It's no secret that working as a consultant for McKinsey can be a demanding job. But just how many hours does a consultant work? It's an important question to consider before taking on such a role. In this article, we'll take a look at the typical hours worked by a McKinsey consultant and the factors that can affect the amount of time spent on the job. When it comes to customer projects, consultants can expect to work between 50 and 80 hours per week.
The average is sixty to seventy hours, with some weeks or individual projects requiring significantly more time. During beach time, consultants usually work between 30 and 60 hours, with an average of around 40. So what does a typical work schedule look like for a consultant? Generally speaking, it's an eight-hour day with no lunch break included. However, some consulting firms and local offices have implemented the “one night off a week” policy, which allows consultants to have time for themselves.
The hours also depend on the type of project. On average, the shorter the project, the longer the hours will be. Your main goal as a management consultant is to do great work, but in the end it's about making your customers happy. The amount of time worked in a given week can vary greatly depending on several factors.
For example, consultants in Dubai tend to work around 12 hours per week on a relatively consistent basis. Meanwhile, consultants in Saudi Arabia are currently working long hours due to the national restructuring taking place there. It's important to note that consulting is not a nine-to-five job and most applicants are aware of how exhausting it can be. A consultant typically starts their day between 8:00 and 9:00 in the morning and works until late at night.
There's always more to do than the hours allow and things can change quickly at a customer's facility. Plus, there's almost no downtime in consulting, so you won't have much time for yourself during the day. In your contract you can mention an estimate of the total number of hours you can expect to work in a given year; however, the actual amount of time spent working at a major consulting firm will vary greatly. That said, during my three years at McKinsey I rarely had to work on weekends. In conclusion, working as a McKinsey consultant is demanding and requires long hours. The exact amount of time worked will depend on several factors such as the type of project and location.
However, most consultants are aware of this before taking on such a role.
