It appears that these individuals are stuck waiting for that prize, accruing nothing but long hours and disappointment in the meantime. This becomes increasingly difficult to manage, McIntyre explains, when hedge funds and other competitors can offer consultants “the prize without progression,” thus leading consultants to question, “Should I wait to become a partner here or should I go to a hedge fund and make more money right now?” Though, he adds, that “the downside to hedge funds and other competitors is a less stable career path.”
 
Probably as a result of this competition, “If you look at any consulting firm right now, the position highest in demand is that of manager,” says Rohn.
 
In the end, those who stay and make careers in consulting are those not with patience, but with commitment. And it is fitting that “commitment” and not “patience” is an attribute that all recruiters are looking for in the candidates they screen.
 
“Talent,” it seems, can be reduced to at least one definite attribute, after all. But again, consultants, like their firms, must ensure that talent is properly invested — and invested in.