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Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

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Hello, I’ve working in software and database development primarily on the Microsoft platform for about five years now. I have worked for an ISV, done some independent contracts, and am currently employed full-time by a large financial organization.

My current job is very stable(at least for the next year or two) and the pay is good, if not great.

I currently have an offer at a big 4 consulting firm in the technology division doing similar work. It’s a senior position, but there is essentially no salary difference from my current job. The base salary is a little more, but my current employer offer an ESOP, which will essentially make total compensation very equivalent.

I have been shopping around carefully for other opportunities, due to the usual complaints about working internally to an IT department: slow paced work, unchallenging development projects, process, etc. etc. I truly feel I am coasting in a job, and perhaps a career, that I do not find rewarding anymore.

Generally speaking, I am a motivated person who wants more out of a career than a paycheck. So, I’m wondering if working for a large firm may offer a more rewarding environment, or is it more about politics and BS? I am leaning towards sticking it out at my current employer until something better comes along, but I am extremely concerned that I would be turning down something that would be good for my career. Also, considering the fact that I feel that I was not offered more salary is a red flag for me, but salary is not the bottom line for me these days, finding a better, more challenging and rewarding environment is.

Thanks.

Topic

Then Make the Move

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

You answered your own question – If you don’t feel challenged – rewarded – productive in your position then it is time to move.

As you said “I truly feel I am coasting in a job, and perhaps a career, that I do not find rewarding anymore” = then you answered your own question – get up – stand up – walk out – take the risk – and try the otherside of the street… If you depart on good terms you will always be invited back.

Ask yourself some questions

In reply to Then Make the Move

There a downsides and upsides to working for a big 5 consultancy. You will probably have to spend a lot of time travelling, and this may sound glamorous, it usually isn’t – you have no control over it, and as you’re the rookie, you’ll start out being sent to the places no one else wants to go.

Seondly, you have to be far more commercially focussed. In internal IT, your role is to serve your internal customers, but as a consultant your principal role is to make money for your employer. True you have to serve customers to do this, but you have to be very commercially aware to succeed – if this isn’t you, this could make you miserable.

But if you are ambitious, the upsides are potentially far higher as a consultant than in internal IT. You can gain a lot of experience from different client engagements and grow. And if you ever go back to an internal IT function, you will do so with far better understanding.

Why not go independent?

In reply to Ask yourself some questions

I agree with djb@ovum…if you work for a Big 5, they own your body and soul. You’ll be working a trillion hours and will be on the road CONSTANTLY. Travelling for a Big 5 will not be fun. You won’t be going anywhere good and even if you do get stationed somewhere good, you won’t have any time to enjoy it.

Also, what always bugged me was that I was billed out at about 3+ times what I made in a day. I decided to go out on my own. I cost a lot less to my clients than a similar person through a Big 5 and I get to keep all of my bill rate!

Also #2, when I went to one of the Big 5, I thought that I’d be working with superstars…kinda like going to the Harvard/MIT of tech consulting. I was not impressed. Most of the people are completely average but their bill rates are off the charts.

Ditto on #2

In reply to Why not go independent?

I was an independent for 3 years and it was great. I had ultimate control over the solutions I supplied and chose my customers.

I took a job in January of this year with a big 5 because;
1. I needed a mortgage
2. I wanted to work with some superstars
3. I wanted a big 5 on my resume
4. I knew if things turned a certain way, there would be great oppurtunities.

Well, everything has worked out great with the exception of #2. The majority of people I have worked with so far are border line competent. Every so often I have had access to some great talents, but that is not the rule.

Why? The thing to remember about most departments in Big 5 companies is that they encourage everyone to be specialists. They *need* you to fit into one tidy slot. If you don’t you may be to difficult to manage. Even if you are working to deliver a holistic solution, you will be very actively encouraged to stay within your strata.

So, if you like to have broad spectrums of experience from nitty gritty technical to having a meeting with the ‘C’ level executives, a Big 5 may not be ready for you.

Hang tough and find something that you know you really want.

Hate to disagree, BUT

In reply to Then Make the Move

You said the job role is more of the same – and you are already feeling that your current job is not challenging – so all you would achive by moving is a new name on your reume (for a short period), and then you’ll be hankering to leave again!

Stay where you are,, and start really looking for a job that offers you a challenge – then jump in wholeartedly!

Very well said

In reply to Hate to disagree, BUT

find a position that challenges you before making a move. Don’t just move to add a big name to your resume.

Think

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

Hi,
I feel it all depend whether ur consulting job profile link with ur long term career goal. For example, if Mr X want to become “Strategic Consultant”, say after 15 years from now. I guess then it is a good move. Thus, if you consulting profile comes close to your long term career path then go ahead otherwise stric with where-ever you are at this moment.

