By Braam Pretorius

Welcome to The Big 4 – Where Hope Goes to Die

 Think Navy SEALs…

But with less food, more spreadsheets, and a Management Team who believes emotions are a weakness that needs to be reported in the quarterly budget meetings.

Sanjay, the hero of our story, has seen it all:

• 2am Teams calls with people in three time zones and one time warp
• Being "thanked" for 300% utilization with a R45 Checkers voucher
• And motivational quotes in PowerPoint that made him question his will to live

And when Sanjay finally escaped to one of the Big 4 Banks?

One where; deadlines don’t live in the twilight zone. Lunch breaks are legal. 
And nobody sends “gentle reminders” at 11:52pm.

Sanjay was a legend. 300% chargeability. Never said no. Always delivered.

And how did his Partner, let’s call her Clarissa, react when she lost her top billable slave?

“Congratulations Sanjay 😍”

Like she just released a butterfly she had pinned to a cork board for 6 years.

That’s it. No soul. No context. Just an emoji that says: “You may have escaped, but I’m still pretending we were friends.”

So, I’ve worked in places where your utilization tracker knows more about you than HR. Where “feedback sessions” are surprise Kumbaya circles. Where trauma is politely ignored, as long as the Power Point deck is client ready.

But when you finally break out, just remember: You are not a resource. You are the hammer that built the cabin. All you need is more nails and wood.

To Sanjay, and every quiet hero walking out with their soul still intact, Well done, boet.

Now go and build something that lasts.