Company: PwC
Date: 2009-03-28
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: current

In some respects great, but certainly not for everyone.
Pros: The Firm provides high quality and frequent training.  All CPEs are provided for you at no personal expense.  Travel policies are efficient, generous and have minimal administrative burdens - try traveling for business for nearly any other employer (non-competitor) and you will see.  Risk management policies ensure that PwC is selective about what they sign up to do - methodologies are mature and repeatable, and PwC doesn't take new clients and engagements out of desperation.  You will build a large network of bright, hard working and ambitious people, combined with highly respected brand name which will help your long term career prospects.  Benefits are decent overall.
Cons: The work is generally not fulfilling and is often micromanaged.  Anyone below below Partner or MD has very little discretion.  The annual review process is very time consuming, tedious and highly political, creating a culture where people are obsessed with their next promotion and quietly distrustful of the system.  There is a lot of workplace bullying and people are often treated unfairly.  Overall the Firm's culture is very two-faced and to thrive here, people soon understand that they must become two-faced as well.  Staff will also work a lot of hours, feel that it is not within their control and report to Sr. leaders that have very inefficient work habits.  It is difficult to complete things here unless you have an extremely Type A personality because the Firm's culture suffers from "analysis paralysis."