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clients' perception

This article has been ragin' through forwards amidst big 4 employees across the nation...thought i'd link to it for those who haven't seen it yet...

http://www.examiner.com/x-3040-Minneapolis-Life-in-the-Cubicle-Examiner~y2009m3d10-PWC-Deloitte-EY-and-KPMG-Big-4-employees-modern-indentured-servants

A lot of it is sadly true. No real good comeback here, other than the fact that the author of the article is probably a fund accountant and really can't claim to be in a better position.
(Update: Dudley Dawson, the author of the linked column, noted in the comments section here that he wasn't a fund accountant. So he probably is in a better position. I take it back.)
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Comments

Anonymous said…
So, career prospects-wise, is working at a Big 4 significantly better than working at a mid-size firm? Can successful employees at mid-size firms move on to more lucrative jobs outside of public accounting?
March 13, 2009 at 6:57 AM
Dudley said…
Thanks for much for linking my article. Truly appreciate it!

Not true on the guess about the author of the article. I wrote that article (Dudley B. Dawson) and I do not work in accounting.

However, I did use to work for Accenture which has many of the same problems as the Big 4 when it comes to long hours, but on the technology side.

I no longer work for Accenture, worked there 2 years. It was terrible, now I make double the amount of money and work half the hours.

The article was sparked by me seeing these people everyday looking miserable and never leaving the office.
March 13, 2009 at 9:08 AM
notfordisplay said…
Guess I was being presumptious about your field, Dudley. Thanks for responding. I noticed that the comments section in your column flared up, and it looks like you pushed a lot of buttons. Keep at it. I will say this though, there are a lot of benefits to this job that don't get attention because they are outweighed by the disadvantages, because they're just talked about more.
March 14, 2009 at 8:11 AM
Anonymous said…
Notfordisplay,

Can you make a blog post about the positive aspects of auditing? It's the field I'm heading into and I'd like your take on the benefits of a career in audit (skills/knowledge attained, opportunities, etc.). Thanks, regardless of whether you do or don't.
March 14, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Anonymous said…
That article was highly entertaining. I got to be one of the "lucky souls" who fetched the food (also got to leave earlier than the real workers.) And yes, we usually ate lunch together at our desks.

However, somehow my coworkers did manage to watch some TV shows, even though I, too, suspected that they lived at the office.

I agree with the comment about maybe a post about the positives of working in public accounting, compared to other jobs out there.
March 16, 2009 at 9:00 AM
Anonymous said…
Nothing better than taking a full lunch break. The hidden upside to busy seasons? Slow season. Good times. :)
March 28, 2009 at 12:31 AM
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