Big Four dominate BusinessWeek's 'Best Places to Launch a Career' list

Accounting firms once again dominate BusinessWeek's third annual ranking of the "Best Places to Launch a Career": Ernst & Young jumps two spots to No. 1, followed by Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers in second and third place. Deloitte held the top spot in last year's ranking, followed by PwC in second place. The last of the Big Four, KPMG, moved up six spots to No. 5.
No one recognizes the importance of perks more than Ernst & Young, where average salaries haven't increased substantially in at least three years. The Big Four firm still attracts more than 3,000 highly sought-after accounting students each year with extensive training and mentoring programs, performance bonuses, and the promise of face time with top executives - including an annual trip to Walt Disney World for all U.S.-based interns.
It's perks like that, along with a recruiting machine in overdrive and near-certain advancement to a supervisor-level position in just two years, that landed Ernst & Young atop BusinessWeek's third annual Best Places to Launch a Career ranking this year, unseating rival Deloitte.
While accounting firms again dominate the top of the list, owing to decent salaries and intense demand, one of the most surprising things about this year's ranking is just how well the investment banks fared. With five banks in the top 50, including Goldman Sachs at No. 4 and J.P. Morgan at No. 10, it was the industry's best showing since the inaugural ranking in 2006, at least in part because the surveys were conducted before the full extent of the turmoil on Wall Street had become apparent. High pay and an otherwise excellent reputation on campuses propelled four of the five banks - including beleaguered Lehman Brothers - higher up the ranking.

Source: BW
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