Pros
The partners really are great. They are the ones that lived through the "Golden Rule" days. Now the firm is expanding and getting larger, and that Golden Rule standard is gone with current HR and upper management. The working from out of the office can be nice.
Cons
If you dare offer a complaint as to how someone is not following the Golden Rule or just being overly obnoxious... you might get frowned upon. If you say such things about the backbiting upper management, you may well be pushed out of the firm as the upper management will be told and they'll know who offered the criticism -- good bye any productive work hours and good bye job. Not only will in-charges and above cut your workload, they will intentionally lower your review scores if they are threatened. If you never say a word about unfairness... this is the place for you. And trust me, I'm not a complainer, but I won't have anyone treat me horribly and not speak up about it -- but apparently that's a bad idea at PM. The work/life balance promoted by PM is only good for your first year when your charge hours are not tracked. After that, you'll have to work impossible hours to reach an impossible goal. Many if not all of the 3+ year staff have an abundance of vacation time that has continued to grow each year because if they dare to use it then they will not meet charge hour goals. If they do use it, then plan on spending many 60+ hours in the office to make up for trying to find a work life balance. The charge hour goal is ridiculous and does not allow for this curious work/life balance they talk about. The pay is stagnant even in the rising economy. The raises were nice, until you learn how the incoming class is making almost as much when they just started. The pay isn't nearly competitive with Big 4 firms and the raises leave something to be desired, but the hours (despite the Kool Aid hype) are the same or more than one would work in Big 4. I moved to another firm and made $15K more starting. I should have jumped ship before my fourth year, realistically. Overall, this is a firm that could be great, but they've allowed some upper/middle management types and HR to control the firm and remove the once enjoyable "Jerk Free" motto from the workplace. Upper and middle management who are jerks are promoted and stood behind, even when their actions are negative and offensive. Unfortunately, PM should be great. The partners there really are great people, but their underlyings are the dregs of society when it comes to a positive work environment. The pay and raises are poor (no bonus until 3rd year?!?! -- and even then it's not a decent bonus) and not comparable to market. If you can't get into a better firm, then go to PM. Just know it's the first step, and look for an exit as soon as you pass the CPA exam.