Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Big 4 Firms Are All the Same

Oh sure, these accounting firms have different names, leaders, team colors and one has a giant amusement park disguised as a training facility but judging by the feedback collected by Vault and parsed through by eFinancialCareers, it's hard to tell the difference.

Observe the pros:

  • PwC: "most prestigious," "very smart people," "frequent and thorough training."
  • EY: “opportunities to grow and learn daily,” “top dog,” "incredible exposure to well known clients," "challenging and enjoyable work." 
  • Deloitte: "prestige," "professional growth," and people are "top-notch, highly talented, very intelligent."
  • KPMG: "pays [employees] well," "reputable," people are "intelligent, talented, friendly, down-to-earth coworkers," also, "good 'training and career advancement opportunties.' "

And now the cons:

  • PwC: "worked 'like crazy'," "arrogant and snobby," "doesn’t pay as well as competitors." 
  • EY: "stuffy and harsh," "arrogant and stuck up," “old and stagnant” and "working there involves long and unpredictable hours."
  • Deloitte: "low base salaries, lack of work/life balance, regulatory pressure and stuffiness in general."
  • KPMG: "long working hours between January and April, with 'unpredictable schedules,' " and "compensation is not as great as it might be."

Honestly, claiming that one of these firms is better than the other because of "prestige" or "the people" you're insulting the intelligence of the entire accounting profession.  

Your mission, should you choose to accept it — explain why any of these firms is truly different from the others, in 140 characters or less, and you'll be king or queen for the day. Good luck.

[Vault, EFC]

Latest Accounting Jobs--Apply Now:

Have something to add to this story? Give us a shout by email, Twitter, or text/call the tipline at 202-505-8885. As always, all tips are anonymous.

Comments are closed.

Related articles

trash can fire

Former Client Cockblocks the EY Split to Make Sure They Get the $2.7 Billion They’re Suing EY For

While it appears the EY split is going off the rails, despite assurances to the contrary from people who stand to make many millions of dollars from it, one former client — or rather, the client’s administrators as the client burned to the ground three years ago — is not satisfied with letting the drama […]

TIL EY Has Commoditized Space

Is there any limit to the robust and ever-growing suite of services offered by professional services firms? Apparently not. As we’ll learn in a sec, not even the sky is the limit. It was less than a year ago that EY put $3 million Aussie bucks into a space business in partnership with Swinburne University […]