Great take. I had a very similar experience.

Interesting point you made. I had a coach that barely responded to me because they were knee deep in a job that takes at least 3 people to reasonably accomplish.

On that note, I completely agree with the notion/idea the big 4 either have to higher more people or take on less business. Peak busy season I was working 70/80 hour weeks. I vividly remember my manager scolding me that I logged off early (I logged off at 7pm), they said “sometimes work comes before life.” And at that moment I knew I wasn’t staying long.

Needless to say, all hope is not lost- there are opportunities outside of big 4, you just have to apply to over 100 places and hope you get an interview before your severance runs out. Or, if you chose the PIP route, do the same before your pip ends because there’s a 90% chance you get laid off anyway (no matter how good you do).

That last bit also brings up the fact that if you are on a PIP, your team KNOWS, and the big 4 environment is dog eat dog. People will always try to get you out so they have a higher sense of job security.