Company: KPMG
Date: 2009-11-02
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: current

Average pay for the hours required.
Pros: KPMG are very focused on staff development. They also put a lot of energy in providing opportunities within the firm. Movement between services in very flexible with plenty of secondment opportunities. 

It's a Big 4 firm with a very good reputation. Those who have been through the 3 year training programme are in most cases regarded as very sound professionals.

People are generally very friendly and treat each other with respect. Although there is a heirarchy there is still very easy interaction between partners/ senior management and trainees.

Very cosmopolitan and international working environment. In a group of 20 people I've often counted up to 10 different nationalities!
Cons: Whilst the training and skills one receives in audit are very useful, the stigma of being an 'auditor' can be a real downer at times. 

The pay could be better at all levels up until partner. There is a massive gap in pay between Senior Manager and Partner. Given that it can take up to 10 years to be made partner, working like a dog and earning peanuts, there is a major incentive to get out straight after qualifying. 

In fact, I imagine they lose a tremendous amount of talent as a result of this system.

Another con would simply be the often mundane nature of doing audit work. Also, having to deal with difficult clients can at times be very annoying.

A number of managers have below average technical skills. They might be proficient in the audit methodology, but when it actually comes to understanding the businesses they're auditing, I've seen some serious gaps in knowledge.

A lot of time has to be spent/ wasted on internal admin tasks such as mandatory training.

The review process is also seriously flawed. The ulitmate rankings are highly subjective and lack a quantifiable way of comparing employees. It can also be slightly political (as with any large organisation).