I've spent less than a year in a position with one of the Big 4 and after careful consideration I have decided to leave. I am contemplating moving to a smaller boutique firm. Contemplating because partners in the company want me to move to another area of the business but stay with the 'family'. I am not totally convinced.Apart from the new firm asking why have you worked for less than year (10 months to be precise), what other questions would arise? Also, have others experience this in their careers? It would be really great to hear from you.

Worked at the big4 for less than a year myself. Another friend of mine stayed a year at the same big 4 firm, I now work at a boutique and my friend is exploring the world of start ups. At the end of the day the big4 isn't for everyone. Questions will definitely arise but if going to a boutique they should understand your reasons if you are able to explain yourself well enough. Don't like being a cog in a big wheel etc etc....

Thank you, it is good to know as I've been given mixed messages as to how long one should be with consultancies before moving on, say. I would stay and move to another practice within the Big 4 but the experience in this practice is making my 'transition' time untenable which is just unprofessional. Any suggestions for boutiques specialising in Aero & Defence, process optimisation, PLM, Supply Chain or Programme Management?Granted they are not, PA Consulting have knocked on my door. Would appreciate any help.

Can you tell us more about the issues you're experiencing in your current practice?I agree, any partner that tries to move you to another department and says they want you to "stay with the family" is almost certainly being disingenuous. Have they given you a reason why they want you to move to the other department. IF (and only if) it's because the only alternative is to make redundancies in your department, then I for one would stay - they clearly like you a lot. However, if (and I would imagine this might be more likely to be the case), they won't really give a reason, then they're just bad managers and are being less than honest about their intentions - and in this case I would show them absolutely zero loyalty and put number 1 first at all and any costs to the "firm". So can you tell us some more?

Thanks BEP. It is not so much the current Partner but another Partner in another area/service who wants me and believes (so do I) that the current area is not capitalising on my strengths. So the current area (and its' people) are making the transition untenable to the new area and are potholing everything in my path to make it uncomfortable. I am inclined to agree with looking after numero uno, so I'm going to give them the finger and move on.

You mean they're fighting over who gets to have you??You're in demand.... this has got to be a good thing, right?

Hi Engineer,I would strongly suggest you have a long hard think before jumping ship and agree with BEP.There are some positives here, there is a Partner who wants you in his team - never a bad thing.Rather than giving up and moving somewhere else (where lets face it, this kind of thing also happens all the time) it might be far better to push your case and move to the other team where you may enjoy it far more. It doesn't feel like the best thing to move firms for you, it feels that moving into the new team is what you really want and this should be your aim. Get HR and the new Partner involved if needed, this is your career so get what you want out of it as noone else is going to help you.

Well things have turned seriously ugly and the current partner has unleashed a "performance" issue and HR have requested a meeting. This will now deviate my time to prepare for this unnecessary meeting and narks me up the wrong way as I have other better things to be doing, like er, helping clients.The other Partner is not impressed with the unfolding events but wants to know the final outcome.

Uhhh..... so your current partner has gone nuclear on you???It is now time to activate the doomsday machine!!! Do not hesitate!Call the other partner FAST and jump ship to his team AS FAST AS YOU CAN.The current partner has shown his hand! He is trying to destroy you! What a plonker... if he can't have you, nobody else can.... is that his line of thinking? (or maybe did you say something to wind him up?)Either way, you mustn't let the current partner play out his plan! "Performance issues" indeed... you owe him ZERO loyalty now. Jump ship to the other department before the nuclear bomb lands on you........!!! Do anything and everything you can to get the other partner on your side and to pull you onto his team before the other partner pushes you out of the firm! Do NOT pull any punches now... that point was passed when the other partner started the performance issue thing. My approach would be to undermine the performance issue thing by getting the other partner to proactively contact HR to say that your skills are totally mis-used in your current department and that he WANTS, nay INSISTS that you come over to his team NOW, where you will be very highly valued.... Get him to say that he wants you to drop all your current client commitments in the other department and move to his department asap where he has work which is a perfect match for your skills lined up and ready for you, and that for whatever reason nobody else in his department is able to do it. Do NOT wait for the HR meeting to happen, get the other partner to deal with it BEFORE it gets to that stage...

I'm afraid BEP is correct, you need to move asap. Yesterday.Do not underestimate the power of Partners, you need to get yourself with one that wants you or else things are going to get very uncomfortable. Partners have reached their level for a reason - they are very very good at getting what they want and as a newbie you are in a vulnerable position.Move asap!

Thanks all for the sound advice. It was serious untenable to stay at the Big-4 (Deloitte), so I left. The Partner was a complete and utter witch, making it serious uncomfortable and even worse getting her minions (Directors) to start a "performance" related concern with the aim of putting me on an improvement plan, which we all know, is pretty much saying leave. This Partner, and her area, are notorious of sticking it in into anyone who doesn't play ball. The other Partner was informed and he was not impressed with the attitude. HR was involved and was, well, useless in resolving the situation. To cut it short, I raised my middle finger told them to stick it. The whole situation at this Practice was toxic and glad I am away from it. The other Partner, who wanted me, was really narked off they are losing someone who can add serious value.

This is interesting - I hadnt noticed the date of the original posts but was about to mention that Deloitte are currently and actively beefing up their supply chain practice in support of their wor in the Defence sector.

I've had a couple of friends leave Deloitte citing a toxic atmosphere... wonder what's going on over there.

Which areas?

Just Deloitte?Was this a move to another big 4?

Consulting. Both moved to other big 4.