Summer is over. The schools are back. Standing room only on the trains again. And just when you could realistically expect the newspapers to resume 'normal service' with proper news, a story emerges about a disgruntled PwC student who fires off a vitriolic e-mail on his last day in the office, having been 'let go' for having failed his exams. Within minutes, the e-mail has been forwarded outside PwC, and soon it is 'an internet sensation'. Oh dear.
I have just spent a few minutes reading the comments on the London 'Evening Standard' website. They seem equally divided between those who think that the offending student has been foolish and will live to regret his outburst; and those who have elevated him to hero status for having spoken his mind and not having fallen into the trap of becoming a corporate clone.
Such views miss the point. I believe that the student has been naive, not just for sending the e-mail in the first place, but perhaps more importantly for not having taken responsibility for his own career at an earlier stage.
Accountancy is not for everyone; but that does not mean that it is not a vital and rewarding profession. Large firm culture suits some people; but others prefer a mid-sized or smaller firm environment. And students considering a career in the profession need to take responsibility for making the right choices and if, at some stage, they realise that they have made the wrong choice, they need to have the courage to take appropriate action and realign their careers, either in a different type of firm, or in a different field completely.
Clients are beginning to realise this too. Recent recessionary pressures have accelerated this process with more and more businesses beginning to realise that big is not always best, and that high levels of technical expertise and international coverage can be found within firms that are part of the professional associations, of which MSI Global Alliance (www.msiglobal.org) is one.
None of this is very new. Students have always had to make choices - and sometimes that means recognising that a change of direction is necessary. I did - when I resigned from Deloittes after 6 weeks as a graduate trainee in 1979. But, as with so many problems, the way that a problem is handled reveals so much more than the cause of the problem itself.
And, of course, in 1979, there was no e-mail.
James Mendelssohn
CEO, MSI Global Alliance
James - you make some great points.
I haven't seen the email you refer to or the comments on the London Evening Standard website. The complaints of this former PwC employee are sadly familiar. We are interviewing for new audit staff and have interviewed current and former Big 4 and Second Tier staff - all are complaining about constantly working 50-65 hours a week. We have times like that, especially during our busy season, but not week after week. Not fair to us, not fair to our wonderful staff, and especially not fair to our wonderful clients, who ultimately get shortchanged.
Looking forward to seeing you at the International Meeting in Toronto in October.
Posted by: Joel Ungar | September 11, 2009 at 01:56 PM
I definitely agree with you. Students should learn how to deal different scenarios of life. Even that they are still child in mind, they should learn how to handle it. It's a preparation and learning stage for them.
Posted by: Port Douglas hotels | December 20, 2009 at 08:05 AM