I was sitting here the other day and had a strange thought. Major accounting firms are similar to paramilitary operations. In my youth, I spent about 10 years in these types of firms, so I feel qualified to make this strange observation. Why do I think this, you may ask?
- Rigid chain of command
- Staff receive very specialized training that is somewhat but rarely ~totally~ relevant outside the firm/operation
- Rigid pay structure and staff hierarchy
- Intense performance review process
- There is no such thing as a successful “nine-to-fiver”
- You rarely get to go home when YOU want to
- Its hard to plan nights at the theatre – work always interferes
- Clients/(countries) you are investigating/(invading) get agitated when you show up/(stay too long) and ask too many questions
- Clients/(countries) you are investigating/(invading) get agitated when you ask too many questions which makes you wish you were armed/(glad you are armed).
- For just about everything you do on the job, there is a right way (your firm’s/your outfit) and a wrong way to do it (the other firms’ on the block/the Navy/Army/whoever you aren’t).
- Defined methods of advancement
- Relative job security since you are not easily replaced
- You are surrounded by bad haircuts
- Staff have questionable fashion sense when out of ‘uniform’
- There is a strong pro-organization culture in place which makes it difficult to leave. You work so much that much of your social network involves your co-workers.
- Holding out the carrot of one day making partner/(general) is not nearly as effective on your junior staff/(non-coms or junior officers) as it once was.
This is not to say that I don’t have a good deal of respect for either entity. They each have important roles to fill in society. I just never saw the similarities between the two before…..
Interesting, Ernst and Young was recently forced to pay overtime to its administrative staff (where they were performing professional work)- but not its actual professional staff….
I suspect others may have a few suggestions for the list.
The Northerngardener (an ex-road warrior)
(Copyright 2008 by the Northerngardener. Go ahead and link to me, just don’t copy me. )
Um, you misread that. KPMG was forced to pay O/T to its admin staff for doing professional work.
The finding also led to all professionals who don’t have a professional designation (or who aren’t working at students in that field) to also get O/T.
All Big 4 firms went through the steps of making payouts this year. KPMG, Ernst and Young, PwC, and finally, Deloitte.
Hope that helps.
BTW, Fun list. I worked with former (current – reservist!) soldiers who joined Big Four life, and would definitely agree with the list. Only differences I would argue are that some (only SOME) pull off getting some flex into the admittedly rigid pay structure. And I go home whenever I want to, though I am willing to stay late to get the job done, so we’ll call that point a draw. And my friends have VERY fashionable haircuts, so #13 doesn’t fly these days. Same goes with #14. i work with fashionistas. It’s fun.
Thanks for the clarification!
Hmmm.. Where I worked, there was only one fashionista, and she flunked the entrance exam to summer school before she could teach the rest of us any fashion sense….