Law Firms Start Rescinding Offers – So Goes The Audit Firms?

There’s been a significant uptick in calls and letters over the last few days from various students and Big 4 professionals seeking advice regarding current and impending layoffs. They are always surprised when I answer their emails immediately and offer whatever support I can, even if it’s just sympathy and empathy for their situation.

Accountants And Blogs

“I created this blog particularly to share the knowledge and information regarding accounting and auditing issues with anybody interested.”

Friday Mailbag

Keep the cards and letters coming!

Dear Francine,

Just wanted to say thanks. Thank you for maintaining this blog. You provide us with the ability to acquire knowledge that would otherwise be kept from us and your efforts are very much appreciated.

The Blog As Teaching Tool

I’m already aware of a few instances where university professors are using this blog as content for their classes and are recommending it to their students as a resource.

Follow-Up On More Big 4 Layoffs

As we’ve seen from the comments on my PwC layoff post and other mail I’ve received, PwC is not the only one to be reducing staff via “counseling out” , “forced ranking” , “the Italian greyhounds ate the workpapers…”, or whatever other excuse they give. Both Deloitte and KPMG have also seen cuts, per my […]

Big 4 Salaries – Every Day A Surprise

As promised, I wanted to give you a flavor for some of the side emails and comments I have been getting in response to my post last week on Big 4 starting salaries. I am reprinting a few here, with minimal commentary and with the names and places changed to protect the weary, frustrated and […]

Big 4 Starting Salaries – The Facts

I have noticed quite a few searches for “starting salaries” leading to this blog. It’s the season when you’re getting offers and you want to know if they’re true and fair and competitive. You need to start planning how to pay off those loans. You want to gloat over your fellow students who studied liberal […]

The Reality Of Working For The Big 4

I came to PwC as a Director, with my primary client as PwC itself. I didn’t get an office or a permanent desk, even though my work was internal and I traveled only infrequently to other PwC offices in New York and Atlanta. Having to reserve a space and be told nothing was available was […]

Is The Fix In On Starting Pay?

Picture Source The Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog has become a go-to read for me. As some of you have seen, I have an interest in the intersection between law and accounting. I have found the blog to be written much more freewheelingly than its front page. That is, there’s a lot more latitude given […]

HP – Another Weak Line of Defense

“Even with a global approach, Hewlett Packard Co. faces an internal audit recruitment problem. Since the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed, the technology giant has boosted its internal auditing department to more than 150 from 30. But finding experienced people has been tough, said Marie Myers, vice president and head of internal audit with Palo Alto, […]