Pros
Ernst & Young provides accounting professionals witha great place to start their career, whether you plan to stay for many years or only a couple of years, it is a great resource to have on a resume. EY promotes flexibility at work and really provides flexibility to their employees. The pay is great in comparison to other peers in the same field and they provide the opportunity for accounting professionals to complete their 150 credits with a Leave of Absence in order to become eligible to sit for the CPA examination. There is also a direct billing relationship with two CPA prep courses to allow employees to be completely prepared for the exam. If you pass within a certain time frame of two years, a bonus is available to you. There are so many EY locations throughout the world, that there are plenty of opportunities to work close to home or to even take advantage of their Global Exchange program that is available to their high performing audit professionals. EY really cares about all levels of their employees and is continuously providing us with opportunities to learn and grow professionally and personally. Another great thing about the firm is that you are surrounded by brilliant professionals. I have really come to recognize that EY only hires people who have the necessary knowledge and also who have great attitudes. I have really enjoyed all of the teams that I have worked with and have been provided the opportunity to network with some great resources. The team environment is very rewarding. Another aspect of networking is being able to have one on one with the CEOs and CFOs and other important roles in the client sector. These resources can prove to be invaluable. The opportunities for advancement with the firm are unbelievable, whether you chose to stay in the audit sector or move on to other sectors such as transaction advisory services, fraud risk services, tax services, or even human resources. EY rewards their people and keeps us satisfied. I am very proud to say that I work for EY and I am also very confident that EY will prepare me for any future endeavors outside of the firm that I may chose to take on.
Cons
I would say one down side of being an audit professional at a Big 4 firm is the "busy season", which typically falls in the months of January through March. However, it does vary depending on the clients that you are assigned to and their year ends. It is a lot of hours, but it is rewarding to work in a team and accomplish a huge task.