How do we look for jobs?

I always wondered how people at the Big 4 leave. Do you just call up recruiters? Or do you reach out to your alumni buddies and/or clients? Good question. We average 1-2 recruiter voicemails/emails a week, some list out available jobs at unnamed public and private companies, and some just tell you to call them since they have opportunities they think you'll be interested in. Assuming they get these "leads" through the AICPA directory or the state CPA society directory. Then they bombard you with phone calls and voicemails, hoping that somebody will bite. Most people who seriously consider leaving will either call one of these recruiters back or hear from ex co-workers who left, and use their recruiters instead. References are huge in this world, so if an alum who left had a good experience with a recruiter, the word spreads, and you tend to gravitate towards that recruiter. I usually ignore these calls, but, not going to lie, I did end up calling a few back over the course of my career. They usually fish to see how much you're making and will try and promise you offers with salaries at least 10% above what you're making. As you go higher though, a few end up going to clients. Senior managers who realize they won't make partner are prime targets. Partners are the ones who usually spread the word amongst their clients who are looking, and end up connecting senior managers with these companies. A select few actually succeed by applying through Company websites, etc. Although companies always tell people to apply online, it doesn't seem to work that well.