5 – Boston Consulting Group
BCG has heart, the people who work here say. You'll work long hours, but you'll get appropriate breaks and holidays to ensure that you don't burn out. You'll travel extensively, but the impact of the day-to-day grind will be tempered by the work/life benefits.
"BCG is a place where learning never stops and you are constantly driven and egged-on by a bunch of extremely driven, motivated, and sharp individuals around you," says Suresh Sugavanam, a 26-year-old strategist based in Dallas. "The best part is the psyche of the firm. It is assumed that you can do anything, unless you go back and say why you cannot do it and reason it out."
Consultants here feel that the firm's reputation and close client relationships helped it to weather the downturn in far better shape than its competitors. The firm's overall economic condition and individual compensation returned back to normal last year.
The firm's generalist model provides excellent career opportunities for those who view consulting as other than a lifelong career. Engagements here generally last six months. Partners here care about having an impact, and this attitude filters down to every level of the organization. BCGers say that they usually interact at higher levels at clients than their counterparts from other firms, but gripe that the recent tendency to overscope and under-resource can make for some very late nights at times.
The firm practices up-or-out, but BCGers say everyone is encouraged to succeed. Take heed, though: First impressions are lasting ones! Or so consultants told us.
Meanwhile, training opportunities abound. For example, the firm, with its 50 offices in 34 countries, offers top-performing second- and third-year consultants more formal and extensive international experience through an "ambassador" program, in which they transfer to another office for six months or longer.
Managing work/life balance is difficult. The hours are long — 62 percent of BCG respondents work between 56 and 70 hours a week — and the schedule unpredictable. But BCG tries to make it easier with its flexible work arrangement policies.
The best part of the job, BCGers say, is the lasting friendships formed with their teammates. Their colleagues are genuinely friendly, and team members look out for one another — especially the junior ones.
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