Lateral isn’t sideways

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

Job satisfaction is a major consideration in any career decision. If the consulting position will provide you with greater emotional payback, then the monetary factor may not matter.
‘Final 4’ consulting is not for everyone. You will be judged based on billable hours more than any other factor, a BIG change for someone who has never lived in that world. The more senior you are, the more volative your position, precisely the opposite of what you would expect in your current situation.
I would seriously consider developing a strategy for developing yourself as an internal consulting resource before jumping off to another firm. At least then you will have an idea of what the role is like.

Think Carefully…

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

Four years ago, I’ve done what you are considering. I left my large IT company for a what-was-then-Big6 consulting firm. However, I must advise you to be very mindful of your decision. How you have described your current job could very much be the exact opposite of Big4 consulting. It is true that some of the benefits that consulting offers include a very fast-paced lifestyle, different and frequently challenging projects every few months (on average), and generally better salaries than industry average. However, there are also (potential) pitfalls such as the long (sometimes very long) hours, the frequent travel (80-100%, from short 1-hour flights to 24-hour international flights), and some restricted benefits (e.g. depending on the firm and the undertaken projects, you are restricted to what company stocks you can own or what mutual funds you can have in your 401k). Also, because you would be changing industries, you would be exposed to a different culture and therefore a whole new set of politics.

Consulting has one of the highest attrition rates of all IT careers. I am however still in the consulting firm, as I personally feel that the benefits outweigh the pitfalls. But it is very much a personal decision.

My best advice to you would be to find a trusted friend or an unbiased mentor that has done what you are considering and ask plenty of questions about the job, the lifestyle, the firm’s culture, etc. to help with your decision. Consulting is a very challenging career, and if it is truly right for you, a very rewarding one as well.

Good luck.

You must be able to adapt

In reply to Think Carefully…

Things go so fast in the consulting world. Having been in consulting, then moving to a more stable lifestyle at an IT company like yours, then moving back, I have seen many changes.

You will travel. If you want to gain the experience consulting offers, you have to be flexible but make sure the assignment lines up with what your competency interests are or you will end up with a very broad knowledge of things which is good, but makes it harder to sell your story to future project managers.

Your Project manager can make or break your experience as a consultant. You have to be able to network with all types of people as well.

Best thing I ever did

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

Time spent working at a Big 4 firm can be frustrating (politics and BS), exhausting (they typically don’t understand the concept of ‘weekends’) but ultimately rewarding. I spent 4 years at a Big 4, and never worked so hard in my life, but learned as much as I ever did getting my Masters Degree. Work at a Big 4 is a ‘gold stamp’ on the resume – it shows that you have a certain credibility and ability. It is generally recognized as difficult, and if you are successful (even for a few years) you will have an advantage over others without the experience. I re-invigorated my career (and ability to command a better salary) after my stint at a Big 4, and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. Good luck to you.

Consider your Options

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

Look at your tenure first. Have you been at your current employer for 7 years. If so, the job move would not be good financially. As far as reward goes…yes, there is more politics at a senior level. That’s the challenge! If you are a techy, you may want to stay where you are. Consulting is just as much politics as the senior-level job, only harder. Your income is directly affected if someone doesn’t like what you said. Consulting means courting your potential customers, stroking their egos, and making them feel warm & fuzzy inside. Sounds like a senior-level position to me!

Treat it like a project

In reply to Consider your Options

I’d have to agree with the other posters who said that the Big 4 consulting lifestyle is brutal – long hours, high politics and corporate BS.

BUT…

They also are an unparalleled opportunity to learn things you can’t learn elsewhere. Big companies enforce a certain discipline by what methodology they use, and they have the money to hone that methodology to make it work well. You will encounter many different company situations and learn how to deal with each. And, I hate to say it, but politics is life. If you want to be truly successful, you have to deal with that fact and know where the buttons and levers are.

My advice? Don’t think of this as a permanent job move (though you may tell the firm that.) Think of it as a 2-4 year project in which you are out to learn as much as you can while you work. In other words, work for YOUR reasons, not theirs. Then move on.

Only you know what you want …

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

You’ve been in consulting already so I won’t bore you with the comments some of the others have already made.

Life in the financial world has it’s upsides and downsides … you’re there for life (not any more but they like to pretend), work proceeds at a rate not seen in any other business, and promotions are few and far between.

A chance at working for a Big 4 firm, with all it’s headaches and long term benefits (lots of jobs now ask for Big 4 experience – stupid gits!). If you’ve been a contractor for long you know it’s a reputation that isn’t deserved but it is a reputation that isn’t going to go away any time soon. On the other side, expect to be there a short time (bench = goodbye).

But you need to decide what you are really looking for in a job. Figure out the criteria, rate it and then compare the options. Can you live with the lifestyle?, can you live with the uncertainty?

Best of luck!

Glen Ford, PMP
Can Da Software
IS Project Management

Wrong approach to the question

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

There’s nothing intrinsically magical about working for a big company because the commonalities you see among them are not the ones that will make you happy or unhappy to work there. Some big companies are well run, treat their employees with respect, provide opportunities for learning and advancement, and engender a lot of loyalty. Others don’t. You can say exactly the same thing about smaller companies. Look at the individual company that’s courting you, not its size.

