Company: PwC
Date: 2015-07-01
Overall rating: 4/5
Employment status: current
Experience level: Junior

Experienced Associate
Pros: For accounting/business/finance major graduates, this is THE greatest place to start your career. it will give your resume a golden foundation. 

Once you got your cpa certificate and 3 - 4 years of working experience from pwc, you are golden. There are just so many exit opportunities for you, and i am pretty sure your linkedin inbox will be filled by emails from recruiters. Picture this in your mind in next 3 years - from "you-were-begging-for-a-job-after-graduation" status to be a "hot asset" in job market, PwC will make it real for you in 3 years. 

You are working with the best client - top banking clients, insurance companies, hedge funds, you name it. You will spend 99% of your time working at the client site - knowing their people and becoming their friends. 

Hours are long, and some people are just dicks, but you are an accountant - focus on the future and you have to go through this.
Cons: Office politics - get ready to deal with this on a daily basis. Some senior associates are just dicks. If you are good/quick learner/smart and have easy going personality, oh my, you are literally pumping their level of douchebagness UP! They think you are a threat and treat you like a worthless piece of toy. It takes a while to truly realize they are dicks and taking credits from you etc. At this moment, you will probably have two choices - leaving the team/firm or keep working under those terrible people. 

Inflexible - If a recruiter told you that there are lots of opportunities to move around within the firm and get different exposures, they are lying. I am telling you my friend - IT IS EXTREMELY HARD. Even you want to switch to different work stream in a same team, it wont be easy. You know your stuff so well, and next year managers/directors will just plug you on the same engagement again. Do not be surprise if you were doing the same work for the same client during your tenure in pwc. 

Compensation - very low. I was shocked when I got my offer, and there was no room to negotiate. 

Early Promotion - it is ALL about the right time and right team. If your senior left the firm and you are taking his/her responsibilities, congrats - you have more than 50% chance to get early promoted. I know some 6th year senior associate who are every knowledgeable and still didnt get promoted to manager. 

PS - Your PwC experience will heavily depends on your team. I personally dont mind working late, and i know this is the nature of audit. Some one has to do it and do it right. All I care is how my team treats me, and how well I can work with those people. During busy season, you will spend around 12 - 14 hours per day with these people. and if they are dicks, it just drives you crazy. 

At the end of the day, no one really cares about your career and whatever you come across. Again, get your credentials and 3 -4 years of experience and find to a better job.