REALISTIC Day in The Life of a Big 4 Consultant | 100% HONEST Pros and Cons of the job

[@CD-xn7xi]

Thank you for your honesty in the video, definitely taking both sides on board when deciding which internship/grad roles to apply for

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Any time Cameron! I'm sure you'll make the right call

[@stephandden]

Love this my man! I work at a big 4 here in a Toronto! Shared a week in the life during our awesome winter haha - Also pre Covid-19 👀

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Just checked it out and I'm going to safely assume this is Dennis... How's my deductive reasoning haha 💁🏽‍♂️ awesome work on the video and the channel! We should do a Big 4 in Toronto and Melbourne comparison video 😏

[@independentconsultant]

😂😂 "when clients say stupid things" you got me there! You guys definitely have better office views than us in Montreal lol, would love to visit Australia soon!

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Haha they never cease to amaze right? Let's arrange a straight swap secondment :)

[@perthvlogs4832]

This is my favourite video on the KZbin!!!

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

High praise my brother, glad you're enjoying the content!

[@uncheckedanduntouched]

Thanks for this REAL day to day!!!

[@eddiesimango6605]

Amazing video Man!!! Please more content on Consulting and day in the life/ week in the life. (Travel)

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Thanks man! Absolutely, there's plenty more to come on the consulting topic. Don't jinx the travel!

[@vanlamhuynh881]

love your honesty! And you seem like a nice guy :)

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Ahh thank you!!!!! You're too kind ☺️

[@ahmadmhameed6062]

Best day in the life ever... Very real talk 👍❤

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Thanks Ahmad 🙌🏾🙌🏾

[@ishaqshafiq4934]

Hi mate Loved the insight in the video. I’m currently in college in the U.K. on course for really good grades. My plan after is to go to university to do business management and probably a masters in business administration after. From then on I have no clue. A lot of people are warning my it’s very hard to work for a “big 4” company and the atmosphere you described I don’t particularly like. Any advice help etc. Cheers mate

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Hi Ishaq, thanks and glad you enjoyed it! Good stuff man, is college our equivalent of high school (year 7-12)? If that's the case then it's brilliant to see that you've got some form of plan for what you want to do next. No pressure on choosing a career path now rather make it a priority to choose courses that you will enjoy. Regarding the Big 4, it definitely has its pros and cons. If you don't have too many other commitments in your life e.g. Early/mid 20's for most people then the Big 4 is very manageable. It becomes a challenge when you have other priorities that compete for your time and attention. Don't rule it out completely and postpone the decision to the penultimate years of university. If it isn't Big 4 there are plenty of other consultancies that do the same work at a smaller scale but with the bonus of less politics 🙌🏾 good luck!

[@ishaqshafiq4934]

@@Yusuf-zm4gn that’s is very helpful. Ye it is. For us it’s year 7-11 high school. Year 12+13 is college. Then u start university at 19 until 22. But ye we have to do uni applications and all that jazz. I’m thinking of doing a degree in business management and then a MBA - Master of Business Administration degree. Ideally for me, I have a lot of commitments and a lot of family. And I wouldn’t mind going into consulting even if it meant more time but it’s the politics that puts me off. Like my dad says to me u have to be ready for X Y and Z and it just makes me think how on earth would I cope with that 😂 but ye I’ll keep it in mind until the end of uni Just wanted some insight. Thanks a lot and love the content and thanks for replying

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

@@ishaqshafiq4934 you'll cope bro, just probably not for the longest period of time but the experience will be worthwhile! Anytime, let me know if I can help with anything else and good luck with it all 🙌🏾

[@AH17293]

It's good to have the big 4 on your cv but it is not a necessity. Also most MBAs will want you to have experience before accepting you. Deloitte offer 50k towards an MBA as far as I'm aware of. You will have to be working there 2 years before and two years post qualification.

