Pros
If you ask for it, pay is pretty decent even for being Downtown. Good time off, but in tax that eats into your bonus utilization so it's a give/take. Some people know what they're doing, but you have to ask as nobody really offers any information. You see all kinds of clients, but depending on who assigns it to you they may or may not know how to adequately handle the project so that isn't always a positive. At first they do a good job of selling the "team" part of the firm but quickly that disintegrates. Offices are new and nice at least. Bring in food during busy season. If you're experienced and don't expect to really be trained or learn, this could be a good stepping stone to somewhere with adequate management after you get lots of exposure. They seem to do an ok job of screening candidates, but staff isn't where the issues lie... To an extent you get to work on what type of work you want to which if you've already carved a niche` for yourself can reduce your stress about returns or types of work you aren't familiar with. The audit team doesn't seem to have as many issues as tax, so if that's where you're headed you may have better luck.
Cons
The issue here mainly is there is an utter lack of competency at the management level. When I left there was 1 manager left, and it was someone who had been out of public accounting for over a decade and it showed. The partners really should be managers as that's where their level of technical and managerial capabilities lie. Since leaving one of the equity Audit partners had to take over tax because of this. If only it had happened sooner! Promotions are made simply by "the best of who's left" as far as Managers, Sr. Managers and Partners. Save the two ex-partners, and 2 staff, no one in the department has been there over a year. Turnover is every couple of Fridays, whether it be tax or audit. If you've been in public accounting, you know what kind of havoc this wreaks when trying to review prior year information or have any type of continuity. Reviews are done by assigned managers who you probably don't do any work for and typically are a source of reporting to management (in a negative light) your issues and concerns. It's basically intended to "tattle" on anyone who disagrees with things in the firm or even has legitimate concerns for that matter. As stated above, there is little to no training or technical advancement programs in place. If you don't know what you're doing already, this probably isn't a good place to go, even as an Associate. There is very much a clique and gossipy atmosphere in place. Any new day brings its new items of drama, to the likes of which I've never experienced before. Like many before me I couldn't even make it through a calendar year with the firm. It's that frustrating.