If you're an ambitious lawyer, accountant or consultant subscribe to my channel to learn what it really means to make partner, what the partners are really looking for and how to build your partner-ready skills to get noticed for the partner track.\\
I’m Heather Townsend, the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner in professional services. I'm the author of 4 books including ‘How to make partner and still have a life‘ (co-authored with Jo Larbie), ‘ Poised for Partnership‘, ‘The Financial Times Guide to Business Networking‘ and ‘How to become the Go-To Expert‘.
Click here to sign up to my newsletter: 👉 bit.ly/3CIxETG
Stop waiting patiently to get noticed and take control of your own career development
Get back in control of your time so you can achieve your business and career goals
Learn to become a rainmaker and build up a partner-sized client portfolio
Realise your potential and be seen as ‘the one to watch’
I'm hosting a virtual workshop on Wednesday 7 August 2024 called Building Your Business Development Plan (& then use it!). Find out more on my Events page (www.howtomakepartner.com/events). I am running this LIVE 3 times so that you can attend at the time that works for you wherever you are in the world.
It would have been helpful had you put in a word or two about the incentives and perquisites at the Big Fours versus the others down the chain. The rest of the presentation was quite crisp and covered most parts of what had been intended to be presented. Hope to see more videos of yours.
Would be interesting to learn how the Partners organise and meet the costs of running the business, considering how large these businesses are. They are cross jurisdiction and have varying grades of partners.
Regarding work life balance, it’s not always true that mid tier have better work life balance. I have known some colleagues working in GT and BDO UK and they’re just as stressed as those who are working in Big 4. In mid tier, you tend to have more clients. The clients’ fees are generally smaller so the mid tier firms tend to compensate that with volume.
@@jozephb what then? Do you even know the meaning of mid tier? BDO is a big international accounting firm but not among the big 4; hence the term “mid”coz its in the middle. What now?
Hey do you have any tips for how I can work my way up from college to a big 4 firm, I’m currently about to take math,business and accounting for A levels I may take finance as a extra and where do I go from college
Get into a school leaver programme with one of the Big 4. I studied Business Studies, Economics and Financial Studies at A Level and I've just landed a school leaver role within Audit at KPMG at a regional office. The programme lasts 5 years. For the first 2, you do your AAT Level 3 and 4 which essentially covers basic accounting and bookkeeping principles. From the third year, you will do a 3 year ACCA/ICAEW course which will result in you qualifying as a chartered accountant. This is the exact same course that new grads will be doing, meaning you are qualifying at least full year earlier (factoring in uni of 3 years) with zero debt, having been paid a salary of 20-25k from day one (increasing to north of 40k once qualified) and with 2 years' extra experience and networking. You'll also likely be fast-tracked into managerial roles at the 6/7 year mark if you show potential. If you know you want this, going to university makes no sense. In terms of sixth form, smash your exams and come out with AAA. Minimum entry requirements are BCC but these programmes are competitive. Make sure you're getting involved in as much extra curricular activities as you can -- I founded my own business during 2020 and I've worked in a client-facing graphic design role on Saturdays for the last 2 years, both of which I was able to leverage during the recruitment process. RESEARCH finance, accountancy and the firms themselves. Keep up to date with current events, subscribe to the firms' newsletters and the Economist/Financial Times if possible. All in all, have the mindset that you're going to break into the Big 4 and you won't stop winning. Good luck!
Useful information. You ask to leave a comment but you haven't replied to previous comments/questions. Replying back may increase your engagement with audience and help increase subscribers. Food for thought....
if there someone willing to be part of my teams, just message me, i have comming projects hire at the Philippines, i already completed the requirements of cell site tower, i need a business partner.
Great vid! Is it fair to say that there are better exit opportunities at the big four? Or will an ACA qualification be appealing to many companies in industry, regardless of where they trained?
I am being interviewed for a partner role at a big 4. Could you please elaborate on the "professional exams"? Is that going to be a requirement during my entry process?
Ferdi W. Hello Ferdi, the Big 4 typically make their graduates take professional exams after joining them. This isn’t the same for hires at partner level. If you are being interviewed for a partner level role, the firm that is interviewing you will be more interested in your business case and how well you ‘fit’ into the firm. You may get asked to take a range of tests, e.g. verbal, mathematical and logical reasoning tests as part of the recruitment process.
@@HeatherTownsend Thanks Heather! I did think of a strategy for acquiring clients and a I have a few specific deals that I might be able to bring, but then I better get prepared for some testing as well, just in case ;-)
