Ed. note: Are you in the middle of a career conundrum that could use some third-rate advice? Email us at advice@goingconcern.com and we just surprise you with some sensibility.
Hi!
I work in audit at a Big Four firm in Europe. I’m starting my second senior year and I’ve received good evaluations so far (B+ on my first year,
and then A’s on my second and third years). I love the job, but I know I won’t stay forever (too many long nights, plus I just don’t think
I’d like to be manager). I’m 25, I’ve been married for 2 years and I want kids. I want to start trying, keep working through pregnancy, take the usual time off after birth (paid by government), and return to work part-time. Then after some time I’d probably look for a job elsewhere to work full time (but not Big Four hours).
I haven’t heard of anyone being pregnant during their senior years. How crazy is my plan? Will my senior manager have a heart attack when
I tell him I’m pregnant? Should I wait to try to get pregnant and look for another job with more normal hours?
Thank you!
Hi Europe,
Greetings from across the pond. I’ll do my best to help with your questions, but seeing that I am neither a) pregnant nor b) part of the busy season cycle, I hope the GC.com community can pitch in their own advice. My advice is based on a combination of what I’ve seen here in New York, my general knowledge of Big 4 firms, and what I think (or hope) is common sense.
EU: I haven’t heard of anyone being pregnant during their senior years. How crazy is my plan? Will my senior manager have a heart attack when I tell him I’m pregnant?
DWB: The timing of your pregnancy and pending childbirth will determine how your senior manager takes the news. Generally speaking (again, from what I see here in the States), it’s better from a career move perspective to be pregnant during busy season than to give birth and be out of the office during final reviews, sign-off’s, etc. So, conceiving in the next few months shouldn’t pose too much of an issue.
Let’s say your nine month clock kicks off in October; you’re looking at a July baby. Like the rest of your life, working through busy season will require an adjustment on your part and open communication with your team will be essential. Summer babies are a very common and oftentimes planned with busy season in mind.
EU: Should I wait to try to get pregnant and look for another job with more normal hours?
This question contradicts with what you said earlier in your email, so I’m going to say stay where you are for now. You’re doing well at your firm, and your job there might even act as a rock as you transition into parenthood. I suggest taking advantage of the support groups your firm has in place, and seek out the advice of senior employees who balance work and parenting already.
Good luck with starting your family! GC’ers – what kind of advice can you provide to our hopeful accountant-and-mother-to-be?
The best piece of advice I have for surviving layoffs (in private industry) is to make yourself extremely hard to replace. Everyone is replaceable, but some people are less easily replaceable than others. It may be necessary to withhold knowledge of how to do certain tasks and processes from the people above you. As a manager, I don’t like when my employees do that. But that’s the point, right? The pain involved in replacing an employee is absolutely a consideration when it comes to layoff decisions.
The best way to not get laid off in public accounting is to work harder and be better than all your peers. They don’t lay off the top performers. If you don’t want to work hard and be a top performer, or if you’re not smart, then you just have to accept the fact that you have a target hanging around your neck whenever there’s a layoff.
Sad but true.
Hard but true.
And if I didn’t say it before, absolutely true.
Maybe if some tax practitioners are laid they’ll go out on their own or buy a small practice: there are SO MANY CPAS retureing – a tax practice can snatch up lots of new business. Being on your own is fulfilling and more profitable than being a cog in the wheel.
I think you meant laid off, not laid. Although you might be right either way!