PwC reviews

too many kool-aid drinking rat racers....you'll know quickly if you're one of them. HR and management constantly put too much focus on performance reviews and working towards next promotion. Everything you do is for the "snapshot review". luckily I did not travel, but felt so bad for the consultants spending years away from friends and their families...precious years lost for them. (you can get put on a project in nowhere-America and be living in a Hampton Inn for the next 2 years, eating at applebees everynight! ...A director's fiance called off their wedding over his travel schedule while I was there. ) to move up to Manager and beyond you will need to be "all-in"...literally give up your life for the company + do plenty of extra activities/initiatives + have a great personality + socialize after hours with the partners (many of whom are single, divorced, empty-nesters or honestly don't like going home to their partners). Partners act like they are GOD...and staff continue to treat them like god. Never seen such old school hierarchy attitude when it comes to this. So much ass-kissing, and they aren't the least bit embarrassed to indulge in it. Hard to keep a sense of community at the firm, so many people, so much turnover, everyone is on different projects....you can feel like just a "number" in a sea.

Negative work life balance. Be prepared to work 60+ hours a week; and weekends and nights. Asked to work at nights and weekends; often asked to cancel prescheduled vacation. Tries to hire bright and brilliant people, but can't provide projects that are commensurate with the skills, knowledge and aspirations of the hired employees. Many get disappointed and leave. Bonus and benefits are dismal, and not comparable to banks. The vesting schedule of 401(k) and wealth builder plans are atrocious. Annual review process is a joke. Although the business needs quants and technical people, the career growth for these folks is limited. If you can't do sales and bring in revenue, you can't move up. Coaches are assigned, but they normally don't have time to do the coaching. The expectation is that the staff do that on their own, and keep the coach in the loop. So why assign coaches, what is their role? There is a new evaluation process this year, which requires more continuous coaching. This is good. However if the MDs and Partners did not find time under the previous review system, how are they going to find more time under the new system. What action will be taken against coaches who don't do their part (particularly MDs and Partners)? The corporate standards are different for directors and below. MDs and partners are not expected to abide by the rules, standards and policies that are imposed on others. HR is another big joke. They do whatever MDs and partners say. There is no process for fair treatment if you are wronged by a MD or Partner.