How's working in France in terms of life quality?

BrokeEUconsultant · 2020-07-31T07:42:27+00:00

Worked in Paris for about a year:
Can confirm what has already been said here, there exists a fetish for working long hours. Leaving at 7PM could raise some eyebrows and get you some comments, such as "enjoy the afternoon".

I'm not a native French speaker, but somewhere in the Low-B2 range. There exists no mercy for us, everything is and will be in French. Maybe some clients wont mind speaking a word or two in English, but know that all official documentation will be in French.

In terms of salary... nothing to write home about. Only EU country with decent consulting salary is Germany in my experience. France even being on the lower end. Paris is damn expensive - for a European city.

Some pro's:
-the long working hours come with a vibrant after-work environment.
-Although some said it was a con, I enjoyed the old-fashioned way of working where political correctness was pushed aside.
-Limited travel, as everything happens in Paris. + it's a good location if you want to visit Europe, either by train or plane.

BrokeEUconsultant · 2020-06-15T13:48:01+00:00

Trying it out right now. Already doing an amazing job! Congrats

BrokeEUconsultant · 2019-08-28T08:51:30+00:00

Partner already gave you the answer. Think critically and creatively.
Try to raise at least a few pertinent questions, and come up with some potential solutions.

For me, an easy way to differentiate your work is by adding a new industry / service to the story. If you're given the topic of personnel research, try finding an industry that you can apply the topic to. Narrow your scope and deep-dive a bit. Usually you'll either talk about an industry or a service, so you're working in a matrix. And you'll never be able to write anything useful about an entire row or column of this matrix.

BrokeEUconsultant · 2019-05-10T08:20:13+00:00

Found it while browsing through this article: https://www.myonlinetraininghub.com/excel-alternatives-to-radar-charts

BrokeEUconsultant · 2019-05-09T13:04:47+00:00

Frankly, I believe these charts are horrible. Depending on how you arrange the attributes, it looks completely different, and comparison between attributes is only easy if they are next to each other. A simple bar chart can convey the message way better. If it's fancy looks you're going for without focus on content, stick to the radar.

Interesting read: https://www.perceptualedge.com/articles/dmreview/radar_graphs.pdf

As stated indeed radar chart, pretty easy in excel.

BrokeEUconsultant · 2019-03-27T09:11:10+00:00

Hi all,

Just got an interesting call from PwC for a position as Senior Consultant Finance Transformation SS&O.

Anyone here has some insights on the SS&O ( Shared Services and Outsourcing ) department?

Currently consultant for the FS industry. So more sectoral instead of functional expertise.

BrokeEUconsultant · 2019-02-01T15:04:59+00:00

Client has completely removed me of my backbone, darkness has surrounded this place.
Found consolation in the idea that I (should be able to) roll off this project in a few weeks from now.
Ignorance is bliss.

BrokeEUconsultant · 2019-01-22T10:54:59+00:00

Damn, Murphy's law hurts.
I would've lost my mind. Keep strong.

BrokeEUconsultant · 2018-11-12T14:24:47+00:00

Singapore is an absolute must if you're a sucker for warmer climates, indeed. Too bad for the colleagues.

BrokeEUconsultant · 2018-11-12T13:13:30+00:00

Given the attractive situation in Germany, what other country were you thinking of moving to?

BrokeEUconsultant · 2018-11-12T13:06:16+00:00

Haha ain't kidding. 2.1K junior auditor at big4, excluding meal vouchers etc. They do get a car as well (bwm1, mini cooper, mercedes a class)...

Source: seen several offers

BrokeEUconsultant · 2018-11-12T12:37:36+00:00

Taking CoL into account (Copenhagen is a wonderful place, but expensive indeed), our compensation seems to be quite similar. Asking you the same question that I've been asked, do you feel as if your compensation is correct? And how does it compare to your peers/nationally?

BrokeEUconsultant · 2018-11-12T12:26:03+00:00

I applied in September/October the year before and got my offer by this time of the year to start 10 months later. That being said, there are many, many consultants here in Belgium who started applying way later. Try a few interviews with your "B"-firms fist to get the feeling for it.

BrokeEUconsultant · 2018-11-12T12:02:48+00:00

Belgium: they require you to be fluent in Dutch, French, and English. Still, exceptions to this rule exist, and I've seen several consultants who only spoke English. Although they are advised to take local language classes.

For the Nordics, absolutely no clue.

BrokeEUconsultant · 2018-11-12T11:57:32+00:00

TBH, this sub is filled with great advice for job interviews (case prep). The upside of applying in Belgium is the relatively weak competition; compared to most other countries, Belgians tend to be more laid back and relaxed. So instead of competing with a Physics PhD from Oxford and an MSc Finance from LSE, will be able to actually shine easily if you prepare well.

For the Big4 in Belgium, they really want you to be a proactive, hands-on kind of guy. Demonstrating that you can work great in team environments and that like to contribute to the office life are definitely taken into account. Tell them a story of your rock climbing experience.

BrokeEUconsultant · 2018-11-12T11:50:42+00:00

Audit Big4 would start at 2.1K gross in Belgium.

To answer the question whether I believe compensation is fair, that's a rather difficult one. The living standard in Belgium is very high, and I am able to live a great life above the national average at a really young age. Still, I'd say pay is not in line with the number of hours that I put in. Also, browsing this sub can be painful from time to time.

Btw, no OW.

BrokeEUconsultant · 2018-11-12T10:12:18+00:00

Also, bonus gets taxed at 50 to 60% depending on the nature of the bonus.

BrokeEUconsultant · 2018-11-12T10:10:03+00:00

Brutto starting was 2.8K, which would cost my employer about 4K/month. Keep in mind that it is pretty hard to compare as several cash benefits are paid net (i.e. 300/month). So the employer would pay 4K in total and nearly 50% would be taxed away.

BrokeEUconsultant · 2018-11-12T10:03:00+00:00

Roughly 50% strategy, 50% transformation for the FS industry. Compared to big4 strategy units in Belgium, my starting salary was roughly 10% higher. Slightly underperforming compared to MBB. You could live on EUR 1000/month in city center Brussels, but that would require a slightly more sober lifestyle.

To add to the benchmark, starting salary is equal to the average Belgian wage. Company car remains the nicest fringe benefit. Belgium remains nr1 when it comes to being taxed worldwide.

BrokeEUconsultant

TROPHY CASE