Yeah, I would highly recommend coming into work with a faux smile, a go getter attibute, and laugh at all the partners jokes, long story short its just a big game.  They look at you as a schedule void a limited resource like oil which they try to drain all that is in you given they know (from years of experience) that everyone leaves.  I mean if you were running the boat wouldn't you get the most out of your staff if you knew they were going to be there for a limited time <hence the pyramid of PA>. 

Regard the comment on elitests, I would kinda of agree.  One of the smartest and best auditors I have ever meet came from a small locat firm with tax and audit experience but I have met some really good smart people from the B4 as well.  That was one reason why I denied for the B4 twice when coming out of school and also when I left my other firm.  They always think so highly of themselves.  The good people know how the business works and not just tie this number to that number, the good people know the inner workings of a credit facility and not just what needs to get amortized and recalculating it. 

I enjoyed my non B4 experience given that I got to work on many different clients, in many different industries doing internal audit work, external audit work, and risk management but the b4 does offer the exposure of large complex clients which the regional and small firms rarely offer so you can see the trade off between the two.  I guess you have to look at where you are actually going to be (foresee) the next couple years or where you expect to work.  Working in tax for a small firm will help you much more for a career for a medium to small business and vice versa.

JD,

Can you please elaborate on the above, especially the H1's part? Thanks :)

Different firms ask different questions, some firms ask general stuff like "tell me about yourself, while others ask "tell me about a time when you went against the grain".  I recommend getting an interview book and learn how to answer their questions how they see them correctly answered, in other words tell them what they want to hear.

Regarding the H1's, I have worked wtih people in PA that are literally stuck at the firm since if they quit they have to leave the country asap unless someone else sponsors them, so I have always thought that the firm literally has you by the Ba###.  I told one senior in the past to just leave since they never listend to her, always drowned her in work but she always told me that if she quits then she must leave the country.