In Search of Camelot: The Best Consulting Firms to Work For

To meet our goal, Consulting magazine polled consultants of all levels to identify the profession's employers of choice. More than 4,000 professionals from 29 firms responded to our Web-based survey between Nov. 15, 2000, and Jan. 22, 2001. (See "How We Did It" on page 36.)

Employers were scored on 12 attributes, measuring how satisfied their consultants were with:

• compensation levels;

• benefits;

• leadership skills among managers;

• work/life;

• vacation time;

• mentoring programs;

• size of clients;

• travel schedules;

• advancement of women;

• accommodations for workers with disabilities;

• intellectual stimulation; and

• performance of corporate bureaucracy.

As any consultant who has ever switched firms can tell you, not every organization is for everybody. For example, if you're looking for a good mentoring program, try PricewaterhouseCoopers. Hate being on the road? Watson Wyatt may be a safe bet. If especially solid training is what you're after, take a job at McKinsey & Co. or Andersen.

The Tribe Has Spoken

The companies on our list of Best Consulting Firms to Work For have a number of things in common. First, their people told us that they work on assignments which are high-impact and intellectually stimulating. They told us that their employers have solid reputations in the marketplace and go after projects they know their consultants will want to work on. Their people are proud to work for them and don't mind boasting about it.

The more respected workplaces allow consultants to get things done, careerwise and jobwise, with management support but minimal bureaucracy. They have a knack of promoting people with leadership skills, and have tailored their policies and perks to help consultants juggle home and work pressures.

Open, honest, and frequent communication between management and employees goes a long way. It minimizes confusion among the staff members and keeps turnover low during times of transition. And, employees feel valued when they are kept abreast of developments, understand the vision, and are asked for input. They fully understand the direction management is taking with the firm.

It's common to hear consultants gush over their colleagues, who are described as fun, brilliant, eclectic, talented, and supportive — and just about every other superlative that comes to mind. We're convinced that the companies that excel are doing a great job of recruiting smart people and hiring for cultural fit.

While anecdotes about work experience vary widely among companies, on paper there was only a 20 percent difference between the highest- and the lowest-rated firm. Among the top five, there was an even smaller spread — just over a six percent difference.

This shows that organizations are doing a good job at keeping up with what the competition is offering. But they can really differentiate themselves by just offering a little extra, especially in the area of work/life, where there is definite room for improvement for all.

Who Are Our Respondents?

Our average respondent is 35, has spent an average of seven years in consulting, and has worked on a median of four client engagements in the last 12 months. About 63 percent of respondents are male, and approximately 15 percent said they are members of a minority group or a protected class. In the group, more than 60 percent are married and have, on average, one child.

Those surveyed work at all types of firms: 46 percent hail from the former Big Five; 25 percent from human resources consultancies; 18 percent from strategy firms; and five percent each from operations management and information technology firms. They chose their firms for the intellectually stimulating work that was offered and by reputation. After that, they considered their ability to impact client companies and the firm's expertise as other key reasons for landing where they did.

We heard a lot of similar comments from pros at all firms. Achieving work/life balance and surviving the extensive travel requirements is a struggle for most. Spouses and families of consultants must understand what the consultants get out of work, because otherwise they'll be unlikely to accept the lifestyle.

All employers, it seems, will take as much as you are willing to give. Consultants need to be their own advocates for self-care, and set work limits. If there were two thoughts we heard not once but 20 times, they were:

1. "Each person needs to take ownership of his or her own career development."

2. "If you need hand-holding, go to another firm." As far as we can tell, no company yet provides this coddling benefit.

Legend vs. Reality

We had thought that the youngest group of respondents might be congregating at Sapient, where the average age is 34, not at Andersen (formerly Arthur Andersen) and Booz-Allen & Hamilton, where the average age is 30. Despite the fact that many consultants were lured away to work at dot-coms in 2000 in the hopes of getting equity, it was interesting that there appears to be no correlation between the amount of equity a firm offers and whether it is considered an employer of choice.

We were also surprised that Accenture and Deloitte respondents got so little equity, given the hype they created around their consultants' equity-compensation schemes.

