Company: PwC
Date: 2009-04-22
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: current

Great education/work experience, long hours
Pros: If you are in accounting and want to get the most well rounded work experience from the start, PwC is the place to go.  The Company is very supportive of its staff in providing ample vacation and decent benefits, great technical resources, experienced/smart people, opportunities for transfer domestically or short tours (2 years) abroad.  This is a great place to start your career given that you go into a company to audit it/do their taxes and top management has to explain to you what they are doing.  Great learning experience.  There is a lot of hierarchy in the Company; however, most of the partners do take an interest in their staff and are supportive in their interests.
Cons: Although the vacation benefits are fantastic (5 weeks after a year I believe), it is difficult to sometimes take that vacation as well as totally disconnect while on vacation.  The hours on this job are like a rollercoaster.  During January - March, you are expected to give up your life for this job.  It is very difficult to achieve work life balance, especially during that time of year.  On the flip side, May - August, is usually not that bad, hours will usually be light, unless you have an off-year-end client.  Travel is really a mixed bag, depending on what clients you are assigned, but it can be significant.  Overall, you have to take the good with the bad and the experience starting out is invaluable.