Pros
- Interesting projects with big-name clients, often research / growth strategy for niche topics & areas - Strong office culture aided by lack of travel during the week (pre-Covid); co-workers tend to be young, intelligent, and fun - Develop the core consulting skillset quickly (e.g. powerpoint, information synthesis, presenting information) - Top performers can get promoted somewhat quickly (~1.5 years)
Cons
- Hours may be slightly lower (55-60 hours/week) on average than other consulting firms but still unpredictable and very project- and team-dependent - Pay is lower than competitors - Lack of variety in projects: most are qualitative market research as opposed to "pure strategy", and interviews-based (e.g. competitor benchmarking or customer research), not much opportunity to develop quantitative / technical skills that are valued - Leadership is often too busy to provide real input on projects until key moments, leading to lack of efficient distribution in work - Only a few practices (healthcare/Kx Advisors and payments) are really growing; others rely on a few marquee clients and seemingly unable to expand beyond them - Low brand name and lack of name recognition when looking to switch careers beyond going to business school