They say they're different then other firms but they are not.
Pros
This is a second tier firm that may offer the opportunity to be a big fish in a small pond unlike the big four.
Cons
They get you to believe that they are different then the big four when you come in the door however this is not true when it comes to how they operate. Layoffs, partners not communicating, and being stifled in your ability to take charge of your own career are major issues with this firm. For accounting students out there I would suggest several things; start off in Big Four if possible (it looks better on your resume), try to take charge of your own career and learn soft skills you will need to truly advance to partner (if that is your goal) (e.g. leadership, business development, networking). Also question how these firms especially a firm like Crowe can announce fairly decent growth rates while laying off employees, especially in this economy. What is it that is growing, is it partner compensation or does growth equate with opportunity for all? Like most firms Crowe talks the talk but can't walk the walk when it comes to really caring about assisting staff with taking charge of their careers, teaching the soft skills and setting definitive measurable goals. Like most firms you will have goals set (in fact you will set them yourself) however you will be given no direction on how to get there, if they are in line with your practice area or firm as a whole. The final indignity comes when it is time for your annual evaluation. This really means if the firm exceeded its goals and your performance partner likes you then you too will have met or exceeded your goals. A word of caution on this; always seek feedback even throughout the year (formal or informal but always documented somehow) don't wait until a formal progress report or the annual performance report for if you do and the firm hasn't met its goals then rest assured you will not have met yours either. I am also skeptical of management's intergrity with this firm. For example they were announcing they had a New York office long before they really had one. All their office was, was Horwath International's world wide headquarters which had been there for some time (so Crowe could use this as a mailing address) with a voicemail for one of their partners who was actually based in a non metro new york office.