Pros
Ernst & Young is extraordinarily flexible and accomodating. I am the poster-child for Ernst & Young flexibility. After an internship in the Atlanta office, I was offered a full-time job. Due to changing life circumstances, I was unable to accept the position. However, the firm arranged for me to interview with its Baltimore office and I was offered another full-time position at that location. Ernst & Young was truthful about my job requirements and delivered on every promise made to me during the recruitment process. Ernst & Young had outstanding training programs that I participated in during my orientation period. I felt I was well-prepared for the work I was performing and I was surrounded by supportive and competent people.
Cons
Public accounting is a tough industry/profession. My internship lasted from January-March, so I got a taste of just how tough working sixteen hour days in a high-stress environment can be. Valuing a work-life balance and my time outside of work, the "busy season" is truly the downside of working for Ernst & Young. However, there isn't a public accounting firm in the world that doesn't have that same downside. Additionally, because the firm and its clients are so large, I was unable to get a sense of the "big picture" of many of the engagements that I participated in and did not see a great deal of "important" or "diverse" work. While I worked on only financial statement audits of public companies, I had peers who were involved in compilation and review engagements, government and not-for-profit engagements, actually performing analytics and substantive tests. I mostly footed, cross-footed, and recalculated balances. I also made a lot of photocopies, faxes, and coffee.
