This article was circulated among the big 4s. Some of you might have read it. I am just sharing. Maybe something we can ponder about

A professional mistake

Your alarm rings, signalling another brand new day. You get up, looking
forward for another new day of challenge, another new day to learn.
After washing up, you put on your office outfit, giving you that
professional look, one that you believe many out there envy. Breakfast
follows (perhaps), and you head off to your office. You're one of the
earliest to arrive, ahead of all your superior and when they come in
later, they greet you and you feel all charged up for another productive
day. Plenty to do and learn and hence, you are prepared to stay back
late to do all that is necessary.

If you're currently doing a degree in finance, accounting or law, the
above is probably what you've been waiting for all these years. You work
your ass off (well... most of you) in university because it's your dream
to join one of those big glamorous firms out there in the market.
Lawyers and accountants are the usual suspects for this curse. Once
graduated, all of them will run like headless chicken towards those big
firms. If you're an accounting student... you want to be an auditor in
one of the Big-4 right?

Well, if you do make it, it's like a dream come true. In such firms, you
get a personal computer, maybe a notebook (wow!). All your stationeries
are free, and it's also the first time you step into a 'pantry', where
you can make your own coffee, just like those nice offices in TVB
series. Next, you get an exclusive e-mail, the domain after your name is
not the ordinary @ gmail.com <http://gmail.com/> or @hotmail.com
<http://hotmail.com/> or @ yahoo.com <http://yahoo.com/> ... No, it's
not, it's your-name@a-big-and-glamorous-firm.com
<mailto:your-name@a-big-and-glamorous-firm.com> . You can't wait to tell
that to your friend.

Then comes the feeling of giving a business card with your name on it,
and it's not any other business card, it's one with your name on it,
it's one that signifies you're an employee with
a-big-and-glamorous-firm. And... the word below your name is not a lowly
"accounts executive"... the word below your name is exclusive... the
word below your name is... "Associate". And when your friend gives you
the "Wow, you're an associate with this firm?"... you get into instant
orgasm.

3 or 6 months into your job, you will then be experiencing the euphoria
of saying... I-am-very-busy... I-have-a-lot-work...
I-worked-till-very-late-last-night...
I-can't-make-it-for-the-gathering-cos-I-have-to-work-this-weekend. Yeah,
it's an euphoria because to you, it's a privilege to be busy, it's very
cool to work late, you're very proud to work in during weekends. When
you utter such words, a sense of arrogance and pride radiates from you.
You feel great because working so hard means you learnt a lot of things,
those not in the professional industry somehow looks lowly to you. You
feel big, you feel you're a level smarter than them .Reality will tend
to sink in within 2 years or so, though the duration seems to be getting
shorter and shorter now with the younger generation.

First, you will probably ask yourself, how come a graduate like you must
do all sorts of donkey jobs such as photocopying, checking invoices,
going through pile and pile of documents and filing. You will also be
wondering how come your superior whom you once looked up to have to suck
up to clients. Oh yeah... most all clients are unreasonable.

If you're an accountant, you will probably realise that there is no such
thing called a 'balance' sheet. It's balanced because you did the
balancing act so that your big boss can sign on it and certify it as
'true and fair'.
Yeah... signing on accounts, the job that you once dreamed of... isn't
exactly all a bed of roses. You then realise that you will probably
never reach that "just-need-to-sign-only stage" but hey... it's ok, you
probably hate that job by now. When you tell your client something,
chances are you are just as blur and confuse as them. But you have to
act as though you're an expert because you're the con-sul-tant. This is
just a glimpse of it.

Now, all the late nights and irregular meals will probably caused you to
age 8 years in 2 years. Those I-am-very-busy... I-have-a-lot-work...
I-worked-till-very-late-last-night...
I-can't-make-it-for-the-gathering-cos-I-have-to-work-this-weekend will
take its toll on your body and it will show. You will probably look very
skinny... or very far... you will certainly look old and worn out.
Working late and spending weekends in the office is no longer a cool
thing but absolute stupidity. But hey... you will still have to do it,
because there's still much work to be done.

