Life in the Big Four in India

Interesting article at the Consulting Network site (Hat-tip JoyAndLife)

Some insights that the article shares:

1. Route you’re resume through an internal employee, higher the designation of the employee, more the chances of you’re resume being noticed.
   

2. Don’t clog you’re resume with excess clutter. Be to the point and precise. Focus on highlighting you’re leadership and teaming skills
   

3. Keep track of the financial cycles being followed in the big 4 firms, for example EY follows a July to July financial cycle. Hiring during the month of May and June is relatively less owing to budgetary constraints at the end of the year as compared to hiring in July, August where most teams are looking to filling in vacant spots.
   

Though each big 4 claims to have an individualistic work culture, the enormity of these firms and the prominent trend of employees switching between the big 4 firms has led to development of what can be called as the big 4 culture, some of the key characteristics of the big 4 culture are

1. Working Hours One can expect a typical working day of approximately 12-13 hours a day. However, the lengths of you’re stay in office or at the client site is totally dependent on you’re engagement team and manager and work load.
   

2. Trainings form an integral part of the Big 4 culture, you can end up clocking approximately 10 -15 hours of training each month. These training comprise of both technical and soft skill’s trainings
   

3. Quality and risk management practices also take up a major portion of your time at big 4 firms, you could spend a significant number of you’re working hours filling up forms and taking approvals.
   

4. Individual vs. the Team – There is a strong focus on teaming at all of the big 4’s, however, individualistic traits such as taking up the ownership, making decisions is also encouraged.
   

So if you want to get hired Network with Consultants with visibility and credibility , be prepared to work hired (maybe Deliberate Practice to build expertise!) take initiative (one of the 5 career skills for success) and stick to organizational processes (and build your organizational quotient )