senior associate

associate

manager

audit associate

senior manager

Cons:
- The service delivery sector is NOT the same as mainstream PwC
- The work you perform is virtually all admin, IT, or assurance/audit (basically all the work the other offices don't want)
- Management/Coordinators are hired almost solely based on a combination of how long they've been in their role and how favorited they were the person who came before them which is very evident based on how little they actually know about management and their arms length approach. Sr. Management seemingly haas no involvement with the general operations of the firm and just approve hiring/operations expenses while leaving the middle management to effectively operate.
- Pay is relatively minuscule (you start at  30k and would only ever make like 60k max after being there for 10+ years), the company admits that they compensate based solely on how the other big 3 firms market rates NATIONALLY and not based on role responsibilities or geographical/cost of living factors.
- Work life balance is non existent, they will tell you you'll only work overtime a couple of times a year yet people work overtime multiple times every week and aren't really compensated for it. The people I worked with and the management would never communicate when you needed to work more either, you were just expected to know and take on everyone else's work until you met your performance goal. If you didn't stay voluntarily you were shamed for it.
- I was hired remotely and the training was non existent and not really relevant to most of my job duties, you learn as you go with very little guidance and are expected to NEVER make mistakes. 
- You won't actually know what your job is until a couple months after you start working there and management decides where they need you the most.
- Your direct reporting manager is supposed to meet with you at least once a month to discuss your performance and development and they maybe do it once every 2-3 months and you don't actually talk about anything other than mandatory firm updates. If you want opportunities or advancements you have to reach out on your own to secure them/negotiate them

Pro's
- Work is easy and if you just restrict the amount of workstreams/department you are involved with you won't have a ton of work (don't take on more unless you have to)
- Vacation and benefits are available virtually right after your 90 days which is awesome
- Some fun perks like random bonuses and days off happened periodically
- The people I worked with were always generally nice to my face and not petty but we also had very little interaction working remotely so not sure if that's always the case
- Very streamlined systems approach that is easy to learn/use
- If you're talented or just well liked, you'll find your own opportunities and advance internally quite rapidly


- Travelling to client site, have meetings with client and team members. Obtain assurance over client business processes by conducting tests over high risk areas to satisfy investors and lenders.  Coach and lead team members in their areas of work assigned. 

- Each day there is something new to be learned or improve. Ex. Develop ways to enhance our testing methodology conducted in prior years by critically thinking of new ways to make work more efficient at the same time improving the quality of work delivered. 

- Any improved methodologies or risk identified must be communicated to client and upper level management with my organization. This can be challenging as I will have to provide constructive arguments to prove new approach or risk identified is in fact appropriate. 

- It is very challenging to be able to multitask and think critically when you have to meet the tight dead lines with set number of staff assigned to the client project and at the same time working on a separate project in another industry with different team members. This requires patience, strong multi-tasking capabilities, ability to handle stress, and excellent organizational skills. 

- I enjoy the feeling of completing projects within the assigned time metric and celebrating with team members on our successful completion. It is also rewarding to hear positive feedback from clients on how they appreciated my work and ethics during the engagement of the project and looking forward to working with me again.

• Coordinated formatting and editing of letters, memos, reports and presentations from draft stage to client-ready work
• Reviewed documentation for content, consistency, branding compliance and appearance
• Followed an organized filing/document management process for electronic and paper documents
• Prepared the partner for meetings, including compiling and organizing information and documentation, as well as debriefing the partner on pertinent information
• Executed and monitored tasks on various projects. Acted on behalf of the client serving executive, managed stakeholder expectations, updated project plans and ensured timely and appropriate project communications
• Proactively identified project risks and opportunities. Followed up on identified matters and liaised with client serving team members for completion of action items
• Received, prioritized, and delegated a variety of project related inquiries directed to the client serving executive
• Worked with standard firm software and other relevant software at an intermediate level, and appropriately used technical/office equipment
• Used appropriate tools to ensure compliance of time and expense tracking/reporting. When requested, reviewed client engagement workbook and conducted further research or interpretation of financial data to resolve discrepancies
• Proactively assisted partners and their teams with client billings
• Opened, sorted, routed and prioritized mail as needed
• Assisted with faxing of client documents and with photocopying as requested
• Responded to client calls (answering of telephone, screening calls, transfer to another party/voicemail, taking messages)
• Performed meeting and event coordination as well as travel planning and booking

PwC is not a great place to start off your career.  You will be belittled and made to feel as if you are a worthless piece of garbage.  You will receive extraordinarily low pay for the long hours that are required of this job.  I worked for PwC for 4 years and have my CPA designation yet I don't know of anybody who was paid the same as or lower than I was - including new graduates and entry level postion workers.  Further, everything is hidden from employees including performance assessments and reasons for bonuses and promotions.  This is because the majority of the time employees are rewarded for who they know and not how they contribute - although there are a few standout employees who occasionally will receive the praise they deserve.


The more work you accomplish, the more gets put onto you until you reach a point where you are punished because you can no longer finish all of your own work, the work of your managers, and at the same time assist your associates.  There is a reason why the firm has very high turnover rates and that most people leave before completing 4 years.  In addition to this, there is an issue at the company of retaining high performing staff which results in the promotion of incompetent individuals to manager positions. 

