What's it like to work in consulting?

[Peregrine]

Disclaimer: Goldman Sachs is not anxiously awaiting my response to their offer. They've never made me one. They're not aware of my existence.

While it's possible that those who never had an opportunity to work IBD are calling the grapes sour, it's also possible that those who did make great sacrifices to get into and stay in IBD say what they do as a form of ego preservation. Think about it. The possibility of someone not wanting to take the path of blood/sweat/tears for tons of money puts all of their life choices into question.

I don't blame them. Even I engage in a certain amount of judgement towards Starbucks baristas as I sit in my cubicle with no direct access to sunlight. If the baristas are just as happy in the end, then I'm a fucking moron.

- You will only be miserable if you are spending your time doing something mundane or something you don't care about. This is irrespective of whether or not you are spending 30, 40, 60, or 80+ hours a week doing it.
- For some, working on a deal isn't about logging hours, it is really exciting. You can feel like you are on a hunting team, and the spoils can be quite rewarding if your hunt is successful. You starve if you don't spear any meat. You don't get paid for clocking hours, so work as much or as little as you want to put towards that particular hunt.

#1 is true. #2 is not for me.

 

[Deluge]

We've seen this before from another somewhat ranty (although generally good) forum poster who is also an IB on WS.

We are demonstrated this unfailing belief that everyone wants to be an IB, and those that don't want to are being rationalized by the people in the industry as people that don't have what it takes.
I'm not sure if this is a monstrous effort of self-delusion or if they genuinely believe this. Whatever the case their tone speaks far louder than their words.

The ironic thing is this person you speak of was by his own admission miserable.

While it's possible that those who never had an opportunity to work IBD are calling the grapes sour, it's also possible that those who did make great sacrifices to get into and stay in IBD say what they do as a form of ego preservation. Think about it. The possibility of someone not wanting to take the path of blood/sweat/tears for tons of money puts all of their life choices into question.

Exactly.

 

[worldwidetraveler]

We've seen this before from another somewhat ranty (although generally good) forum poster who is also an IB on WS.

We are demonstrated this unfailing belief that everyone wants to be an IB, and those that don't want to are being rationalized by the people in the industry as people that don't have what it takes.
I'm not sure if this is a monstrous effort of self-delusion or if they genuinely believe this. Whatever the case their tone speaks far louder than their words.

The ironic thing is this person you speak of was by his own admission miserable.

Westcoast? If so, I found the opposite. He was passionate about what he was doing and where he was heading.

 

[worldwidetraveler]

Quite the opposite, as I alluded to earlier it's learning from older people I know personally and older RVF members who've done or are currently in investment banking which is one of the biggest reasons why I don't want to do it.

You seem to have a problem admitting that what you said earlier was wrong when deep down you know it was, I know this precisely because you've never properly tried to defend your ludicrous position once I called it out. Don't get me wrong, I respect the success you've had, especially post-IB in your own ventures. I've made the choice that I know is right for me, hopefully you've made the choice that was right for you; just don't act like everybody wants to lead the exact same life that you did.

The best thing you can do is make a judgment call as to what will make you happy. Only experience will tell you if you made the right call.

At that time, it will be too late to dwell on anything you may consider a mistake. You just change directions and move on.

My only recommendation would be not to waste your 20's screwing around and to build some marketable skills.

 

[iknowexactly]

Anyone here have any experience or knowledge about consulting?

if you can go to the same place every day, do the same thing, and be ordered around by the same people and have it feel sort of acceptable you're different than me.

How do you get around with a job you don't like?
How do you appear "happy" and "receptive" when head honchos from corporate show up?

I tried to fake it when they came over, and counting the hours became a norm.

I was in IT, and programmers are a pretty schizoid ( don't really like chummy, intimate social interaction) lot.

You don't have to have that "sales guy" perky demeanor, the best programmers are often quite strange appearing.

In the type of management consulting most posters here are discussing, I think the whole social presentation subcommunication of being from an upper class background is much more important.

A lot of good programmers can't even speak good english if they are from India or China.

As far as internal emotional control goes, I just logically assessed that I couldn't be making more money anywhere else at something I hated, so there was no use making my self more miserable than I already was.

From my point of view, pay differential discounted, I'd way rather spend my day doing health care work than helping the rich skim even more.

 

[Deluge]

If so, I found the opposite. He was passionate about what he was doing and where he was heading.

He was very passionate about what he was doing, he lived and breathed finance. That said he was also very unhappy, there's no denying that. I hope in the time since he's left RVF he's been sorting all of that out, and hope he one day decides to come back.

 

[Cyr]

Personally, I would like to work in IB, or at least go on internships and try it. However, I dont think people should be moralising on the extent to which young guys should seek delayed grarification. There is a balance between living in the moment, (not just the traditional definition of being immersed in your current experience, but also making time to go to the gym, sleep enough, see friends etc- more like living for the moment) and delayed gratification, and people's decision on what they want is personal- there is no right answer, so arguing that youre stupid if you dont want to work 'x hours a week' whilst youre young doesnt make sense.

 

[rekruler]

I ostensibly work in consulting, the key word being ostensibly. Truth is, I don't do anything. It's a major disappointment. I went to China right after college determined to either start a business or inveigle my way into high finance, but after receiving a job offer from my current employer I returned to the states in order to gain what I thought would be valuable corporate experience and be able to return to China with marketable skills.

It has been a total joke. I do the whole traveling M-Thursday bit which feels like man, this gig is totally legit. Problem is, once I arrive at the client site, I do absolutely nothing. I've been on the same fuking engagement for a whole year now. It's a massive IT project that has been dragging on for years and will not finish for another several years, if ever.

My role in all this? Data entry. I shit you not, all I do is data entry, and altogether only about a grand total of 1 hour worth of data entry in an average week. The rest of the time, I do absolutely jack shit, just sit in my cubicle and try to salvage some sort of self respect by studying Chinese and learning programming. I've been complaining to my practice leadership about this situation for nearly the entire year I've been here, and they keep stringing me along by saying "yea, we'll roll you off, just wait" or "we're discussing expanding your role on your current engagement." From their perspective, of course, I'm billable, so they don't give a shit, much better for them to keep me billable than go through the hassle of finding me another project. The client is a total retard, literally paying hundreds of dollars an hour to have me NOT do anything.

Needless to say, I'm not going to keep at this for much longer. The salary is decent and I'm unlikely to make anywhere near as much money if I quit, but shit, this is the deadest of dead ends. I was not very eager to leave China even when I thought this job would be worthwhile, but now I really rue the day. I've wasted over a year of my life and acquired zero relevant experience or skills. I have a lot more money in my bank account now, but shit, not enough to justify a whole fucking year of treading water career-wise. I guess my story is kinda funny to people who complain of being overworked in consulting, haha.