Best compared to working in World War trenches
Pros
- Looks good on a resume - Your work “war stories” will almost certainly be better/more gruesome than any of your friends in industry - Free busy season dinners (aka $25 worth of compensation for 5-7 hours of overtime every day)
Cons
Pretty much everything. It’s difficult to know where to begin as there’s so much to choose from. - Compensation: EY underpays everyone. Despite touting their “extensive market studies into compensation,” you are underpaid by a dramatic amount. Ex: friends who left after a year as staff took jobs in industry for +$17k more than what they had been making at EY. But don’t worry. Compensation is guaranteed to be “aligned with market rates.” - Bonuses/recognition awards: EY is one big popularity contest and reviews and recognition awards reflect that. Occasionally someone may endow you with a bravo award for $25-$100 for your efforts, but usually not. Also considering the amount of overtime, the amount of these awards is a joke. - And now for the biggest con: THE PEOPLE. I noticed there are a number of reviews here citing EY’s people as the best part of working at the firm, and I can only conclude that those reviews were written under extreme duress. I have had a number of jobs in accounting and outside of accounting and I can say with confidence that all of the worst people I’ve ever worked with have been at EY. The firm breeds a particular type of person due to poor firm culture, but more on that later.