As for time on the road, the group as a whole is traveling an average of 2.4 days per week, but respondents from First Consulting Group spend 3.8 days away from home. And despite whatever problems a firm might have, consultants overall believe that they are providing quality results to clients. About 95 percent of respondents say that their firm always or very frequently provides quality results to clients.

Do I Looked Stressed?? Or WHAT???!!!

Here's a big surprise — consultants are a stressed-out bunch. Nearly half describe their jobs as either stressful or very stressful. If you're looking to reduce your blood pressure, RSM McGladrey may be the place for you. Headquartered in Bloomington, MN, with 100 offices nationwide, it was voted as the least stressful place to work.

Employees there boast about flexible work schedules, lighter travel schedules than those of their counterparts in other firms, and a friendly atmosphere. Two other firms surveyed — Navigant and William M. Mercer — also appear to be less stress-filled companies.

Send the masseuse and chamomile tea to Sapient, where you'll find some of the most frenzied consultants. There, 68 percent of respondents described their jobs during a typical week as stressful or very stressful. This is a drawback to being a visible, publicly held company, which produces considerable quarterly earnings pressure, says a 33-year-old Sapient consultant. The firm eases the pain by giving all employees three weeks of vacation a year and allowing them to "buy" additional vacation days as well as sell unused days.

Client Work

What keeps consultants toiling away those long hours and logging those frequent-flier miles is the chance to work on high-impact projects that are on the CEO's agenda.

At Booz-Allen, which came in first on the list of whether professionals find their work interesting, a 29-year-old New York–based consultant says, "The firm is large enough for you to learn a lot — both in terms of functional expertise and industries — based on your initiative."

But the onus of getting assigned to the sexy engagements falls to the individual.

"You have to be pretty aggressive about what you want out of the firm," advises another Booz-Allen consultant, echoing a popular sentiment across all organizations. "There are lots of opportunities out there — you just have to be willing to reach out and grab them."

In some cases, there is the fear of being pigeonholed into a specialty. "Speak up about what you want to do in the beginning, because once you end up in a niche, it is difficult to get into a different one," says a 25-year-old associate consultant at Deloitte.

Moolah and More

We did not ask consultants what they earned — just whether they were happy with what they got. Consultants at BCG, Milliman & Robertson, and Booz-Allen have the fewest gripes about their base salaries. But the size of signing bonuses being doled out seems to elicit universal derision.

Many say that while extra pay wouldn't hurt, they are content to trade lower pay for a better quality of life. "If you want the big bucks, go to Accenture, but expect to be burnt out in a year or two," says a 25-year-old Hewitt consultant. "You can make fine money here and still have a full and active personal life."

Don't think that everyone at Accenture is rolling in dough, either. Accenture consultants like to point out that while executive and partner salaries are very good, non-executive salaries are on the low end. However, unlike many of its competitors, Accenture shells out overtime pay for junior consultants.

Life Away From the Castle

Services for personal health and comfort (exercise facilities, massages), convenience (personal valet, laundry services, car pools), and family supports (childcare or eldercare) are sporadically offered, even among different offices within a single organization.

These are the little luxuries, like Accenture's concierge service or Hewitt's overnight pet care program — which reimburses employees for boarding their animals while they are traveling on business — that make a hectic consultant's life a bit easier. Andersen helps out by providing on-site child care, dry cleaning, and haircuts in certain offices.

Most companies — some more than others — offer flexible work arrangements, which include flextime, telecommuting, and flexible travel schedules. For example, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young offers compressed workweeks, reduced-hour workweeks, job-sharing, and phased returns, as well as a generous 16-week family and medical leave. PwC's More Nights@Home and Deloitte's 3-4-5 programs are both designed to curtail traveling.

However, as one William M. Mercer consultant acknowledges, "The stress of having to ask 'How high?' when clients say 'Jump!' is largely out of the employer's control."

