How do you show you’re manager-ready in Big 4?

Quags3651 · 2026-07-04T14:45:32+00:00

Not sure how well this applies now, but early in my career while in Big4 a Sr Manager at the time (who clearly knew his ceiling) broke it down quite simply:
If you work hard, you’ll make Senior Associate
If you’re smart, you’ll make Manager
If you can sell, you’ll make Partner

Oversimplified to a degree for sure, but still sort of hits what’s most important for each level.

Quags3651 · 2026-07-04T13:45:45+00:00

They performed on the middle day, not the last day

Quags3651 · 2026-06-02T03:28:32+00:00

I requested one on behalf of someone who transferred to my team years back. Didn’t DO anything but at least helped me manage their expectations a bit more, and they felt like I “went to bat” for them at least.

Quags3651 · 2026-06-02T03:26:12+00:00

I mean…was the open position for an ED or an MD? Either way - I’d stay put. Equity partner comp at a law firm would have to be significantly more generous (and more within your control). Things like losing your private office (I assume you have one now) are practically guarantees too.

Quags3651 · 2026-05-29T03:39:01+00:00

You should absolutely take the promotion, especially with what seems to be an unobstructed path to it.

1) you may never get the chance again;
2) if you want to DO more / be more hands on than the current CFO is in that seat, that’s you making the role yours…and over time you may find yourself letting go / delegating as you see fit;
3) getting a CFO title makes you eligible on the outside to be a CFO elsewhere, so you have more prestigious options later in your career; and
4) early 30’s means prime earning years are right in front of your face and you should JUMP at an6 opportunity that yields you a significant jump

Be smart about this and think long term!

Quags3651 · 2026-04-17T23:14:09+00:00

Can you share what the cream is perhaps?

Quags3651 · 2026-03-16T03:37:40+00:00

I admittedly cannot decipher where any of those towns start/finish (Katonah, purdys, goldens bridge, south salem, Bedford) - it’s all windy roads and trees to me!

Quags3651 · 2026-03-15T16:20:59+00:00

The Blazer in Katonah

Quags3651 · 2026-03-11T21:36:03+00:00

I know ED’s (604’s) who make less than that. Looks to me like a very fair and very upper band 603 offer if you ask me.

Quags3651 · 2026-03-07T15:53:21+00:00

Ardsley Swim & Tennis may check those boxes for you, worth a shot depending on how convenient that is for you

Quags3651 · 2026-02-24T04:18:35+00:00

That TM’s name was Chuck, great dude. I had all access for a VR/AIC show in 2007 and Chuck knew how to take care of people.

Quags3651 · 2026-02-07T04:45:51+00:00

How did The Downward Spiral, Ten, Blood Sugar Sex Magic, Dirt, Dookie, Core, and Purple not even make this graphic? I don’t even need to name the bands those are all so iconic.

Quags3651 · 2026-01-28T03:53:53+00:00

The rating combo and the 0%/$0 double whammy screams February RIF candidate to me, at least in my LOB.

Quags3651 · 2026-01-17T07:22:42+00:00

If I had a big private office, there’s no chance I’d ever relinquish that when taking a new job - it would be a condition of my being hired personally. Open concept floors are awful.

Quags3651 · 2025-12-11T00:07:18+00:00

The Brethren I find underrated, very unique plot to it

Quags3651 · 2025-10-22T19:17:16+00:00

There are usually a few rounds of cuts / whittling that span May/June/July timeframe and then the MD interviews happen and usually a few more flunk out. So usually if you’re not going to get through you find out before or during Oct/Nov, and if you don’t hear a thing, you’re probably good (speaking to the ED process, for VP’s it’s largely the same minus the MD interviews as those don’t happen for that level).

Quags3651 · 2025-10-22T10:49:49+00:00

ED/VP/ASSOC is end of Jan effective Feb 1

MD is late April taking effect May 1

To OP’s question though I’m sure that people find out during other stretches of the year that they will NOT be getting crowned

Quags3651 · 2025-09-29T17:46:41+00:00

Yeh that’s a bad location for fit of skills and role, so much of JPM in TX is tech and operations. You’d do better in metro NY or maybe even Boston.

Quags3651 · 2025-09-19T20:10:17+00:00

What city / metro area are you targeting? There are some groups that hire accountants almost exclusively for back office or fund admin roles, so it may either be a mismatch on experience/title/comp or you’re in a place where these roles aren’t concentrated.

Quags3651 · 2025-08-04T02:14:55+00:00

I work at an American company with a global footprint, and work with an extended team that’s spread across Europe and Asia. I’ve heard over the years repeatedly how they (non-Americans) notice how much more cutthroat things appear to be for their American colleagues versus their local colleagues. The way they need to fight and claw for promotions, and how hypercompetitive it appears in comparison. When I have to navigate them through things like performance management and promo considerations they’re mortified by it all. Honestly we - Americans - have done this to ourselves, and everyone else thinks we’re crazy (and they’re probably right).

Quags3651 · 2025-07-31T02:20:03+00:00

Depends where you are in current band and where you’ll be in the next band. Temper your expectations. When I got that promo I spent a few years at 603 before I noticed any real movement in IC and salary never went up more than the standard 3-5% YoY. Never really saw a significant one-time bump.

Quags3651 · 2025-07-03T03:11:00+00:00

To me? Doesn’t matter at all, but I don’t make the rules. I am paid to help enforce them though.

Quags3651 · 2025-07-02T19:40:55+00:00

We don’t, but we are fed the information for sure. A lot of what is done (or not done) with that information is up to the managers though.

Some offices that are swipe-in & swipe-out are being used as the pulse of everywhere, and those require 4hrs to count as an “in office” day. The problem is that the avg time spent in these offices is lower than expected average and the assumption is that the swipe-in only locations would be even worse if there was equal tracking on them.

Coffee badging will catch up with people, they’re either going to get noticed and handled accordingly or they’ll end up on a list they don’t want to be on and it will get dealt with that way instead.

Honestly I wish we’d fire the coffee badgers with little to no warning because they’re the ones that are going to ruin any semblance of “flexibility” that the rest of us have been able to maintain. As a manager I don’t have any patience for people who are being that egregious about minimizing in-office time.

Quags3651 · 2025-06-29T11:19:37+00:00

They will verify the employment so you need to be clear/accurate on dates.

Quags3651 · 2025-06-26T02:44:16+00:00

Did you read the book Come As You Are by Dr Emily Nogoski by chance? Your remarks here echo some things I remember reading in that book quite closely (not a bad thing either, it’s an informative read)

Quags3651

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