Pros
- Work and projects frequently change (could be a con for some, but then you shouldn't be in consulting) - When travel was a thing, I viewed it as a perk most of the time (free vacations with the points), however it can absolutely be a hassle. Probably depends on your stage in life. - Worked with a lot of very smart, very polished people, which has helped me grow. - Tons of opportunities to grow your skillsets through training, certifications, and continuing education - Lots of PTO (5 weeks at manager level) - Work with some seriously interesting or big name companies. Pretty much all of the Fortune 500 uses Accenture
Cons
- Career growth is luck of the draw, meaning you have to be available for the right role on the right project at the right time. Case and point: had 4 review cycles of glowing reviews, many people supporting promotion (360 deg. reviews), however it was never good enough because the role wasn't quite right or the project with the wrong group or some other movement of the goal posts. - Compared to the Bay Area tech companies that I was helping, the comp is not competitive. In 4 years, my base salary increased by a measly $10k and the bonus is not something to count on being sizable ($5-10k on average). All you can do is laugh when you see the bill rates they charge for your time vs the salary you're paid. - No surprise, but burnout is a real thing in the consulting world. Bad sales deals translate to crazy deadlines, travel, and working with offshore teams will take eventually its toll on you. Guaranteed. - Don't hit the bench. I would go 9 months staffed 100% and within 2 weeks would start feeling the pressure to accept any billable role, which of course perpetuates the issue of not being in the right role to justify promotion. - Promotions are a double edged sword - it gets hard to be staffed as you move up since you become more expensive.