The good life can cost you, too. "One of the downsides to the flexible work location policy is that you're responsible for your own career,' says PwC principal consultant Christa Hart, 41, who works in Atlanta for a practice based in New York. "For people living outside of the key practice offices, there isn't an informal office network to provide support. The coaching programs help, but you need to be proactive to be successful."

Noble First Knights

BCG and McKinsey are leaders in the leadership department. Consultants at both firms feel that management gets the best effort out of everybody and that the firms consistently place people with leadership qualities in managerial positions.

McKinsey "is an environment of constant challenge, with many examples of leaders whom I want to emulate, and who are willing to — and do — spend personal developmental time with me on an ongoing basis," says a 33-year-old operations consultant.

At Watson Wyatt, where all associates have access to all levels of firm leadership — including the CEO and CFO — simply through a phone call or e-mail, managers got high marks for considering consultants' skills when assigning projects. Consultants at American Management Systems feel that their firm involves them in decision-making. When it comes to encouraging creativity, Sapient leads the pack, followed by BCG.

"I can say what I want when I want. I can admit my mistakes without penalty," says a 37-year-old project manager at BCG. "BCG encourages you to be yourself, not some company stereotype."

Bureaucracy/Organizational Structure

It almost doesn't matter what type of organization a firm has, as long as the structure doesn't get in the way of consultants doing effective work for clients and advancing their careers. Some people want structured career paths, as there are at the former Big Five and the strategy firms, as opposed to the flat structure favored by firms like Hewitt. There, no one has a title, and there aren't necessarily clear steps upward. American Management Systems has a similar system of no titles, with the exception of at the very top.

"Hewitt's flat structure means that there isn't an obvious career ladder to climb," agrees a 32-year-old Hewitt consultant who has been with the firm for nearly two years. "You will have to be very clear about your learning objectives and career goals, or you may find yourself in the midst of 100 options with no clear imperative to move in any particular direction. A lot of your learning depends on which mentor you get, which projects you're involved in, and how actively you delve into the databases and seek further enlightenment from managers and senior consultants."

"You don't get the annual gratification of advancement through the ranks, because there are no ranks," says Steven Krauss, 28, who joined Hewitt four years ago. "Having come to Hewitt from the other extreme, a Big Five accounting firm, I can tell you that a strictly delineated hierarchy isn't any better — it's just less ambiguous."

Mentoring

Mentors are the teachers, guardians, and cheerleaders of the typical consulting firm. They come in formal and informal varieties. Without a good mentor, navigating the quirks of a particular organization becomes difficult, if not impossible. In many cases, developing a relationship with a mentor or a coach is essential to getting staffed on projects that fit squarely with an individual's career goal and with doing well in reviews.

"Mentoring is critical within this firm," says PwC consultant Beki Mueller. "If you expect to come into this firm and operate as your own little ship and not work within a team, you are not going to be successful."

At PwC, consultants are sent for training to learn how to coach and are rewarded with points on their year-end evaluation process if they mentor a colleague. The firm also has programs to help people network. People Champions is geared toward helping lower-level consultants network with upper management. Activities include group dinners with a visiting partner and one-on-one coffee breaks with a partner.

At Deloitte, several find the staffing process difficult to break into and the system increasingly political. New employees are urged to quickly cultivate an informal network in the firm through internal projects and social events, in order to better enable finding specific projects that fit their career goals. They are advised to find good mentors, known as counselors, who will help them during mid-year and end-year compensation and review discussions. But, beware: Counselor mismatch can hurt you.

"Make sure that you position yourself with the right people — mentors, partners, colleagues — because you can always get stuck with an unfulfilling position because of the network you maintain," says a 24-year-old Oracle applications consultant.

Training and Development

Overall, firms are meeting the training needs of their consultants. About 80 percent of respondents said that they were very satisfied or satisfied with the training and development opportunities offered by their firm. Several companies have their own collegelike training facilities or have close partnerships with university programs. Andersen has its vast St. Charles facility — the former St. Dominic's College on the banks of the Fox River in St. Charles, IL. Among its numerous programs, Deloitte offers traditional classroom training, a six-day immersion program for client-serving new hires, and a 40-hour e-business certification program.