By now, all your friends who ended up as salesmen or doing other thing
except being a professional, those whom you felt superior to are driving
anything but a proton. But for you, it's time to think whether you
should buy a proton cause your perodua is beginning to give you problem.
Of course, if your father is well-connected fella, things can be
different.
But if you're not, tough luck. You'll be wondering how come you're
generally under-paid. Those exposure and learning curve that you once
craved are no longer relevant. You want to make more money. But unless
you're a partner of the glamorous firm, money can be a lil tough to come
by.

At this point of time, probably after 3, 4 or 5 years, you finally
realised that document you signed when you first joined the glamorous
firm was nothing but lies. Then, you decide to ply your trade in the
commercial world, you leave those glamorous firm. You think joining a
commercial firm will bring about a good change, not knowing that such
move means you switched from being a 'profit centre' to a 'cost centre'.
One of the main effect of the switch is that you will be working doubly
hard compared to the profit centre, which probably includes a lot of
late nights too... but your salary and bonus is much lower compared to
profit centre. What does this mean... a story for another time.

One thing for sure... your morning will now be something like...

Your alarm rings, signalling another day... another weekday. You get up,
after snoozing the alarm a million and one times. You hope today is
Friday, but it's not, and you feel like shit. You think of a million and
one reasons to take MC, but you realised you have to go to office
because you failed to finish the report due today though you stayed till
10pm last night. You tell yourself you need to change job, just like how
you have been telling yourself in the last 1 year. Once in office,
you're in a dilemma cause you want time to go slower so that you can
finish your work but yet, you want time to go faster so that you can
leave the office and go for lunch.

During lunch, you will b**** with your colleagues about work and
probably the bosses. You will all talk about so many people who seem to
be doing so well except for you. You realised you should have done
something else while in university. You realised you may have made a
mistake in life... a mistake in being a professional... you have made...
a professional mistake.

This is life eh, thanks for sharing it

And I thought the accountants and lawyers are making a killing out there. Applies to engineers as well.

This post has been edited by milkshooter: Nov 15 2009, 10:19 PM

omg. next year I will join account firm.

What's the big deal of Big 4? Almost every Accounting grad I know got into Big 4.

Damn. So true. Applies to most bankers as well

nice story!

Whether it is a big deal or not depends on the person's perception. Some prefer it, some don't. The main attraction of joining a Big Four firm is obviously the brand/name itself. It's like if you are a footballer, obviously you want to play for the biggest clubs ie: Barcelona, Man United, AC Milan etc.

The same applies to any profession.
Even scientists spend a lot of time wondering if they could come up with new discovery.

There are price to pay in order to be successful; there's also price of glory.

This post has been edited by TSOM: Nov 15 2009, 11:23 PM

you mean there are people who think otherwise? How naive....

I was once in that kind of environment. I don't see myself in a very privilege positioned professional. Although I'm not in the Accountancy or Finance background but mine would still applicable nonetheless.

I see myself with a career whereby at the end of the day I just need to complete my work and go back home soon after that. I don't simply give away my business card. I only give it when I am "forced" to give as a courtesy matter. I still have a boxful of business card!

Anyway, for those who dreamt of getting comfortable without getting your shirt all sleeved up, that's where and where your perception gone astray. This happens very much often for the freshlings a.k.a fresh graduates.

