Company: PwC
Date: 2009-03-24
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: current

Don't be caught in the headlights of the fancy name...
Pros: Very strong focus on coaching.  Although opportunities to pick up knowledge from outside of auditing/tax/accounting are limited, the managers are committed to properly training their staff.

In addtion, I have found partners & directors to be fair with regards to the allowance of leave and sick days.  Not once have my employer denied a leave request or given me hassle when I was sick.  In line with this is the general fact that as a junior member of the firm, it is rarely necesasry to work overtime and that pays off in terms of work/life balance.

Lastly, the people in the firm are great!  My co-workers are intelligent, good to be around with and fun-loving. If nothing else, the people is the heart of the place and makes an otherwise dull and mind-numbing job more bearable.
Cons: Be sure to get all promises in writing.  The management of this firm is keen on promising you the sun moon and stars, but this rarely comes through.  

Loads and loads of pointless admin is an unfortunate reality.  Often management becomes obessed about small things like chargeability whilst forgetting the bigger picture.

There is LOTS and LOTS of red tape within the firm.  Expect the utmost bereaucracy.  Also, internal communication within the firm is very poor.  Messages are often not passed on properly and staff rarely knows what management is planning/doing.  This also applies to various departments - often there is a distinct lack of information sharing across the company.  

Politics play a huge role, so be very careful of who you make angry and who not. 

Lastly, keep in mind that this job will require you to travel a lot (ie. by car to clients).  Be prepare to spend lots of time on the road and to not be renumerated for that.