Pros
Great people at your team level, good chance to learn about the industry
Cons
Let’s be honest — the company has changed a lot over the last few years, especially with the new leadership and private equity involvement, and not for the better. If you’re thinking about joining the Managed Services division, here are a few things you should know: You’ll be expected to wear multiple hats well beyond your job description, especially at the analyst and senior analyst level, without pay that reflects the workload. The company cares far more about utilization and billable hours than your actual knowledge, experience, client relationships, or the value you bring to clients. Be prepared to get pulled across multiple teams because staffing and hiring issues seem to be a constant problem. Strong research skills are basically required because you’ll often be left to figure out SEC regulations and client questions on your own. While there are a few very knowledgeable people on the U.S. Regulatory team, support can be inconsistent depending on who you ask. If you’re not ready for regular 50–60 hour weeks even when there aren’t major deadlines, this probably isn’t the place for you. There’s also no overtime pay, so your time quickly becomes undervalued. A lot of the true compliance subject matter experts seem to have left the company over time, which means employees sometimes end up knowing more than the people managing them. More clients and employees seem to be moving toward smaller compliance firms that have smarter, more specialized teams and provide better support. ACA’s biggest advantage right now is simply its size and ability to handle large clients. To be fair, it’s not the worst place to spend a couple years early in your career if you end up on a good team and want exposure to the industry. But staying long term may not be worth it for many people. ACA used to feel like a place where you could genuinely grow your career and learn from experienced professionals. Now it feels much more focused on billable hours, internal politics, and figuring out who to align yourself with to move up or eventually leave for a better opportunity.