Regards, Joey

oh man, that reminds me so much bout myself! I felt so lucky to have lifted my foot frm the puddle of mud.

a good one, nonetheless. It's a good reflection to most of us out there (if not the whole thing, snippets of it). This is where you remind yourself - what do 'I' want in life?

one thing for sure,
you cant make money working for people.

so true ... i got a bunch of frens n relatives , grads n joined big4 ... i'd heard them complain n frustrated for the past 1 year but now they r stil thr ...

for me , im unable to grad , my once dream job in big4 is crushed , im sad .... im depressed when i failed to grad , everyone around me seems like so successful , they work around the clock , their rejection on yum cha sessions make me feel im inferior , make me feel im useless coz i had so much time compare to them .... even some of the frens tot hanging out with me is a waste of time .....

but now , im glad its a blessing in disguise , they may haf a glamorous work , in every gathering they'll get the praises ( if they do attend ) , but wat i got is time , something which enable me to hang out with my frens , family n most importantly my love one , i haf the time to go for a annual vacation , i got the time to sit down n relax whenever i had enuf of work , .... but my earning nowadays doesnt seems to less than them .... i stil work hard as they do in different perspective , but i can slow down , can they?

what's the DEFINITION of being PROFESSIONAL here?

i don't know, I think the writer has his points but the way the word PROFESSIONAL was used, I just felt it was inappropriate (refer to the definitions of the word PROFESSIONAL)

IMO the experiences stated, while true, but not always the case, and doesn't apply to all professionals.

agree. might be true to some but not to other. i met some successful ones at big4

I read with interest to what have been said and I recall having said this in another topic about the Big 4.

Why is it that everuone who does Finance and accountig do a beeline for Accounting profession?..The reason for this is that 90% of the time they don't really know what to do or where to go and the NATURAL progression is be an Accountant and do audit.

Stepping back aagin,then the poblem lies in the young people not having enough seruous career talks with someone who is experienced and care enough for the students .

Really look in to the whole specrtum of the Malaysia mentality..you have to study hard and be a Doctor,Accountant or lawyer.With taht sort of professional career you are "RESPECTED" and supposedly make lots of money.

The real world out there is vicious and lots of pitfals.It does not normally give you a SECOND chance if you fail and this probability increases with AGE.So if you have decided on a certain career and you want to change..you will have difficulty and if you do change ,,BITE the bullet and do it and do it when you are still young orelse you will be trapped in a job that you hate and the only reason you stay there is to have the money to pay for your economic status.

From my own experience..talk to someone about what you like in life and seek advise from that person who has your interest at heart..remember not all parents have your interest at heart..I am not saying that they do not care but becasue of their lack of knowledge they may advise you in your best interest and the OTHER important factor is that they like to tell ppl that their children are either Doc,Accountants or Lawyers..It sounds good and a respectable career.

For thosw who are in the audit line and find them selves questioning what they really want..it is not too late to revisit your postion.You have to have the courage to follow your dreams and what you want...NOT what other ppl expect of you..and go for it.It takes courage to CHANGE..If parents are prepared to migrate to other countries for the welfare of their childrem than I don't see why young ppl are not prepared to make a change in their career.

Apart fronm audit ther are many fields in finance that are open for a person who has the feel for it//Like Financial analysis,Fund manager,Research Manager,Stock broker,..

Remember Change is inevitable in this world it is not static and it is very dynamic..and you need passion or else you will not have the motivation to run the full race.

the article is true at some point. but at least the main character in the story knows where to be in the beginning and only got lost in the end (some ppl dun even know where to start and linger for yrs b4 they start working). the story not necessarily ending like that u know. i dunno abt accountants but there are ppl out there in big co, dun really have to work much but salary kau kau, still got extra time do online part-time job. so envious i supposed professional job still being yearned for due to their STABLE and HIGH salary wor...i dunno lar, i no professional. i wonder what kinda person would write the story though.

btw, junbecks, some ppl work for ppl cnt earn money, some ppl earn more money working for ppl than doing own biz...hard to say lar. i always envy ppl not having to worry abt their income (i'm easily stressed), working in big company with high salary that goes to ur bank directly before end of the month, good benefits then most of the time nothing to do one but must act busy, msn, facebook, eat snacks, drink coffee.

wake up! though so tempting but maybe only when i about to retire. now...dunno wat i want too kekeke! am i those already lost in the beginning of the story