Leaving Deloitte

I joined Deloitte from industry about 3.5 years ago, but I didn’t see much opportunity for upward mobility. Advancement seemed to depend more on pleasing SM PPMD than on actual performance, and the expectation to work to exhaustion didn’t sit well with me (always 50+ hours).

Additionally, I noticed a certain arrogance among some Deloitte employees who had spent their entire careers there. Many seemed to believe Deloitte was the pinnacle of the professional world, dismissing industry experience as less valuable. There was also a common misconception that industry professionals simply worked a 9-to-5 job and collected a paycheck, which I found frustrating.

Another cultural shock for me was the lack of professional etiquette. It was common for people to schedule meetings after hours or during lunch without consideration. Overall, I found that many SMs and PPMDs acted more like taskmasters aka Slave Drivers than leaders, which ultimately reinforced my decision to leave.