[Anonymous]

For those of you who are interested in a Big4 firm, I figured I’d share a realistic example of what you might expect as a first or second year associate during busy season. Here’s been mine thus far.

For December I got pulled onto an engagement that was having some issues and worked 9-8 M-Thursday, 9-5 Friday, and most Saturdays from 10 to 4 or 5. We each was granted one flex day per week that we were able to leave by 5 or 6 so I chose Thursdays. Around 55 hours per week.

Had a reduced firm shut-down over Christmas. I had December 24-28 off and was assigned physical inventory observations 12/29, 12/30, 1/3, and 1/5. The rest of January to Mid-Feb I did the same December schedule, (including two weekends of PIOs), until about two weeks ago. Two weeks ago I did 9-9 M-Th, 9-5 Friday, 10-5 Saturday, and off Sunday. This last week I did 9-11:30 Monday, 9-9 Tuesday -Thursday, 9-5 Friday, and another PIO today.

Next week I’m doing at least 9-9 M-TH, 9-5 Friday, and told we should have Saturday off. Starting a week from Monday, I begin at a new client where I’m blocked in our schedule for 8 weeks of 55 hour weeks, (including one Saturday PIO). First week in May I’m booked for three 40 hour weeks at an out of town client.

I hope this information helps those of you wondering what a typical busy season might look like for a first and second year. Third years, seniors, managers, and above will typically work more because they have a lot more they’re responsible for.

[hasy]

Thank you for sharing your experience. Any regrets?

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This forum is more addictive than drugs. Still returning after licensure.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved - Helen Keller

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[Future Ninja]

@CPA33 as long as you are very well compensated. ^_^

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[Anonymous]

For a moment I was kinda upset I didn't get an offer from a big four firm. Then I hear the amount of hours they work and said F that. I haven't enjoyed my life because I've been so busy with work and school. I'm not about to continue having no life when I get my “big girl job”. I'm going to start working for a mid-size firm and busy season is a min of 55 hours including sat. Which sounds much more manageable than what you just posted.

[mw798]

Keep in mind most people ditch Big 4 after they get their CPA and make it to senior or manager. For most people, it's just a stepping stone to private. Suffer now, get rewarded later is why most people do Big 4. When you are young and have no kids, those hours are doable.

[mla1169]

That's why I never chose big 4, or public in general. I'll never work a 40 hour week in my current position (50 hours, all year long) but I'll never work an 80 hour week, either!

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[Anonymous]

I have no regrets about going in to public accounting. I entered public accounting after serving 10 years in the military so I was already used to working long hours in a high stress environment. Keep in mind, however, that the long hours are typically only for 3 – 6 months out of the year. The remaining months you might pull 40-50 with little to no weekends; you'll also get some office time which is really nice, especially if you're still trying to pass the CPA exam. Most clients will file within the first two to three months of the year so naturally that will be the time that you will put in long hours. It's less about hitting a “certain amount of hours” and more about having an enormous amount of work to complete in 45 to 90 days. If your office is well staffed with experienced people that have been on the same clients for the previous years, things typically run fairly smooth. The problem is when there is a lot of turnover and lack of engagement team continuity. In auditing, I'd say it's 50% understanding auditing and 50% understanding the client so, even if the engagement is staffed with seniors and managers, it'll still be rough if no one is familiar with the client. The biggest piece of advice I can provide is to pass as much of the exam as possible before starting because you'll never feel like you have time to study. The people who started with me that felt it was more important to have one more summer with their friends or whatever are hating life right now. Of my group of fourteen new associates, four have already quit. Something you should also realize is that the senior management, controllers, and VPs of the clients we audit are all working just as much as we are. If you want to earn 6 figures and want to move up to senior management in industry, you'll still pull the same kind of hours. We have a lot of “boomerangs” who leave public for greener pastures and come right back to the firm within a few years. Sure, the 3 -6 months that I pull 55 – 80 hours per week suck, but I love the 40 hour weeks where I get to work some days from home. I love the fact that the firm pays my phone bill for me and puts me up 4 & 5 star hotels when I have a PIO. I also love the fact that I'm going to clear about 60K this year and will be making 80K within the next three to four. And I especially love being able to afford my wife to be a full-time stay-at-home wife/mother who is 100% supportive of my career. Truth of the matter is that, unless you want to just “settle” for some mediocre position with average pay and little upward mobility, you'll be working long hours at times, whether public or private.

[Anonymous]

“Truth of the matter is that, unless you want to just “settle” for some mediocre position with average pay and little upward mobility, you'll be working long hours at times, whether public or private.”

This is definitely true, at least for the vast majority of people. Generally, if you have a “better” job in accounting, it's going to mean you have responsibilities and such that must be met regardless of the hour. Basically, you'll have more than enough work to keep you busy for your normal week (whether that's 40 hours or 60 or 80), and anytime something happens outside of that normal, it'll be likely to mean longer hours. This is part of why I like accounting – the fact that there's never a time that I'm at work and out of things to do.

Some jobs and some fields of accounting having longer or shorter normal hours for different times of the month/year and I have chosen one with some shorter hours, but they all have some long hours when you're in a “better” position.

[Anonymous]

I like being paid for my overtime despite being on salary. I know I could make more in private, but from what I've seen the little more pay doesn't justify the workload. What I make is nothing compared to what my buddy my age is making at Exxon as a supervisor in training. Dude is make 100k plus probably at least another 50k in overtime without a college degree. Makes me wonder if I should have went the plant route around here. lol

[Anonymous]

3 years of staff? Pwc.

[Author]

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