Pros
When I left, it was not because Plante was a bad place to work. They were a great place to work. I had the pleasure of working in multiple offices, and each one not only had great people to work with, but they had each offered me ample opportunity to succeed. Some other pros are: - Flexibility to work in multiple offices. This includes the ability to transfer, as well as the ability to "work" a substantial amount of time in another office (I had spent all of December in another city and was able to work in the local Plante office). - Upward mobility in your career, as well as a lot of autonomy over your schedule - "March Madness" ping pong tournament during busy season - The pay was very competitive for the public accounting industry - Involvement in various different parts of the company (audit, tax, recruiting, etc.) - Constant feedback on career progress, as well as a lot of training resources. - The firm really does invest in your career. This is not only financially through training, but they have a great mentorship/leadership program. There were several times where I felt they were more in touch with my career and career needs than I was. - Great reputation in the Midwest, including now in Chicago.
Cons
All good things also have downsides. Here are a few: - While compensation is competitive, raises are standard, no matter what, your first several years. - The actual work itself is not very fulfilling/challenging. This is not a knock on Plante, but more a comment on the industry in general. It is much easier reviewing someone else's work than making it yourself. - Compensation is POOR, when compared to the private industry - A lot of long hours. This is expected in public accounting, though.