Others, such as American Management Systems, PwC, and Accenture, have virtual programs. If an AMSer cannot attend the firm's multimedia training center at its Fairfax, VA, headquarters, he or she can access more than 600 courses via the Web. PwC sends entry-level employees to its facilities in Tampa or Philadelphia for up to 10 weeks of IT training and offers unique programs like the PwC/University of Georgia distance-learning MBA program. The firm is moving a large percentage of its training to a virtual self-paced environment, where employees can take courses through such e-learning portals as e.cademie on their own time.

At Accenture, consultants plan and monitor their professional development through an on-line learning tool, mylearning.com. They can reach training programs through videoconferencing, CD-ROM, or real-time access through the site.

"Every day, I ask myself, 'Could I have done a month ago what I can do now? A month ago, did I know what I know now?' I've found that since I've worked here, the answer is always no. I'm constantly learning new things and challenging myself to figure out the things I don't yet know," says Gretchen Tomanek, 23, a consultant who works in Accenture's New York office.

In addition, some firms grant temporary extended leaves to allow employees to try something on their own. Watson Wyatt and AMS both offer paid sabbatical programs. Andersen is currently piloting the firm's sabbatical program in the United Kingdom, where the policy is to give up to six months' leave for all partners and employees with more than three years of service.

Special Case

Milliman & Robertson is the unique case in our survey — not only because of the firm's atypical consulting model, but also because of the profile of the M&R respondents. M&R operates using a franchiselike model, where partner-owned consulting practices pay fees to a central organization. Unlike a franchise, however, M&R's entrepreneurial model is dependent on strong collaboration among its four partner-owned practices. About 85 percent of the respondents from M&R are principals, who share in what their specific profit centers make or lose each year.

The average M&R respondent is about 45 years old and has been with the firm for an average of 16 years — that's 10.5 years longer than the average time worked of the overall group.

Because of the demographics of the group and the profile of the company, it is understandable that they would have greater-than-average morale, give high marks on whether individuality is rewarded there, and low scores on the team-oriented culture question. The M&R model is not conducive to bureaucracy or mentoring programs, but it is interesting to note that had it not been for the inclusion of mentoring in our study, M&R would have ranked number 10 on our overall list.

1. Boston Consulting Group

Headquarters: Boston

Number of U.S. offices: 9

Number of U.S. consultants: 550

"This is a utopia for free thought exchange," says a 24-year-old BCG associate who joined the firm less than a year ago. "Creativity and openness are always welcome, but always with a steadfast mission to help our clients for the better."

Consultants at BCG say that the firm values individuality while at the same time supports teamwork. It's a place where new employees talk about getting a lot of responsibility quickly and consultants of all levels get a lot of developmental guidance. Politics are basically nonexistent and the culture is open and honest.

"People here are evaluated solely on the quality of their work, not the number of hours they put in at the office," says a Chicago-based consultant who joined the firm about a year ago. "The entry-level people can confront even the most senior partner about the work, and if the argument is supported by reason and data, he will succeed."

But, several BCGers do caution their colleagues to do well early, because reputations tend to be one of the biggest assets. "Your first case is probably the most important case you will ever have," says a 35-year-old project manager with the firm about four years. "It's a real challenge to regain confidence after a poor initial start. Talk to people in the office to make sure you are comfortable with the work, the client, and the expectations before you start."

Since BCG hires very competitive people who tend to be highly self-critical, this is not the place for people with weak egos who can't stand criticism. The firm is highly decentralized and informal in terms of structure, which leads to greater volatility, says a high-tech consultant in Dallas. "But I wouldn't trade the protection from the downside for the benefit of the upside in terms of creativity, degrees of freedom, quality of the answer delivered."

And it's fairly common to hear BCG consultants boast that they have a better quality of life than their counterparts in other firms. "This job has its ups and downs," says a project manager with the firm about four years. "Not every assignment is great. Not every day is great. But over time, you will have a great experience at BCG."

