OT: Business Consultants

[Jgbishop]

Have any of you degenerates ever worked as a Business Consultant? Particularly at one of the "big" guys (PwC, Bain, McKinsey, etc). If so, I'd be interested in chatting with you a bit about how life was doing so.

 

[Dawgzilla]

Hell No...I'm gainfully employed.

 

[MSUDAWGFAN]

One of my best friends worked for BCG. He told me that it was great doing it, but unsustainable for a long haul. He barely had any time to see his kids. On the positive side, he made great money. It just wouldn't work out for anyone to do it for more than about 5 or so years.

 

[scdog1]

I did it for a few years as a senior manager planning to go the partner route until great opportunity presented itself and I couldn't pass it up. I loved the work and the interaction you get with C-suite level folks at huge companies. Most of the people you work with are sharp and reliable. All the travel perks are nice, especially when you go on vacation.

At the end of the day, it is really hard if you have a family. If I was single and no kids I would probably still be in the game.

 

[patdog]

Haven't done it myself, but know several who have. If you want to make a lot of money, work 60+ hour weeks all the time, and spend 40 weeks on the road every year, then business consulting is for you. If you'd like to actually have a life, it's not. I got as far as the phone interview a couple of times, but both times decided there wasn't enough money in the world for me to do that.

 

[Jgbishop]

I know it's a lot of hours and fortunately im early enough in my career to be ok with it. Just trying to talk to someone for the "day in the life" discussion

 

[The Peeper]

The Jackson City Council has spent Millions on "consultants" and have nothing to show for it, must be a pretty good gig if you can get it

 

[patdog]

It is a pretty good gig for making money. Scott Adams, the Dilbert cartoonist, has a very good take on business consultants. Basically, businesses (and governments) hire a consultant to come in and make recommendations on what to do, install a new system, etc. so when things go wrong they can blame the (by then long-gone) consultant. The consultant's main job is to go around interviewing management and employees until he can figure out what recommendations management wants him to make (if he recommends what they don't want, he won't get any repeat business from them), and then to package those recommendations into a presentation. It's pretty funny to read, but it's scary accurate.

 

[DirtyDog]

I laughed out loud at how true it is. A good consultant can convince his customers that his recommendations were their idea, but your way works too....for the short term.

 

[dorndawg]

View attachment 4742

 

[vhdawg]

View attachment 4748

 

[birdawg]

Curious.. What'd you guys study to get into consulting?

I traveled like that for years but I was a commodity buyer and my territory was North America. I start a masters program for biz analytics in a few weeks, but have zero interest in traveling like that again. I'm married and wanting kids now. No way in hell I'd do that again. But as others have said, the money is good but it's not sustainable.

 

[Bulldogg31]

What does "good money" look like?

 

[MSUDAWGFAN]

I've never had the conversation with my friend, but I know he had 6 months of pay to find a job once he had decided to leave. I think his bonuses were in the 130-150k range. I'd guestimate that his salary was around 300k/year.

He made it all the way up to principal though. Starting it's going to be around 130-150 or so with smaller bonuses (probably 20-50 or so). I throw that out there with the caveat of these are all guestimates.

 

[Jgbishop]

My understanding is the the big boys will pay 6 figures a year or two out of college with an undergrad. MBA's will be mid-100's coming out.

Now these are some of the most competitive positions in the world to get as well. MSU isn't one of their "target schools" so it gets even tougher. But still can be done.