to get a job. It’s been just over a year since then. Please find a job before you resign.

I think it was building up for a year; but got worse over the last 6 months. I was feeling mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted., lacking in concentration and motivation, finding clients and people requests irritating.

The day I broke down I left the office crying; I just wanted to drop everything; I didn’t know it was burnout or what burnout was until I got it so I don’t think I recognised until I posted in mumsnet that I wanted to quit and got advice.

I don’t think I am fully recovered either as still dreading going back to work.

@givemeideasplease Thank you. How many months was your pay out?

Ahh; not sure what the quoting is not appearing

Sounds horrible OP, I am in a similar situation and recognise what you describe the mental, physical and emotional toll it takes and it just creeps up on you. I am trying to figure things out and get some support to avoid a tipping point like you describe but I’m not convinced it will happen soon enough.

All the best. It is not a nice feeling. It has also impacted my confidence and ability/resilient to start job hunting again.

About 6 and a half months. That half month was a token bonus that I fought for.

I speak to a lot of people in the smaller firms (for referral of conflicts etc). I don't think someone used to the big4 would enjoy it given how risky it is. PE have hoovered up a lot of smaller firms but it's very disconnected, disorganised, and not giving good advice, necessarily, so a lot of scope for things to go wrong.

PE are chasing growth by expansion then a sale so tends to ruin the small firm culture plus the collection of firms have different cultures so its a mish mash. Plus growth plans come with more big4ification. There's plenty of ex big 4 / ex mid tier staff in there still though my experience has been they are usually good sorts. I don't know if they pay OK.

Interesting. Thank you