Company: KPMG
Date: 2012-08-23
Overall rating: 2/5
Employment status: former
Experience level: Junior

They are like a ballet; Nice from far, but far from nice..(when up close)
Pros: Career ladder incentive prorgam to grow within the firm. Great location. People are impressed when you mention you work at KPMG, and assocaite you with working next to Phil Mickelson. They go all out for the interns they choose.
Cons: There is an ethics and compliance department that is supposed to maintain the concerns and actions that are less than ethical or that lacks compliance morally. It's not really supportive of the employee who faces or reports these issues or brings attention to it. KPMG is seen by the public as a leader and Top 100 Companies to Work For in magazine publications. There is a huge underlying air of discrimination that is like the elephant in the room. Those who report it are either forced to 'quit' or given ultimatums that lead to leaving the company anyway, or those who say nothing fear retaliation. 

Another reason they are listed as a Top 100 Companies to Work For, is the 'Work-Life' Balance they claim to provide. The only work-life balance they provide is if you want a life earning a salary, work whenever, and do whatever they ask. They won't say anything to you if you cannot immediately commit to hours or holidays outside of your normal 9 hour days with plans that you already made, but you can rest assured that when you have your semi annual review, don't be shocked if you have a less than satisfactory comment, or even be given a PIP, or a Performance Improvement Plan. 

Overall, there is definately the potential of upward mobility, however, there are a lot of different politics that will contribute to the frustration of getting there. It's not impossible, but you will learn patience and faith.