2. McKinsey & Co.

Headquarters: New York

Number of U.S. offices: 20

Number of U.S. consultants: 3,000 (in North America)

If he is ever in a bind, McKinsey partner Eric Roegner says he can call upon a colleague two time zones away and get help within 24 hours.

"I may not know that person at all, but if that person is a partner at McKinsey and I know they've gone through the same exact evaluation process as I have, I have no doubt I can sit them in front of my client," says Roegner, who is based in Cleveland. "It's a pleasure from our side, and it's a pleasure from our client's side."

Achieving client impact is the utmost goal – even if it means McKinsey has to take itself out of the equation, says a project manager who joined the firm three years ago. "On a number of occasions, I've seen us turn down work when it became apparent that our team was not able to have the level of impact that we hold ourselves to."

The organization is known to pull experts from various performance cells and deploy them to the client. Partners are measured on the impact they've had on clients — not necessarily the fees they generate from them.

McKinsey follows an up-or-out policy, which can be particularly tough on certain types of people, some consultants admit. Pros who show no sign of developing after receiving firm support are asked to leave.

"We're a caring meritocracy," says Roegner. "The caring side of the meritocracy is that we will give you that feedback and commit as much as we can to develop you — to put you in the right team, in the right learning environment, with the right engagement manager with the right training. We do everything we can to make sure you do develop against what your development needs are. But you need to make progress against these development needs, or our up-or-out policy will kick in."

People with medical or law degrees or have skills that are directly transferable to the consulting world are eagerly recruited. The firm provides individuals who may have advanced professional degrees but little business experience with a mini-MBA. This is an intensive three-week program that covers the essentials of a business school curriculum. New hires receive a lot of formalized training in the early years. Engagement managers and partners structure and govern teams so that they are responsible for coaching their associates.

Receiving honest performance feedback is par for the course here. "Not for the faint-of-heart," says one consultant, while another complains, "The constant feedback on how to improve can become somewhat aggravating and stressful."

However, there are just as many, like a 35-year-old project manager in California, who appreciate the constructive criticism. "People should come here with an openness to this feedback and a genuine desire to improve their ability to lead, communicate, and motivate," he says. "Sometimes the feedback is hard to hear, but it's given with a genuine desire to help people achieve their full potential."

3. Accenture

Headquarters: None

Number of U.S. offices: 40

Number of U.S. consultants: 22,000

Accenture consultants say that the range of opportunities they are exposed to makes the firm a world-class training ground. They walk in lockstep behind their new CEO, Joe Forehand, whom they fondly describe as energetic, and embrace the vision he articulates. They are proud of the long history of stewardship among the partners, who believe in making the firm better than they found it.

And they clearly revel in their firm's competitive market position and excellent reputation. "Ask competitors who they think is Number Two. If everyone points to Accenture, then we must be Number One!" exclaims one confident partner, with the firm (and its predecessor, Andersen Consulting) for 10 years.

If the typical Accenture consultant is not as self-assured as that, they learn to be over time. "Accenture will introduce you to how good you really are, and get you ready to accept that gracefully," says another 54-year-old partner, with the firm for over 23 years. This positive attitude is clearly important in a firm that boasts of having the largest number of consultants in the country. Here, professionals need to take charge of their own career so as not to get lost in the company. It is extremely important to seek advice from partners and establish mentoring relationships. Networking is a must.

Because Accenture is so large and complex, it may be difficult for a newcomer to acclimate to the culture and get established initially, consultants say. But even those who have been around for a while have some trouble. "The large size of the organization makes it more and more unwieldy to run and manage," says an associate partner who has been with the firm for 10 years. "The ladder to partner is getting longer and thinner — more rungs, easier to fall or get pushed off."

The firm's muscle, though, has other benefits.

"The resources of the firm are tremendous," says a 33-year-old project manager. "If it decides to make an investment and pursue an idea of yours, you'll be blown over by the commitment in terms of people and money made available."

While compensation isn't as competitive at the entry level, the situation is getting better, employees say. Profit-sharing is available down to the analyst level, and performance-based equity is being widely expanded and tied to the firm's venture capital investments. The hours can be long and there is a high probability of extensive travel, but consultants appreciate the available options for those who are strongly adverse to it.