The only enjoyable part of this job are attending the company social events where you will often be rewarded with one or two free beverages.

Working at a professional accounting and services firm can get a bad rap. Yes, you are going to be working long hours and, yes, it's often going to seem like the work you're doing isn't taken seriously by some of your clients, especially in an audit capacity.

However, the skills you develop and the people you meet can have a lasting impact on your career. You will be exposed to financial managers from many types of businesses and can form some strong bonds with both clients and coworkers. This can lead to building a great professional network. And really, the relationships you form during your career will help propel you upwards much faster.

Further, you are thrust into positions where you have to think, and work, quickly and on your feet. You are expected to manage other staff within 18-24 months of starting at the firm. It also gives you a true respect for what hard work is, and forces you to critically think. Not only about your current tasks, but how they fit into the big picture of your entire projects.

I feel that starting my career at PwC has helped me advance my career much faster than if I had worked somewhere outside of a Big 4 accounting firm.

Excellent company to work, as it always seeks to train highly qualified professionals and provide quality services.
As an audit manager, my normal work day consisted of serving my clients to help them solve accounting problems. I had the function of supporting with technically appropriate and creative solutions for each client.
I also had support functions with business negotiations, seeking new projects to sell to current clients or prospect new clients.
I served customers located in several cities and regions, so traveling was an almost daily routine.

The most difficult part of my job was to be able to reconcile my personal life with the routine of travel and attendance or virtual attendance of all my clients.
The best part of the job was the high development as a person and as a professional provided by the company. In addition to having the opportunity to do many courses to be always updated technically, the company environment is largely geared towards the quest to learn and share knowledge.

The benefits and salary were also very good. The work environment with people motivated and focused on teamwork was also a very positive factor during the nine years I worked in this company.

A typical day at work during the busy season include long hours, a lot of work and probably, messy audit conference rooms but also comes with a lot of learning. You will be working with smart (ish) and talented people who definitely make the difference in the quality of work as there is a strong culture for doing things right. You will be learning from others through examples, shadowing and constantly coaching. No matters what level you are in the company, you might be seated one-day receiving coaching from a senior manager or a partner, they want to make sure you learn and understand what you are doing as you will actually be seated in the same chair in the future. 
The hardest part of the work is that you might have to forget about leaving at 5.00pm sharp on Fridays or dating your girlfriend during the weekend as you will be working extra hours for sure. 
Definitely, besides all the tools (software, hardware, documentation, etc)  provided to you for the company to develop a quality work in an efficient manner the best part of working at PwC is the people and the learning you won´t get anywhere else.

I only have experience with the Consulting line of business, specifically the Workday partnership. This is not a good place to work for several reasons.

The Workday practice is newer and like other partners of Workday, PwC has not successfully integrated the Workday methodology into their culture and brand. They are at the mercy of Workday and have not figured out who they want to be or what value they bring to clients as a differentiator from other partners.

There is no point in trying to help them establish their own footing in this market either. The group is led by small thinkers who are not capable of affecting real change or challenging the status quo.

As a newcomer I was impressed by the supportive environment and people who wanted you to “succeed”. It wasn’t until it was too late that I recognized the covert passive aggressive style at play and how emotionally manipulative this clique-y group  was.

My sense is that the rest of PwC is more in line with a good place to work. I payed attention to the messages from the CEO and other leaders and feel it is unfortunate these sentiments didn’t penetrate the Workday practice.

- A typical day at work involves managing engagement teams of up to 7 people for audit, review, and special engagements for public and private clients in a variety of industries as well as developing and proposed resolutions to complex accounting issues

- I have learnt how to budget the management process from preparation to engagement budget tracking, as well as proposing ways to increase efficiencies 

- Management teams at PwC consists of highly competent and friendly staff who promote open communication while holding the teams accountable for their deliverables 

- The workplace culture is work hard, play hard! 

- The hardest part of the job would be managing multiple deliverables for several clients at the same time wile working with tight deadlines. However, I have learnt so much over the years on how to ensure deliverables are submitted within the deadlines and produced in the most efficient manner.

- The most enjoyable part of the job for me would be the people and all the connections I have made throughout the years.

•	Responsible for a team of professionals to deliver quality service to top tier clients in the Assurance practice.
•	Develop a flexible annual audit plan for my portfolio using an appropriate risk-based methodology’ and submit that plan to the Assurance Leader for review and approval as well as periodic updates
•	Provided conveying solutions to the client's complex business problems through the use of written reports and presentations.
•	Advised clients on accounting implications of corporate finance transactions including goodwill minimization strategies and restructuring
•	Performed due diligence for several clients prior to acquisition of public entities.
•	Audit staff management, motivation, training, recruitment and selection. 
•	Contributing to strategic planning and development as a member of management team. 
•	Other areas of responsibility: Resource management, Counselling, Client satisfaction Survey analysis, and training need analysis for practice staff.

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Senior associate 50 salaries reported	$88,030 per year
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