Pros
From the start the people that become your ride or dies are the ones that provide the biggest value to the experience, but… look at con 1. It is also hard to deny that the client service provided by Crestview can be unmatched. The amount of knowledge and intel that gets obtained and shared is admirable and it leaves clients satisfied in knowing they will be told what they need to know, BUT look at con 2.
Cons
Con 1 - at the same time, it can be hunger games to find someone who has your back and will bring you onto BD, no matter how good you are. There are many cliques internally and the senior folks are loyal to their own are rarely open the doors for a newbie to join the group. This eventually leads to folks not being able to participate in BD as often and a) not getting more bonus and b) being kept from growth. Con 2 - this level of client service means that no weekends or evenings are to be your own. You end up working harder than folks in government and eventually become absent from your own life. The worst side of that? You start declining in your quality of work and the only punishment is yours. There needs to be a balance between what is urgent and needs to be done now or what can wait until Monday morning or the next day. GR isn’t ER, no one is dying at the operating table. Other cons - the concept of vacation is fake. Despite working in teams, at times large, very rarely will someone step in to help while you’re supposed to be away, so not only do things not get done but when you come back you have a massive pile of extra work to deal with. Sick days? Forget it, you can work sick from home. Growth - inconsistent and constant moving goal posts for your growth. Even when everyone tells you you are doing well, the people responsible for your growth will tell you how horrible you have been. feedback is often not in line with reality either. Why promote someone to have to pay them more if you can keep them for lower costs? Final con - many people at the same level can make all varying ranges of wages with no logic behind it. Not based on merit, but purely based on threatening to leave the firm.