4. Hewitt Associates

Headquarters: Lincolnshire, IL

Number of U.S. offices: 26

Number of U.S. consultants: Nearly 6,000

It's teamwork before personal glory at Hewitt. The firm's flat organization has no room for stars or high-profile people. The politics are minimal but, as more than one consultant says, fitting into the culture is a key to happiness here.

It shouldn't be a surprise that Hewitt made our list. The firm helps Fortune magazine with its annual 100 Best Companies to Work For list and must be studying hard. Management follows through on promises, takes a "benefit of the doubt" approach with employees, and rewards top performers. The perks and the opportunities for flexible work arrangements have earned it a very loyal and hard-working workforce. The consultants here work an average of 50 hours a week, and up to 70 and 80 hours during peak periods. Several come in at least one weekend a month to catch up on their work.

Hewitt has a "one-firm firm" approach, which enables it to provide consistent and high-quality service around the world. As a result, new hires are groomed — too slowly for some people's tastes — into the Hewitt way of doing things. Because collaboration is so strongly emphasized, tight relationships among colleagues tend to develop. It can be tough at times for those who aren't born and raised in the firm to assimilate and work their way up.

"We tend to think the Hewitt way is the only way sometimes, and that prior experience isn't as valuable as Hewitt experience," says a 35-year-old consultant who joined the firm five years ago. "Developing internal networks is key to succeeding here, and that can be difficult for laterals."

The firm doesn't pay as high as its competitors, but Hewitt appears to take the extra step to help consultants with personal conveniences. Those lucky enough to be in the larger offices have dry cleaning, exercise classes, childcare on state/school holidays. And, the free food goes a long way toward keeping everyone happy.

5. Sapient

Headquarters: Cambridge, MA

Number of U.S. offices: 12

Number of U.S. consultants: 2,100 (estimate)

Individual empowerment seems to be at the core of Sapient's culture. The firm's lack of structure in the traditional management sense makes it ideal for self-starters who can determine what path needs to be followed and make it happen without a lot of support.

"I have never seen or heard of another company that so empowers its individual employees to solve their problems and the clients' problems and affect the direction of the company," says Alder Yarrow, a director who joined the firm two years ago.

Management tends to encourage creativity, even when it may extract a price. Don't expect a cookbook approach to doing things. Sapient has a lot of tools that it uses from project to project, but each individual needs to figure out what applies best, says a 25-year-old project manager. "If you're someone who needs or wants to be told what to do and how to do it, you might struggle with the lack of structure."

Consultants praise the lack of politics and the fact that Sapient involves them in

decision-making. They have strong faith in senior management, but also feel strongly that the management, through its decisions surrounding staffing and growth, values them. They are also perks: home computer subsidies, pretax commuter benefit, and a vehicle purchase plan.

The solidarity shows. Sapient ranks first for employee morale despite the fact that only 70 percent of firm respondents are satisfied with training and development, compared to the 80 percent satisfaction rate overall.

There is a heavy emphasis on passion for the mission, company values, and culture. Job candidates are put through a rigorous process to make sure they uphold the core values of the company, according to a spokesman. Teams that receive accolades or awards from sources outside of Sapient are rewarded by the company with a token of appreciation.

Like other firms that have a unique homegrown culture, experienced hires sometimes have a hard time fitting in. But even people who have been around for a while say that they wouldn't mind a little less "culture" at times. "The passion of the people here is sometimes overwhelming," says a director who has been with the firm for more than five years.

Another consultant, who describes senior management as savvy and disciplined, adds, "Sometimes, the heavy focus on culture and values can feel juvenile and suffocating."

Comments like that might sound harsh to the uninitiated, but it's the type of brutal honesty that is encouraged — and rewarded — here.

6. First Consulting Group

Headquarters: Long Beach, CA

Number of U.S. offices: 19

Number of U.S. consultants: 1,122

"Stay away if you are a cowboy, prima donna, or politician," says a 47-year-old project manager in Texas who joined First Consulting Group three years ago. "This is a team-based environment where results are won by those who care less about receiving credit than achieving results."