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

@@AH17293 very sound advice....I didn't know about Deloitte sponsoring 50k of an MBA but doesn't surprise me. They would have some kind of clause that ties you into working with them for some period of time. Which is understandable but good to be aware of

[@HRD01]

Hi Yusuf, I’m currently going into year 13 and have been looking at consultancy apprenticeships post a level, I was wondering if you knew anything about them and if they were worth doing. I was also wondering if consultants receive bonuses or is it just a salary.

[@Johnsmitheny]

Consultants certainly get bonuses, but at the entry levels I wouldn’t expect that. I’d definitely recommend an apprenticeship with a consultancy firm if you can land one.

[@stormking1973]

If the "Snake" / "Backstabbing" politics is really a thing, then I wouldn't even bother.. cause life is just too short and hard on its own to have to worry about 2 face/pathetic souls..

[@kamranuddin1740]

Loving the videos MashAllah, I imagine with the flexibility prayers are not too much of a challenge to get in

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Not at all and especially with most offices having Musalla's now!

[@kamranuddin1740]

@@Yusuf-zm4gn Alhamdulilah! At first I thought all the travelling will cause a challenge but it seems now that top workplaces are realising diversity and inclusion.. JazakhAllah Khair!

[@Trihawk7]

How did you get your own office? Is everyone usually not just stuck into a huge open plan office space?

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Good question - The majority of offices have moved to a 'workplace of the future' layout which is an open floor space with workstations for both collaborative and quiet work. Most teams gravitate to particular sections of the floor and you usually sit around your team mates but there is no obligation to do so. When completing my own tasks I actually like to sit away from the team at times as I'm more productive when around strangers haha and on the off/quiet day you can get a small meeting room like the one I used in the video. Let me know if you have any other questions :)

[@planetark]

I know a friend who is an accountant, he is obsessed with his profession, also he may be an arsenal fan, poor guy :)

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Hahaha can't really do too much for you on the accountant front but I think you're closer to the top 4 than you are to the relegation zone after this morning 🙄

[@kylewang6704]

Love your video. What about AI & data consulting? Not sure about the workload.

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Thanks Kyle! AI and data would be a little better work load wise + less brain numbing 😂 cyber is also in a similar bucket

[@colewhitetree7574]

What is the workload like on the risk and financial advisory? I applied for an internship for this position

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Hey Cole! Haven't had direct exposure to projects in that space but from my indirect contacts + speaking to colleagues in that space, the workload is more manageable. Keen to hear how you find it once your internship starts! Good luck 🙂

[@minjun87]

Wearing jean is okay? Whats unusual attire code going to the office(client office vs your office)?

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Hey Minjun! Yes, jeans are definitely okay 🙂 in fact they're one of the most popular items to wear. You mean usual attire for client vs home office? If so then for client it's always best to keep it professional all the time. There will be some clients where you spend extended time (e.g. 3+ months) and can then be comfortable to dress similar to the other employees. For home office at PwC you can get away with just about anything so long as it's sensible. Hope that helps 🙂

[@DavidAning]

What type of consultant were you? Tax, audit, management?

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Hey! Sorry for the super delayed response...I've worked across tech, strategy and management consulting

[@qsam14]

Which department are you in? I'm in Cybersecurity Consulting but I'm interested in going to Risk Advisory later down the road.

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Hey Sameer - I've spent time in tech consulting, strategy and operations. Let me know if there's anything specific I can help with 🙂

[@qsam14]

@@Yusuf-zm4gn What do the work hours look like in cybersecurity? (I just asked my mentor and he told me I'm already at a higher position than Risk Advisory (IT Audit) lol

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

@@qsam14 I've found cyber is the division that has the most consistent and the most manageable work hours. Not many folks from the cyber team are in the office beyond 6-7pm. Also yes, much better than IT Audit haha (no offence to any IT Audit lovers, different strokes 😆)

[@namkhanhng1802]

Do risk advisory involving a lot of calculations, accounting and similar stuffs? I am interested in Risk Advisory intern at PwC, but i am not great with the types of work aforementioned

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

@@namkhanhng1802 hey Nam, I don't know too much about the details of risk advisory but generally speaking the 'calc/quantitative' work is very minimal across the board. Unless you're in a team like actuarial who build some pretty nice models. Otherwise, you don't need a strong maths or accounting background to get through in any advisory team 🙂

[@SM-yd8hq]

Yusuf, you don't have a desk which I like, but you are bent over your laptop a lot. I'm worried about your back. :)

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Don't stress, I've switched to a standing desk these days 🙂 but yes my posture was terrible in this video!