You’ve gotten some pretty good advice about what to watch out for in the consulting field. Take it seriously.

We don’t all have the same type of personality. Some of us were born to be salaried employees working away in an office and interacting only with our fellow employees. Others have the temperament to be in the front office dealing with the public every day. Still others have what it takes to impress client firms and wake up in a different city every week.

In general, the younger you are and the more unattached you are, the more likely it is that you will be adaptable to the Road Warrior lifestyle. It’s not always as bad as people have said, in my day I had plenty of 9-4 gigs with long lunch breaks and free weekends. And I was deployed to some lovely cities during their most agreeable seasons.

But if you have a home and family, traveling sucks. Even leaving behind a couple of pets you love is depressing. You’d better like booze.

So if you are ever going to do this, do it now, don’t wait until you’re 45 and a community activist with kids.

But before you jump do two things. Make sure you have the temperament to be a hired gun with no permanent friends, lovers, pets, or other commitments. And do a really good job of investigating the consulting firm in question. Don’t get stuck with a dinosaur or a parasite.

Oh yeah, one more thing. Airline travel in the Era of Homeland Security is the most frustrating, demeaning, uncomfortable experience you can possibly imagine. Doing it regularly will change you.

Back Stabbers and Snakes

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

Big 4 means the remains of the consulting leagues that used to be the Big 8 Accounting in most cases. These are partnerships built like very very steep pyramids. The path upward to partner is extremly difficult. Expect an enourmous amount of travel, overtime, and not much reward, except what you get out of doing a lot of hard work in a chaotic environment with intense pressure. The Big 4 consuling is a good place to be from, but unless you don’t have a family or any real commitments to your life, I would not recommend it as a late career choice unless you like huge budgets and egos to go with the unbelievable politics and yes back stabbers and snakes.

Good Luck

it depends on your career plans

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

like many have said, it really depends on what you want to do. If you are ambitious and want to move up, you will have to work hard and taking this new job could be the first big step.

As a former consultant for one of the old Big5, I can say that the work can be back breaking and personal relationships will take a effort. Travel that seems fun at the beginning becomes tiresome after a while (trust me!). Backstabbers? They’re everywhere, just the knives are better hidden and sharper there 😉 . But if you work hard, have an attitude and parlay your skills in the consultant job, you will take a big step forward in your career.

Agree – Think Carefully Before You Jump

In reply to it depends on your career plans

While working for a big 5 still remains something to have on the resume, the world of consulting has changed (plenly of layoffs, less money for training). I would recommend if you join not stay for more than 2 years.

stick or carrot?

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

>my current employer offer[s] an ESOP…
Employee Stock Option Plans are great IF the company is already public. If not, you’re a donkey chasing the carrot. Startups use the ESOP as compensation for lack of salary and excessive hours and expectations. Startups also have a very high rate of failure which make the Options totally useless. On the other hand, years ago I worked for a startup that was bought-up by a public company and our Options were translated into Options on the public stock for 15cents on the dollar – – I made (after taxes) more than $10k! Nice piece of change, but a very RARE occurrence.

My suggestion after several decades in software; manage your life style rather than letting your career manage you.

Push your current envelope

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

If your coasting why not try pushing your envelope. Can you make suggestions to improve your department. Cost saving ideas. Areas for upgrade. Create now projects for yourself. Generate some spotlight on yourself. If your wheels are spinning, push them. Use your knowledge of your own company to see what you can do. Seems like you are waiting for something to happen on your current job instead of making something happen.

Leave full time

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

Are you risk taker and like to have opportunity to grow faster? Take this opportunity. Don’t assume that this will be your lifetime employer. But rather stepping stone for your next journey. Working for internal environment is very different with working for clients/customers. And this experience will give you new perspective which will shape your imagination of what you can do in the rest of your life.
There is famous oriental saying:
BY SEEING I KNOW, BY HEARING I UNDERSTAND and BY EXPERIENCING I BECOME KNOWLEDGEABLE.
I assume you have done the first two and go for the last one.

There are some long-term advantages

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

I was a Director at a Big-5, and left to go independent, and found that this entry in my resume opened doors that would never have opened otherwise. Some firms want people who have succeeded at the challenge of a Big-5. It’s similar to companies that look for MBA’s – this is their confirmation that you can handle the job. Check out the want ads and you will see many that specifically ask for Big 5 or 4 experience.

Good for your CV

In reply to Leave full-time for large consulting firm?

I work for one of the Big 4 – somen of it is BS (internal politics) but the client stuff is full on. There are also a tremendous number of really talented people you get to work with which is a big bonus. It is also great for your CV.
However, unless you are set on partnership don’t do it for the money – very few people in the org get paid well (with the exception of partners). There can also be a lot of travel and very substantial stress. If you’ve got kids that you enjoy seeing every night, I wouldn’t do it. I’m currently looking for another job having spent 3.5 years in consulting and one of the big reasons is that I want to spend more quality time with my kids.

Good luck with your decision

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