FCG provides information-based consulting, integration, and management services to healthcare, pharmaceutical, and life sciences companies, and its reputation among its clients is strong and mission-focused.

Consultants say that the collegial environment here supports everyone as a valuable asset to the firm. People work as synchronized teams, yet individual merits are also celebrated. Training opportunities are good, and the client work is challenging.

Career development plans are good, but a little involved, says a healthcare integration consultant. But the firm also spends a lot of time making sure their professionals are doing things that are interesting to them, adds a director, Mary Sedivec. Each person is assigned a coach who helps track the attainment of the goals in their development plan.

Some people complain that since the firm went public in February 1998 and has continued to grow, some economic and organizational decisions have been made that cater more to investors. Nonetheless, adds one project manager, "We are still small enough that one person can make a difference."

7. PricewaterhouseCoopers

Headquarters: New York

Number of U.S. offices: 215

Number of U.S. consultants: 12,000

Every Wednesday night, PwC consultant Beki Mueller leaves work by 5 p.m. to go on a date with her husband. And she goes not just guilt-free — she also has incentive. PwC consultants accrue points in their performance evaluations when they achieve work/life balance. These points count toward promotions, raises, and bonuses.

Her firm's attitude toward work/life balance is especially important to Mueller, who is expecting her first child in September, and to Gary Spears, a 32-year-old project manager whose family more than doubled earlier this year. His wife gave birth to triplets in January.

"PwC was willing to give me the time needed when my triplets arrived, and work with me on my future career aspirations," says Spears, who has been with PwC for six years. "I feel a tremendous amount of respect for and loyalty to them for the assistance they gave me. When you've done good work for PwC and a partner realizes that, they return the loyalty back to you."

But PwC consultants do have some gripes. They are unhappy with the bonus program, the 401(k) benefits, and the lack of administrative support. Because of the vastness of the company — there are 31,000 consultants globally — individuals must be proactive with their own career development. "You must blow your own horn about your accomplishments, or you will get lost in the sea of people," says one consultant. Establishing mentoring relationships is not only mandatory, but also critical to a person's success.

Despite some uncertainty about the firm's future ownership structure, consultants say that the opportunities here are endless. "If you can't find an interesting project at PwC, then you can't be looking hard enough," says a project manager. It's a firm where promotions are based on demonstrated capabilities rather than on tenure, and where experienced hires can thrive. And there is no up or out policy here, because management recognizes that not everyone desires to become a partner.

8. Deloitte Consulting

Headquarters: New York

Number of U.S. offices: 35

Number of U.S. consultants: 5,698

Somewhere in a Deloitte office there is a consultant who is preparing to take advantage of the summer leave program — three months off without pay to do whatever he wants. Another is tapping into the free school service program, which helps parents do things like evaluate schools and arrange for financial aid for college. And, if it's the third Friday of the month, it is likely consultants are getting together to reconnect with colleagues or take a class.

Some consultants say that Deloitte is not as entrepreneurial as it was in the past — mostly due to tremendous growth in recent years. But, more often than not, a typical Deloitte consultant will say that life is pretty good here. The culture is down-to-earth and their colleagues are smart, friendly, and helpful. Compensation is fair, assignments are challenging, and the professional staff is pushed to grow.

"When you perform, you are rewarded like nowhere else," says a 30-year-old Pittsburgh-based consultant. "If you want it, you will get more responsibility than you can ever imagine at your level at another firm. When management believes in you, they really believe in you."

Consultants here acknowledge that their lifestyle is tough, but that the firm cares for them and does its best to help them juggle work and home pressures. The firm is recognized for its flexible work environment and its emphasis on training and development for its staff. It mitigates some of the travel strain through its 3-4-5 program. Three nights and four days are at a client, and the fifth day is spent at the consultant's home office. "This is about as humane as a career in consulting gets," says a 29-year-old systems integration consultant.

Female consultants who become mothers do not fall off the career track. In fact, of the firm's 473 partners, 72 of them — or 15 percent — are women.