Pros
Plante & Moran is a great place to work because of the people. P&M has a great atmosphere and all levels of staff and partner are more then willing to help staff develop. Additionally, the majority of the engagements are within the chicagoland location so the travel is local unlike the big four. P&M is relatively new to the Chicago area therefore the opportunities to advance are great. There are many different industry groups which staff can work on which helps provide a very well rounded opening to a career in public accounting. The hours are flex time and you can make your own schedule as you progress through the ranks.
Cons
The biggest downside of working at Plante & Moran is the benefits package. In looking at other big four and large accounting firms who have a presence in the Chicagoland area P&M is not competitive in the area. The pay is reasonable for a moderately sized accounting firm but the 401(k) match is only 50% up to 2%. The cost of health insurance and options are decent and the Company provides 4 weeks of vacation for staff and 5 weeks for associates. Additionally, the Company is originally from Michigan and has a Michigan mentality in some areas that doesnt quite work for Chicagoland such as mile reimbursement which we do not travel that much but site in traffic quite a bit and it is not reimburseable.