[@SM-yd8hq]

@@Yusuf-zm4gn 😁

[@Love2danceHipHop]

Thank you so much for this video! I just got hired as a PwC consulting intern for Summer 2021. What are some things that I can do as an intern to stand out and perform well? My goal is to return to PwC full time

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

No problem at all - glad you enjoyed it and also congratulations on the offer from PwC!! The most important thing would be to stay cool, calm and collected....you've already managed to get an offer so they see the potential. This is your opportunity to prove them right and you'll manage to do that if you're not placing yourself under pressure. A couple of things I recommend you do is firstly, find people in the team you've been assigned to that you 'click' with on both a personal and professional level. These people will be the biggest asset to you when you're new to the organisation and there's nothing quite like having supporters early on. Second thing would be, if you've been assigned a piece of work to do and you know there are other activities that you can excel at then don't be afraid to put your hand up for them. Showcase your strengths and they will love it. Lastly, make sure you have fun. The intern program is designed to test how good of a fit you will be and focuses less on the technical aspects of the work. Hope this helps and good luck with the intern program 🙂

[@umbertocompagnone1421]

What is the goal of spending part of your life for a corporate a make them richer?.. The video is good and you are a nice guy but why lose time for yourselves for them? 😅

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Haha agree that a product of spending time working for corporate is they make more $ but you also learn. The way I look at it, a job is about earning and learning, we ideally want both those things but you always need at least one (I'm sure some famous person has said this in a more eloquent way 😂). Take the good learnings from them, leave once the learnings start to diminish (the earning will never be great unless you're an equity partner) and then incorporate these learnings in a role (ideally your own business!) where you're not a commodity 🙂

[@danielbusby865]

Hey, I'm currently studying a Level 3 Business BTEC in the UK ( a college course if you're not familiar with our education system - I'm 17). The BTEC qualification is a relatively new one, that focusses on a more practical method of teaching. For example, coursework makes up half of my overall grade with exams taking the other half. This style of education has made me think that University might not be for me, instead I'm thinking of applying for a apprenticeship scheme with one of the big four where I can get professional qualifications while getting paid and bypassing university. I'm not sure if you're familiar with these schemes but if so, do you think apprenticeship schemes are a good alternative to University? if yes, can you think of anything that university offers that these apprenticeships don't/vice versa? I'm just in dire need of advice because careers advisors in my college only seem to know about university routes :(

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Hey Daniel! Not familiar with the BTEC but it sounds similar to what they offer in the local high school system in Australia. It's an interesting debate with some obvious pros and cons. I've seen a few of the higher apprentices during my time at PwC and had some work directly with me. My two cents on this one, university gives you an extended opportunity to work on your analytical and problem solving skills. While you get to do this during your apprenticeship on real cases, the environment is the key difference. University is relatively stress free where there are plenty of opportunities to make mistakes and work on building rapport with team members. The work environment is more fast paced and the support system isn't as strong because people have limited time to assign to your training and development. The apprenticeship path gives you the obvious fast track into the work place but you may find yourself a little hamstrung if it turns out you want to work in other fields. I'm seeing a trend where workplaces are ditching the requirement to have a degree so this offsets the above. Ultimately, I don't think either option is a bad choice and also choices that you can reverse/course correct from if it's not working out. Good luck with whatever you choose 🙂

[@danielbusby865]

@@Yusuf-zm4gn thanks i appreciate that you took the time to respond :)

[@ronanhewit5218]

Hey, I will be starting an apprenticeship in Sept/Oct this year and wondered if you did join an apprenticeship and how did you find it?

