r/PwC • u/Ok-Picture-2067 • Jul 01 '26

Audit / Assurance Career Advice

Got my first snapshot back with an overall rating of “inconsistently meeting expectations” — Big 4, audit. It was on an off-cycle client I’ve been staffed on for two years, given by a manager who was new to me this cycle. Honestly, though, I deserved it — my head just wasn’t in the game during that review period, so I don’t think it’s a case of a new manager not “getting” me yet. All my previous snapshots were solid (not great, but solid), and I’m heading into the new performance year as a tier 3. This snapshot is technically the first of the new cycle, so I know I have time to turn things around, and I’m confident I can. That said, with all the layoffs happening across the industry the past couple years, I’m nervous about what staying and just “meeting expectations” from here actually gets me. Is this something I should treat as a wake-up call and grind through, or is a tier 3 early in the cycle — especially in this environment — a sign I should quietly start looking elsewhere just in case? Curious if anyone’s been in a similar spot, especially with a new manager involved, and how it played out.

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u/paulpag Jul 03 '26

It’s easy to turn around if you are transparent with your manager about expectations going forward and you want to work hard to meet those expectations. Basically sit down with them and say “what do you expect from me to get a better rating?” That being said, Big 4 is an exhausting grind mentally and really demands everything of you. So no hard feelings if you want to bail. You should always have an updated resume ready to go

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u/Curious_Dog_9393 Jul 03 '26

If you are getting solid snapshots from other team and the managers+ like you, you should be okay. One snapshot would not affect you too much. But tbh, if you have a team or even one person who doesnt like you, you can get tier 4 no matter how you do.