Reflections on my first promotion at the Big 4

Disclaimer: The article reflects the opinion of the author and does not reflect the views of PwC as a firm.

2020 has been a crazy year to say the least - COVID-19 happened and brought basically almost every aspect of life to a standstill.

It’s been over a year and a half since I began my career, and all the hard work toiling away at home has paid off - with a nice promotion. Promotions are sweet, especially the first, and at a time like this, I’d consider myself very lucky!

Given my previous article on “How to get a Big 4 job as an International Student” was well received, I thought I’d share my reflections on what I felt contributed to my promotion for those that might be interested. It would be nice to document the milestone, but at the same time serve as a note to those that are currently in a position I was then – hopefully you will find it insightful and helpful in your respectful careers. 

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1.    Respect is earned, not given.

You essentially start from Level 0 when you begin work.

Were you a stud at University? Well, it doesn’t matter anymore, because no one (at work) cares. How you are perceived, and if you are a trusted member of the team really depends on your first few months at work - that will be precisely the time your brand and work ethic are developed (i.e how people perceive you – “Bob is a responsible guy, Bob is a hardworking guy”, etc.). And once that’s formed, it will take great effort to remold it.

My take is, put in the hard work (even if your managers might tell you to take it easy – don’t fall for it!), because that initial investment will pay lasting dividends in the form of trust. And that is valuable capital for your career development.

2.    Take initiative – even if you might fail.

When you’re a junior starting out, you are in an advantageous position. Why? Because no one expects much from you. That presents you with the opportunity to overdeliver.

When I started out, one effective yet simple initiative I introduced to the team, was Coffee Roulette (weekly coffee with randomized members of the team). It fostered more team bonding which became especially beneficial during the pandemic when all of us had to work from home. The team loved it and it has been running since. It’s no big achievement by any stretch of imagination – but it made a positive impact which was well appreciated.

I should also mention, there were times when I failed miserably at initiatives I put forward. It happens. What matters is that you don’t take it personally and move on!

3.    Awkward? Embrace it.

Stepping into the work environment is a period of many firsts – you are bound to encounter many awkward situations, some incredibly cringy, it makes you question yourself.

I vividly remember having a coffee with a colleague more senior than me – it was ridiculously awkward.

Painful silences.. Darting eyes.. Weird small talk..

For those that know me, I’m no big fan of the AFL, so imagine me trying to make it sound like I was one. Let’s just say, it is not a fond memory.

Fast forward to today, I’ve developed a strong personal relationship with the person and that awkwardness has vanished. Amazing. Miracles happen.

The lesson I picked up: (in the famous words of Nike) just do it! The more you do, the more you get used to it. You stumble the first few times and after a while you stand on your own two feet.

That’s not to say you won’t stumble ever again. The next time, you just know what you have to do.

4.    Invest in relationships

If there is only one thing you take away from this article, take this: relationships are everything.

I can’t think of anyone that has made it alone (please let me know if you do). The opportunities, the learning and the experience I had, can be largely attributed to the great relationships I have with my immediate team and more broadly, PwC.

So consciously make it a point to reach out for that coffee, or even go out of your way to help someone, because you never know where that might lead to.

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There you have it – first promotion done and dusted. I hope you find it useful and all the best to those looking to get that first promotion.

Thanks for reading and feel free to connect!