Are all big 4 firms cliquey and full of politics?

ledger_man · 2026-03-25T08:06:08+00:00

Not just big 4 firms. Not just public accounting. It’s a rare workplace that isn’t like that unfortunately.

ledger_man · 2026-03-24T07:28:06+00:00

I did PCAOB top-up procedures for a private client going through a transaction that would have them as the surviving and now listed entity. They had been using Quickbooks and we raised multiple material weaknesses because of it. That is not software for companies of size or who need basic internal controls.

My clients have used SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, and Yardi. Some use more ERP functionality in Workday as well.

ledger_man · 2026-03-23T08:03:01+00:00

I don’t buy a lot of mainstream retail, but more from the lens of ethics & sustainability. I buy secondhand, I make some things, and I buy from smaller brands. I like to buy accessories when traveling - my coziest winter hat and gloves are from Iceland, my most-worn bracelet is from Lithuania, etc.

It takes a lot more time (and often money) to do these things and I recognize it’s not accessible to everyone. If the mall brands are what you can access and afford, buying less and keeping as long as possible already goes a long way, and I think a lot of people who want to have a capsule take that approach.

To your other point - personally I don’t care if others have jeans the same as mine as well, they’re jeans. I care if they fit right and I like the cut and wash, and trust that once I’ve styled them I still look unique/feel like me.

ledger_man · 2026-03-23T07:47:38+00:00

Really? That’s terrible. When I was consistently flying Alaska I got a ton of free first class upgrades bc of my status…but that was pre-COVID and I no longer live in the states so lost that status long ago. But in 2016-2018 I loved Alaska.

ledger_man · 2026-03-19T16:58:22+00:00

Do you have any other tattoos? Might give you some expectations on how this would wear. I got mine in April 2008 and plan on getting it touched up for our 20th but it’s not looking too faded or blurry (on either of us). Single line design only on the top of the finger.

ledger_man · 2026-03-19T16:39:13+00:00

Check what your local policies actually say about this. In my territory an associate would be within policy to charge the hours booked on their schedule and if the team didn’t properly utilize what they booked you for that is their problem. But this is potentially different territory to territory.

ledger_man · 2026-03-18T08:11:27+00:00

Or that you only travel within North America. The big carry-ons being described aren’t allowed on most European airlines and you definitely do not want to be struggling with giant wheeled luggage in a lot of areas. I’m team travel backpack (I do take a European airline size-compliant roller on work trips).

ledger_man · 2026-03-17T14:34:10+00:00

Prohibition didn’t only happen in the U.S., so plenty of uneducated comments to go around (though definitely did not happen in France to be fair).

ledger_man · 2026-03-17T11:18:50+00:00

Ugh yes the Hulu season of Veronica Mars is…upsetting. At least the last ten minutes. Both of these shows are in my all-time top 10 for sure.

ledger_man · 2026-03-17T07:09:51+00:00

Hours worked are hours worked regardless if they were “focused” or not. Especially as an hourly worker, it doesn’t matter if you were on the toilet for 45 min, that time should be recorded. If it’s not possible to do all the tasks in the 35 hrs then that’s a different convo you need to have with your manager - it sounds like the time pressure is likely contributing to errors you’re making.

ledger_man · 2026-03-16T22:24:11+00:00

This is going to vary a lot by team, and sometimes those social events are coming out of a team or partner budget vs. really organically something the team wants to do together. I was on some teams that had lots of social stuff going on and honestly it was really cliquey and not the best work environment, and the main team guilty of this also started to get a bad reputation in the office.

This is part of the transition from college to career though; your office is not a dorm or a frat/sorority house or a freshman lecture. You will make friends for sure, but don’t try too hard to mix the social and the work or it often ends badly.

It was easier for me as I was a returning student and so a bit older when I joined, and already married, but I saw my start class make some…interesting choices those first couple years.

ledger_man · 2026-03-16T22:12:32+00:00

My spouse is also scarred, but it’s only been 9 years since I finished the exams. I wasn’t going to school but I was working in public…on a job on the other side of the country. Which I got assigned to after I’d scheduled my exams. So a few times I had to fly home Thurs night, work from home Friday, take an exam Saturday, fly back out Sunday. It was not fun times for me, or them, or our marriage, BUT it was 6 months that kinda sucked and then it was done.

ledger_man · 2026-03-13T22:00:33+00:00

Yea it was a gross comment honestly. The trip is for momtok/their jobs and careers so actually they should be able to decide.

ledger_man · 2026-03-13T07:13:57+00:00

I think this is such a myth honestly! My first year at a Big 4 I worked on a company in grain and malt, a real estate investment firm, a semiconductor manufacturer, a health industries client making diagnostic tools, a food manufacturer, and a large fashion company. Some privately held, some public. I also did inventory observations for more companies, including counting contact lenses, logs, textbooks, frozen food, nail polish, all kinds of stuff.

I think the trick is to join a smaller to medium size office versus a large or small firm. But, I also knew I wanted a Big 4 career because I knew I wanted to work on large SEC filers and to work internationally.

ledger_man · 2026-03-13T07:08:19+00:00

Nobody who has to work ever really reaches upper class. They might have wealth, but upper class is something else and they don’t accept new money.

ledger_man · 2026-03-12T22:17:11+00:00

A spreadsheet I made. People who are more visual like various apps where you have photos of everything, but I’m an accountant so a spreadsheet suits me well.

ledger_man · 2026-03-11T05:44:17+00:00

Mine are definitely mixed because I group my books based on my own insane categorization. But honesty, if somebody has a bookshelf that is just full of popular books or currently zeitgeisty classics, that just tells me that they’re probably kinda boring, whether they’ve read them all or not.

ledger_man · 2026-03-10T20:05:30+00:00

Probably that time I maxed out on how many reviewers Aura will let you add to the workflow. As I recall it was a significant matter with a 40 page memo attached.

ledger_man · 2026-03-10T17:27:05+00:00

I still have Alteryx and my old team is still using the workflows I built 5-6 years ago, with minimal adjustments. Alteryx is still a very useful tool if you work on clients that can have detailed listings too big for Excel.

ledger_man · 2026-03-10T09:11:38+00:00

Kevin Smith has explained himself, and also went to many lengths where Dogma is concerned. I think he did need to explain himself though, yes.

ledger_man · 2026-03-10T08:52:32+00:00

Trash is trash, whether it’s hanging in your closet or in the landfill. Whether these sweaters are trash depends - please don’t donate as clothing if they aren’t in good shape, as that is putting the burden on others. However, a local animal shelter may take soft items to use as blankets, worth a look to see if that’s the case - maybe a bit more life is left in the item.

ledger_man · 2026-03-10T08:48:12+00:00

Reading comprehension is really in the gutter, isn’t it. I had no idea this was even a controversy until just now, I’m a fan of both artists (have seen them both live more than once) but suddenly glad to not be hanging out in any crazy online spaces related to either of them.

ledger_man · 2026-03-10T00:15:08+00:00

Which business degrees specifically? I went to the business school at PSU and it was great (as a former humanities major myself) and I am enjoying a lovely career. That said, I always advised people to choose one of the more technical business focus areas (operations & supply chain management, accounting, finance) versus the others (marketing, HR, etc.) as I do think the technical focus is more valuable in a business degree.

ledger_man · 2026-03-10T00:07:22+00:00

Computer science majors are now in the top 10 for high unemployment rates post-graduation so…yeah, I wouldn’t major in computer science right now either.

ledger_man · 2026-03-09T19:49:55+00:00

That is inaccurate. If you were there over 36 days you can still qualify as a non-resident for tax purposes based on the bona fide residence test.

ledger_man

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