How to Make Partner in a Big 4 Firm
Making it all the way to partner in a Big 4 firm is a challenging business. You know that you signed up for long hours working with bright, talented and ambitious people. You also know that your firm will always demand more of you. Whether that’s more hours or better results.
But if you want to make partner, that’s not enough! You will need to learn how to create the time to get noticed as partnership potential, build your own brand and win your own clients.
You’ll need to learn how to delegate, how to lead & manage a team and how to network consistently so that you can start to bring in work for the firm.
Feeling overwhelmed? If you’re reading that and feeling as if there is no way you could be one of those people who progresses their career in your firm, then keep reading!
The Big 4 accountants and consultants who have worked through my Progress to Partner Academy courses felt exactly the same as you but they didn’t let this stop them. They took action to move forwards!
On this page you can:
- Find out if you really do want to make partner – is it because it’s expected of you?
- Take our Partnership Readiness Assessment – so you think you’re to make partner?
- Find out more about Progress to Partner Academy
Legal Firm Careers
Consultancy Careers
Accountancy Firm Careers
This is the best resource I have found that really understand the challenges of being in a Big 4. It’s a very rich resource, and the Game Plans help you decide where to get started.
Director, Deloitte UK
I’d recommend the (How to Find Your) Niche course in Progress to Partner to any manager or senior in a Big 4 Firm. Director, Australia
Is Partnership really for you?
Progressing your career in professional services is hard. You need to be good at your day job, hit your billable targets and then learn to manage others.
Then if that wasn’t enough, if you are going to make partner you need to create a business within a business. That means making the time for business development and gathering together a team of people that you trust. This change doesn’t happen overnight. It’s about those moments. The moments when you need to conquer your fears, challenge the imposter syndrome, take a step forward and not fall back into old habits.
We can help you with those moments.
Building your skills and reputation can take a lifetime, but taking responsibility for your own career can start as soon as you like. Are you committed to becoming a partner? Is there anything stopping you?
Will you manage the workload and still have time for family and friends?
Have you considered your career routes and paths?
Progress to Partner Academy is for Consultancy Practice Professionals Who Want to Make Partner…
Without Working Harder, Losing Momentum When Life (and Deadlines) Take Priority or Second-Guessing Why People Get Promoted in Your Firm.
Have you ever worried that you might not have the right skills to progress to partner because no one’s actually told you what your firm looks for in the people they promote?
Do you consistently hit your targets, work long hours at your desk and at home and receive great feedback, but you have no idea how close (or far) you are from making partner?
Are your many urgent client, family and work commitments having to take priority over working on your personal and career development and you’re concerned the partners might not notice your partner potential?
The 16 courses in Progress to Partner will not only you show you what you need to do to make progress AND help you to find the time to do it. There will be videos, guidance and exercises to work through and you can take the all at your own pace.
Inside Progress to Partner Academy, you’ll unlock 12-months access to:
- All the courses are specifically at people like you – our members are accountants, consultants, auditors and lawyers from all over the world
Work through the courses slowly at your own pace (you’ve got 12 months access!) and build the skills and put the habits into place that will get you noticed by your firm.
Stop waiting and hoping that you’ll get magically noticed and singled out for development. Take the steps that you need to learn the skills that will really help to to make it to partner track and beyond.
Courses include:
⭐️ How to make time for business development
⭐️ How to create your cast-iron business case for partner
⭐️ How to excel as a line manager
⭐️ How to delegate like a pro
⭐️ How to become known as the “Go-to Expert” (building your client portfolio)
Start with: How to Truly Commit to your moving your Career Forward. Then…
If you’re worried about networking and winning work start with Getting Confident on LinkedI, How to Delegate like a Pro, How to Make the Time for Business Development before moving onto the big beast of How to Become Known as the Go-To-Expert,
If you’re looking towards building your business case for partner you’ll need to work through How to Build a Cast-Iron Business Case for Partner plus my videos and guidance on the partnership admissions process so that you can ace your partner admissions interview.
Click here to find out more about how Progress to Partner Academy can help you get noticed as partner material
- Free 20 minute call with an executive coach to help you get the most out of your membership
PLUS!
- Weekly email tips to keep you on track & help you get the most out of your membership
- Discounted rates for 1:1 coaching with one of our executive coaches.
Click here to unlock 12-months access to Progress to Partner Academy for just £290 +VAT and start working to build your partner-ready skills.
Work on your Partner Mindset
The mindset to transition from employee to business owner
Direction
Do you know what really makes you tick and what you stand for?
Career Plan
Do you have a career plan guiding you to do the right things at the right time?
Support Team
Do you have the right support team in place to help you go all the way?
Delegation Courses
Do you have the right people to delegate to so you can free yourself up to focus on partner type duties?
Go-to Expert Courses
Are you widely known and seen as an expert in what you do?
Referral Network Courses
Build referral networks to supply you with enough of the right type of work
Business Development Habit Courses
Do you routinely do a bit of business development each day?
Personal Case Courses
Do you match up against the criteria required for partners in your firm?
Member of the Club Courses
Do your partners trust you to deliver and have you as your business partner?
Business Case Courses
Are you implementing a robust business plan to help you grow the profits of your firm?
Partner Admission Process Courses
Have you prepared for each element of the process? Can you succinctly pitch your business case?
Why Progress to Partner Academy?
Grab our videos and courses at the right moment
Becoming a partner is a mighty undertaking, don’t try to do it all at once. Tackle problems in your role as they come up, with our help. Timely advice, broken into management chunks and selectable by topic.
