I just finished my third busy season as an associate in financial services auditing at a big 4. I know that auditing is not for me and am looking to change. I think management consulting seems very interesting and something I would like to pursue. How hard is it to do an internal transfer? There are not many jobs posted to the internal job site however I do know people that work in advisory to circulate my resume. I'm wondering what the pros/cons to staying at my current firm and doing an internal transfer or switching to another big 4 makes more sense. I'm currently getting my resume out to recruiters and I'm also unsure if I should stick it out until July when I get promoted to sr. associate to have the title. Help!
Apr 02, 2017
Trending Content - Management Consulting Forum
| +17 | Credit Card recs | 2 | 4d |
| +12 | Commute 45 Minutes or Pay Rent? | 2 | 40m |
| +9 | Is Russia-based Big4 experience a dealbreaker for US firms? | 2 | 2d |
Career Resources
Career Advancement Opportunities
June 2026 Consulting
-
Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
-
Bain & Company 98.9%
-
McKinsey and Co 98.4%
-
Oliver Wyman 97.9%
-
LEK Consulting 97.4%
Overall Employee Satisfaction
June 2026 Consulting
-
Cornerstone Research 99.5%
-
Bain & Company 98.9%
-
Boston Consulting Group 98.4%
-
McKinsey and Co 97.9%
-
Oliver Wyman 97.4%
Professional Growth Opportunities
June 2026 Consulting
-
Bain & Company 99.5%
-
Boston Consulting Group 98.9%
-
McKinsey and Co 98.4%
-
Oliver Wyman 97.9%
-
LEK Consulting 97.4%
Total Avg Compensation
June 2026 Consulting
-
Partner (4) $361
-
Principal (30) $294
-
Director/MD (58) $274
-
Vice President (53) $247
-
Engagement Manager (113) $232
-
Manager (170) $173
-
2nd Year Associate (185) $142
-
3rd+ Year Associate (116) $135
-
Senior Consultant (354) $132
-
Consultant (642) $122
-
1st Year Associate (577) $121
-
3rd+ Year Analyst (164) $121
-
NA (16) $114
-
Engineer (6) $114
-
2nd Year Analyst (390) $104
-
Associate Consultant (176) $101
-
1st Year Analyst (1163) $90
-
Intern/Summer Associate (208) $83
-
Intern/Summer Analyst (632) $68
16 IB Interviews Notes
“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”
Leaderboard
| 1 |  |
99.2 |
| 2 | |
99.0 |
| 3 | |
99.0 |
| 4 | |
99.0 |
| 5 |  |
98.9 |
| 6 | |
98.9 |
| 7 |  |
98.9 |
| 8 | |
98.9 |
| 9 | |
98.9 |
| 10 |  |
98.8 |
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship
“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”
It's going to be very difficult to make the jump directly from audit to advisory or management consulting. A better bet is to try to get into Transaction Advisory Services. A lot of the work benefits from having the "audit" background but you end up on deals-based work. The caveat is that you need to be consistently viewed as a top-performer to get that sort of role. It's one of the most desirable opportunities for those who want to leave audit but stay with the firm.
i've been ranked a 2, which is not the best, but better than average. i spoke to my sr. manager today and he was open to letting me switch since i vocalized my goals and was pretty surprised. he told me i need to made internal connections and get my resume out that way. has anyone had experience with this?
Yes. Your current team/market will support you through the process but they won't be able to make anything happen for you (esp. HR, they will act like they can but you won't hear anything from them).
Here's what you need to do: 1) Look in your internal database for alumni that are on the consulting side, tell them what you're looking to do and ask to learn more about consulting/advisory. The only difference between you and this person is you majored in accounting and they most likely did not (MBAs excluded). 2) Chat about their role and let them know what it is you're looking for in consulting. If it matches what their group does, you've basically skipped a step. If not, they should have a good idea of other consulting groups within the firm and may be able to put you in connect with someone. 3) Once you've identified a group of interest, tailor your resume to match some desirable skillsets. Once you have a conversation with someone from your desired group, they will ask for your resume so have it ready. 4) Start looking outside your firm for similar groups. Your audit team will try and screw you and want another busy season.. its nice to have another offer in hand 5) Follow up with the individual from your desired group, have them put you in contact with HR and a partner in your market.. This will normally result in a not so formal interview process.
The process is not difficult if you hit the right connections, but it can absolutely be long and a pain in the ass. Best of luck.
Look towards the finance focused consulting groups - PI- Finance, S&O - Finance.. The stakeholders from a client perspective are the same so the transition isn't too drastic. I work in one of these groups - PM if you have further questions.
Hey Big4MC, S&O Finance is exactly what I was looking at. Having been working in Financial Service Audit for almost 2 years, I am wondering what was your experience approaching your counsellor and basically telling them that Audit isn't for you and you wanted to pursue consulting? Thanks!
Why are you still an associate after three busy seasons?
my firm promotes associates to senior associates after 3 busy seasons. some get promoted in 2/2.5, but most are associates for 3
Et saepe tenetur voluptas qui. Inventore quae qui harum dolore. Occaecati eos consequatur consequuntur nihil placeat illo et.
Nesciunt et tempora dolores dolores ipsa. Nam quia voluptatem hic sit dolor. Rerum et atque suscipit vel id qui fugiat optio. Doloremque ut dicta quasi labore quia. Ut aut eum eligendi magni aliquid reiciendis et. Animi temporibus voluptate aut facere.
Voluptas cum commodi tempore. Repellat distinctio labore similique aliquam quasi quia nihil. Distinctio ea inventore ea aut. Vitae quo ut in repudiandae et molestias voluptas.
Facilis quisquam eius dolorum sit. Repudiandae repellendus ipsum id aliquam quisquam cupiditate suscipit. Qui voluptates ut aut expedita omnis. Omnis dignissimos vero quasi iure enim deleniti.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...