Increment and promotion is based on performence.  Increments are also dependent on whether you are progressing to next level or you are getting a promotion.  How well you meet expectations, and how well you perform as compared to your peers. 

You might want to check the older posts/ threads for more info on this.

Dear tendouSouji,

The fact that you are so concern bout the time you'll need to put for your work, just shows that you are not committed enough to be in BiG4.
Cause there is no "how many hours you work per day?" such of question.
It'll sound more logical "how many hours you get to sleep?"
Longest, I've work, 8.30am/9.00am untill 5am/6am for one entire week, continuosly. I look exactly like a zombie then.
And that is with me being in one of the less "stessful" department. So you can imagine how the others work.

peak period, Jan till April. (at least till 2am) My senior work for entire solid 3weeks....8/7am till next day 4.30am,go home, and then come back to work around 7am. But I was allowed to go back around 2.30+.

However, bout Dec onwards you'll already have terrible working hours, which I would deemed as VERY good already (12 to 1am)

And it very much depends on your engagement year end. And whether it is a reporting job or not.

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Added on June 18, 2011, 12:25 amand one more thing. I think you should look for a firm, with nicer seniors rather than "nicer" working hours. Cause having horrible seniors, can make your "short" working hours into a nightmare too.
Trust me, this is a VERY good piece of advice.

Lemme give you an advice. Don't bother getting mentally prepared now. (though, I applaud your commitment)
Jump in, try to take the shit that happens, and if you can take it, stay. Words can say much, but it is the first hand experience, feeling the huge expectations, the confusion, and the exhaustion taxing your body, then you know whether you can take it or not.

Personally for me, January - early June is my peak period, on average every day work, (6 - 7 days per week, on average about 9am to 1-2am on weekdays, 11am to 6pm on weekends). But that's cos I'm a senior and I can manage my workload and bosses accordingly. Back when I was an associate it was (7 days a week, 9am to 2am every day).

Do note I'm considered one of the luckier ones (I dare say one of the best in my dept, because my portfolio is relatively manageable and reasonably staffed) If you're unlucky (and you're more likely than not), like most of everyone is, you'd be putting in the mad hours everyone else talks about.

Don't look so highly upon yourself.

I used to think that I can take these hours too, I used to study like that too during college finals!

But when it comes to the real scene, fact that you're STILL sitting in the damn office doing endless tasks (especially admin works) while your colleague left one by one saying goodbye to you, while your non-audit friends are having a good chat at bars/mamaks, the feeling of helplessness and loneliness kicks in. That kind of feeling is unimaginable until you really experiences it.
BTW I'm still in audit yeah!