Use our Game Plans
Know you want to get somewhere, but are overwhelmed with where to start and what to do? We’ve done that thinking with our Game Plans, including “I’m 4+ years from making partner, what should I be doing?”
Create you Business Development Plan
Business development planning is a core part of becoming a partner. Having the skills you want to develop in your eye line will lead to many micro-decisions and progress.
Develop at your own pace
Whether you are still preparing, actively working towards partnership or are getting ready for the presentation, we offer a level of service.
Private Strategy Call
In this focused 20-minute 1-1 call, you’ll sit down (virtually) with your seasoned ‘Progress to Partner’ Executive Coach, Kate Clover, who knows exactly what it takes to make partner in firms like yours.
She’ll review your Assessment report, pinpoint where you are along the way to partnership and help you create a personalised 90-day progression plan using the courses in Progress to Partner, tailored for your role, lifestyle and goals.
2 Months Unlimited Access!
Whether you’re six months out from putting your Business Case forward or just starting to build visibility, in Progress to Partner Academy, you will have constant career progression cheerleaders, companions and coaches by your side for the next 12 months – experts, guiding you steadily and strategically towards partnership.
Partnership doesn’t just happen by working harder. It happens when you show up differently, take the right actions, and get the right people in your corner.
Entry Level Program
Preparing early for Partner is by far the easiest way to get there in the end. In small and subtle ways at first, your skills and reputation inside the business emerges. Give yourself time.
Progress to Partner Pricing – What Will You Get?
Progress to Partner Pricing – What Will You Get?
Partner – BLM LLP
“Thank you very much indeed for your significant help and support – as a result of your guidance, I felt incredibly confident in submitting my business plan and then giving my presentation and interview. In the days after the presentation and interview, I had some very positive feedback from the partners who interviewed me, saying that my performance was “outstanding” and that my presentation was “very slick and professional” – I doubt it would have been without your advice and guidance. I gained so much confidence from working with you, and I am extremely grateful.”
Partner – BLM LLP
“Thank you very much indeed for your significant help and support – as a result of your guidance, I felt incredibly confident in submitting my business plan and then giving my presentation and interview. In the days after the presentation and interview, I had some very positive feedback from the partners who interviewed me, saying that my performance was “outstanding” and that my presentation was “very slick and professional” – I doubt it would have been without your advice and guidance. I gained so much confidence from working with you, and I am extremely grateful.”
How can we help you?
Please complete the form below to provide us with your information, and we will contact you as soon as possible to offer our assistance.
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Premium Membership Courses
When you are ready to move full steam ahead, join the premium program and get more in depth support with our detailed courses.
Frequently Asked Questions – Joining our programs
Is there a minimum membership length?
If you join as a monthly premium member, you will pay monthly and can cancel your subscription at any time on the Progress to Partner Dashboard.
Annual subscribers have paid for 12 months. We will send a reminder email to you before your subscription expires and you will have the opportunity to choose not to renew for a further 12 months
Do you guarantee I will get a promotion if I join?
We can’t guarantee that! The Progress to Partner subscriber only site will give you the knowledge and skills you need to get noticed but you do need to put the work in to build your skills; reading our guides, watching our videos and working through the self-study courses. This isn’t a quick fix!
Make sure you also attend the Lunch & Learn Workshops (or watch the replays if you have Premium membership)
For even better results, don’t hesitate to schedule your private coaching sessions when needed. These have discounted rates for Premium members.
You will need to put the work in both in the membership site and then when you are at work to make sure you are doing all you can to get noticed as “partner-ready”.
I would like to sign up more than one person in my firm for membership – can you offer a discount?
Let us know if you would like to sign up more than 5 people in your firm and we will be able to offer you a discount.
Will I be able to ask questions if I get stuck?
Of course! You can ask questions in our private subscriber-only Facebook Group or ask questions during our live Lunch & Learn workshops. We’re ready to help!
I am already respected at my firm. Why would I need to join Progress to Partner
Even if you are already respected at your firm, it is still very easy to get stuck in your career and be relegated to “a safe-pair of hands”. If you think it’s your firm’s responsibility to develop you, then you’re wrong.
If you’re relying on your firm for your own development, you’re putting yourself at risk by giving the firm control of whether you progress or not.
I know many people who have progressed their career on their own, why do I need to join?
Are you 100% sure they didn’t receive external help? You may have seen people that you felt were not as technically strong as you progressing their career. This is because they learned what skills they needed to show and they have quite simply taken control of their own development and their own career progression.
Wouldn’t it be amazing to do it with the support of experts that have been training and supporting people you like you to progress in their careers for over 15 years?
Our Books
Heather Townsend
Heather Townsend is the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner – and when you get there, stay there. She regularly runs programmes to help fee earners take the step up to partner, and establish themselves as a new partner, for mid-tier law, accountancy and consultancy firms. It just so happens that she is rather good (and not really that modest either!) in helping individuals successfully market and sell themselves. Just the skills you need when you are aiming to grow your client portfolio AND make it to partner.
In fact, her clients have added over £1 million in fees to their client portfolio in the last year. Heather often works with private clients who want to drive their own career (regardless of the development options offered by their firm) via her Progress To Partner membership site. The membership site helps lawyers, accountants and consultants to:
She is the author of 6 books including ‘How to make partner and still have a life‘ (co-authored with Jo Larbie), ‘Poised for partnership‘, ‘The Financial Times guide to business networking‘ and ‘The Go-To Expert‘. Her books have sold over 20,000 copies globally and been translated into over 6 different languages and attracted over 200 five star reviews on Amazon.Her coaching style has been described as challenging, friendly but very supportive.
