Company: EY
Date: 2010-06-02
Overall rating: 4/5
Employment status: current

Good place to work to develop a strong set of skills in project/people management, leadership, and technical accounting.
Pros: Ernst & Young is a great place to work in terms of the audit group.  The firm is truly a global organization and sets high standards for the quality of the work produced.  You can learn a very broad skill set that is transferable including the skills to manage projects/people, leadership skills, technical accounting skills, and even sales/business development skills as you move up the ranks.  There is tremendous opportunity within the audit practice and as you move up the ranks, there is more flexibility with the job.
Cons: Compensation is a huge issue here, as it may be with the other Big 4 firms.  There is always the incentive to jump ship to a client or other private company to have better overall compensation and more work/life balance, especially after having 3-4 years of experience.  Work/life balance can be a struggle for a lot of people at the firm if they happen to work with the wrong people or the wrong industry.  Overall, people, on average, tend to work more than their counterparts outside of public accounting and this is something that probably will never go away until you make partner.