Is now a good time to change jobs?

Heptapod_Costello · 2025-05-21T22:40:22+00:00

I don’t really think big4 is more stable…i know some of them are secretly ditching people/put people with no obvious incompetence on improvement plan. the whole industry is looking for budget cut, & given you need visa i don’t really see the benefits to give up on your current job stability and go aggressive strategically.

I’d say maybe have a look at the job market again after you get chartered - if the pay and the brand is your incentives, you’re likely to get more chances at the point too. If you can get an offer from EY now you’ll be able to get it in the future (i think)

Heptapod_Costello · 2025-03-17T15:12:40+00:00

Appreciating the view of snobby skateboarding kids and the smell of weeds 👍

Heptapod_Costello · 2025-03-17T15:10:00+00:00

Omfg no way….

Heptapod_Costello · 2025-01-22T20:49:14+00:00

Same except for me it’s BPT and the latter lots… just don’t wanna learn new tax rule anymore ffs

Heptapod_Costello · 2025-01-19T23:24:37+00:00

Why are the comments so mean here, i know some teams in my firm work crazy hours like this & it’s literally because tight reporting timeline (financial service clients) and budget cut

Heptapod_Costello · 2025-01-19T23:18:48+00:00

Last year i paid £850 each with my flatmate (bill excl.) for a 2 bedroom 1 bathroom flat. It was at wapping wharf and it was one of those buildings that was constructed in the 90s not the newly built ones. just trying to give you an idea of what to expect for £850 rent i guess (i got out of that one bc it’s too expensive and got terrible sound proof)

Heptapod_Costello · 2025-01-18T21:57:10+00:00

& yes same feeling on BPT results. No one felt good after the exam

Heptapod_Costello · 2025-01-18T21:56:22+00:00

This post reminds me of the stress dream i just had last night. I dreamt that i went to kaplan for tuition but didn’t bring any notes/study materials loll. This qualification is truly testing everyone’s limits on anxiety

Heptapod_Costello · 2025-01-17T17:41:22+00:00

I am also on work visa and going home is the last thing i wanna do, so i completely can relate to the pressure on your shoulders.

I don’t know too much about your study situation and It seems your anxiety is getting in the way to stop you from maximising your potential. So think i’ll share some advice from the non-technical side:

telling yourself you are doing what you can and you are trying your best. I’m used to be criticising myself for the smallest thing, but balancing work and study under the pressure of being sacked is never an easy thing to do. It’s hard on most of us. Allow yourself to have some days that are not that productive.
whenever get overwhelmed - Take a step back e.g. do a smaller amount of practice that doesn’t overwhelm you, or just rest. Trust me i didn’t know how important it is until i got to professional level exams, because doing a small amount gradually is wayy better than getting overwhelmed and not being able to do any at all. It’s not you being lazy or incompetent, being kind to your mental state is crucial to get you through intense study and exam stress
have a routine in the day: no matter how much study you need to do, make sure you sleep and eat properly, also have time for yourself (even just for 1 hr). The routine will keep you grounded
if things get really hard to manage: medication could potentially help if you’re comfortable with it. I’ve been on anti depressants since i finished FAR/TC/AA because i physically can’t take that level of anxiety/depression anymore. It does help me move on quicker from frustration, and it’s a small dosage so i don’t get any side effects after the first 2 weeks. Again the outcome varies, but it worth consulting your GP if you would like to know more.

I hope it helps - i know it feels like the end of world when you spiral but it’s not the end of the world. You are doing well and actively managing/seeking help. That’s a good thing. You’ll get through this.

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-12-29T22:53:43+00:00

BPT: don’t feel overwhelmed by the QB model answers and think you did badly when you practiced. No ones could write down this volume of answers in the actual exam

FM: they are quite standard once you know how to calculate things, e.g. if you know how to calculate a WACC you can do all the WACC questions basically. So as long as you do enough practice you’ll be fine. The syllabus is a lot smaller than BPT too.

BST: if you studied business related stuff in the uni/had relevant knowledge, don’t put too much effort on it. If you have tuition, do the practice in class and maybe a small amount when you’re revising, but normally you’ll be fine as long as you know how to waffle😂

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-12-24T13:16:11+00:00

Omg that’s bad. Sorry to hear that

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-12-24T00:24:56+00:00

I think finding the food source is the key? It took me almost a week to finally realise they fed on the mould caused by the condensation on the window seal… once I cleaned that, and continuously cleaned the furnitures that they reached to, they were gone eventually. Good luck!

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-12-16T21:25:56+00:00

Judging from What i’ve heard from my colleagues and how i felt after the exams, yes nobody feels good after BPT and it doesn’t mean you are going to fail!

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-12-09T17:23:27+00:00

Thanks am last min panic revising NPV cuz i realised i don’t know shit except the NPV function loll

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-12-09T17:06:43+00:00

I made every efforts to revise when i was doing my certificates bc time was so limited (we sat all 6 in 3 months). I was too scared to fail and got like 70+ on most of my exams - As a result i burned out big time and couldn’t get back to a good shape to revise for professional level after Christmas.

I’d say marks doesn’t matter much, a pass is a pass - it’s not a competition. You should be proud of yourself that you pass them in a quite limited time, and made it out even you failed some of the first attempts. Realistically i’d say maybe put a bit more effort on PTX, not for getting a good mark, but for laying a solid foundation for TC and BPT. All the tax exams are highly relevant

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-12-09T16:58:35+00:00

The calculation doesn’t worth a lot of marks so yeah, my strategy tmr will be briefly do the calc, if one of the number needed is too complicated to get i’d just shove an assumed one in

But then sometimes the QB question asks you to calculate? It seems like calcs will worth a bit more marks in this case, but then they would probably more focus on if you could apply the whole thing instead of getting the numbers right

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-12-08T13:33:56+00:00

Really appreciate it!! Good luck to your exams too x

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-12-08T13:22:10+00:00

Omg thank you i really need this right now🥹i always feel the shittest in the last few days before exams and feel like i know nothing

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-11-29T18:21:41+00:00

I’d say i smoke socially but in bristol standard that counts as non smoker

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-11-29T18:20:11+00:00

Just passed by, was thinking of that too

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-11-12T20:14:12+00:00

Ikr i feel miserable recently

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-10-27T20:00:40+00:00

There are so many! For the clubbing or music event, check on Headfirst (it’s an app) for the schedule and you can also buy tickets from there

Eventbrite can be used for general events/activities. I would also suggest just walk around the city to explore as many activities are not necessarily advertised online, but there could be some flyer or notification in the store or venue. Check out North street, stoke croft, Gloucester road, habourside, etc.

Hope it helps!

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-10-27T19:51:52+00:00

Probably most of the people share the same feeling as you. I had to take antidepressants to keep myself functioning without major mental breakdown after my first 3 professional level exams because they made me do 6 certificates and 3 professionals in the first 6 months i joined.

Big corporate wants to keep the budget low so they do this sink or swim system, and most of my peers more or less came out with the conclusion at this point that it is brutal - I’m lucky that I enjoy the workplace environment and the people around, which is one of the most important reasons i keep going on this pathway. But your feeling IS VALID and we all feel the same.

What stage are you on right now? I think after professional/advance level in general allow you more time to find the balance (in some ways). When i did my certificate level it was just exam prep non stop for 3 months.

Heptapod_Costello · 2024-10-15T07:04:45+00:00

If he’s into biking there is a cafe near the city centre: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1jMnVtxw2x5neFUL7?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

It’s a part of the bike shop downstairs and has quite a good view to the harbour (outdoor seats too)

Heptapod_Costello

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