[@lavishventure4880]

honestly, do u often work 15 hr days? If so, how often in a week?

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

haha the timing of this question couldn't be more appropriate! I've worked till midnight every day this week...it's currently Saturday and I'm sat at my desk working well into the night. It's hard to say how many times in a week because it all depends on how manic the project is and more specifically the deadlines you're working towards. In an average year spanning 4-5 projects you'll work 15 hour days ~30% of the time. And it hits in peaks and troughs so it is more likely that you'll have consecutive 15 hour days as a deadline approaches as opposed to one 15 hour day every 3 days spread evenly across the year which is far more manageable. Hope that was helpful and made some sense...I'm borderline delirious right now :) Thinking about joining consulting?

[@zz-dk4sv]

Great vid! I am muslim looking to get into consulting in London for Big 4 or the 3 MBB and wondering if they allow you to stop meetings when its time to pray e.g when with a client. Also do they allow you to observe Friday prayer in the nearest mosque?

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Hey! Thanks for the feedback 🙂 I've had no issues where prayer is concerned in my 5 odd years. It's rare that you'll have meeting's that go beyond 2 hours aside from the odd workshop so you have plenty of time to pray. And both EY and PwC had dedicated prayer rooms inside the building so takes no more than 10 mins. I've also consistently made Friday prayers too. I block out my calendar during that time and that's worked fine except maybe once or twice but they're generally very understanding. All the best and let me know if you have any other questions 🙂

[@zz-dk4sv]

The YUSRAH Show Thank you so much for the informative response!

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Any time!!

[@yunglord_z9743]

Lets say if you have a plan to travel while working at pwc... Do they allow certain breaks at periods of time throughout the year or can you schedual somethinng...because i plan to apply for an apprenticeship and so on but also would like to travel preferably to America or Japan

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Depending on the local policies, you are free to take breaks at any point during the year and this doesn't just have to be for travel! Good luck with your plans and let me know if there's anything else you need clarified :)

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Most of my colleagues in consulting spend their 4 weeks of annual leave abroad... You can also purchase flex leave which allows you to stay beyond the 4 weeks 😏

[@allendavis6935]

Is he Uk or Australia

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Australia

[@christophershaari9858]

Are you in MC or Strategy&? Currently have internship in MC and am curious as to whether the culture you described applies to it? Thanks!!

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

Hey Chris! First things first, congrats on the internship and I hope you enjoy it 🙂 thinking back to when I made this video, there was probably a little S& bias in what I was saying because I was 'lucky' enough to have been doing back to back projects with the S& team. The S& style and ways of working is definitely suited to those who are willing to put their careers above all else because that team is not shy about demanding all of your waking hours for work purposes. But in saying this, the underhandedness, the politics, the mind games do apply more broadly across the board and it comes down to your smaller unit within MC for example to promote a more positive work environment. From my experience with MC they are definitely one of the better areas of the business! My one piece of advice to you would be to adopt a 30% 'Mr nice guy' approach and the remaining 70% is a selfish/you against the world mentality. That way you're on guard and less susceptible to the mind games. Interns/grads/consultants play too many mind games for my liking because they're all looking to get the edge over their peer group. But all you really need is the right network of senior team members in your corner and a sound work ethic to take you places. Ain't nobody got time for mind games haha! All the best with the internship champ

[@hokageenergy9599]

This video looks like a diary of a castaway hahahaha

[@Yusuf-zm4gn]

😂 😂 😂 felt like it too

[@brycefitzgerald4858]

Imo consulting Sounds like zero sum hell.

[@samrawlingson8085]

Sorry I must say that "be a snake" is a terrible advice. Not all consulting firms are like this, you sound a bit like you're done with consulting but it's not how it is everywhere...