Excessive workload of consulting

Hi there,

Great that you are doing your research before committing to the industry.

I would argue that most people stay longer than 1-2 years, rather 3-4. The reason why most leave is not burnout but that the benefits of being outside of consulting > than being inside of it after that timeframe (lifestyle, remuneration, responsibilities).

A few pointers from my side based on a reply to a recent question on MBB lifestyle, something to consider. What makes consulting a tough industry to work in is not just the hours but the unpredictability and constant stretch you find yourself in.

• The typical work week away from home starts Sunday evening if you fly out early or Monday morning with the earliest flight and ends Thursday with one of the later flights; You can work from home or your home office on Fridays
• Work hours including team dinners etc. during the week (except Thursday and Friday) are usually from 8.30/9am until 10/11pm/midnight
• For some projects, you might have to travel further, meaning you'll stay on site for weeks, not a couple of days
• For some projects, you might travel several times a week (if the client has several locations you need to cover). For instance, I had one project with a client location in the middle of nowhere and another location, so I flew home > client location 1 > client location 2 > home every week from Sunday evening to Thursday night for the full project duration. I had one project with peak weeks where I had 6 flights to take (outlier case but possible) twice
• For some projects you might have to attend workshops and meetings at the other end of the world with relatively short notice. For instance, I had to fly Europe to Hong Kong twice for 1-2 days of meetings. Sometimes you spent more time travelling than on the ground, not even adjusting to the time zone
• The schedule can be very unpredictable overall and logistics always move. I remember an occasion where I packed and was ready to go to the airport when I received the call that the project did not materialize. Another time, I was at the airport booking the flight shortly before boarding due to a change in circumstances

On top of that, there is always more work to do than what you could possibly handle, the deadlines are very short, the expectations always high. 

Does that sound like a tough environment? Yes! Is it great for learning early in your career and does it come with significant benefits? Also yes!

If you want to learn more, check out my book Consulting Career Secrets where I discuss all aspects of a top-tier consultants life, how to handle it, make the most of it, etc. It's on Amazon.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your questions:

• First of all, and contrary to what other coaches have said, you are right when you mention excessive workload and burnout as reasons for consultants leaving. After all, the typical proportion of voluntary attrition is only around 50%, which might support the hypothesis.
• Moreover, it is my understanding that it is not just the excessive workload, but the overall stressful environment, coupled with a sometimes unhealthy eagerness of consultants, that can lead to burnout. Consulting firms are placing a lot of emphasis on making lifestyles more sustainable, although I think this is also an effort that needs to be made by the individual.
• Lastly, it seems to be more common practice of strategy consulting firms to simultaneously hire a lot of people and let others go, whether voluntarily or not.

Best,

Hagen