Management consulting is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious career paths. While McKinsey, Bain, and BCG (MBB) are often seen as the most sought-after firms, there are several other major consulting firms that can provide a great boost to a professional career. McKinsey is renowned for its competitive environment and academic culture focused on continuous improvement. Intellectual rigour and factual analysis skills are essential for success, as is a positive attitude with an optimistic approach.
Diversity at McKinsey is affected to some extent by the preference for candidates from target universities, such as Oxford, Harvard, Stanford or Yale. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is known for its work-life balance and flexible schedules. Travel is a weekly reality, but the workload can be unpredictable depending on the needs of individual commitments. Employees praise BCG's diversity policies.
Oliver Wyman has many exciting global perspectives and continues to grow. Work-life balance may be affected as a result of the consultancy's success. Your focus on financial services can make for an intense work environment. More than 90% of employees surveyed on Glassdoor would recommend Oliver Wyman to friends; 98% approve of the CEO. Booz Allen Hamilton has a focus on federal consulting, so consultants don't have to travel as much as they do at other consulting firms.
However, other factors, such as deadlines, billable hour objectives, and demanding customers, are similar to those of the competition. Employee satisfaction with Booz Allen Hamilton has varied over the years due to major strategic moves and C-level decisions. Kearney is an American global management consulting firm that focuses on strategic and operational issues on the agenda of CEOs faced by companies, governments, and institutions. KPMG consultants are known to support each other, and the firm places a strong emphasis on feedback from supervisors. Accenture is especially ideal for aspiring consultants who value opportunities to learn about technology. Strong training programs and a fun social life in the company lighten up hard work and long hours, but for consultants it's “up or down” (it refers to the mentality that a consultant needs to reach a certain level in the company at a certain time or they could be fired).Roland Berger is one of the few major consulting firms that offer many part-time positions, although career advancement may be affected.
Long hours are common at this consulting firm, but management has become proactive in discouraging weekend work. When it comes to choosing which consulting firm is most prestigious for your career path, it's important to consider each firm's competitive environment, diversity policies, work-life balance, and training opportunities. McKinsey is widely considered one of the best options for building a high-level career; Boston Consulting Group offers excellent work-life balance; Oliver Wyman has great global perspectives; Booz Allen Hamilton focuses on federal consulting; Kearney focuses on strategic and operational issues; and Accenture provides great opportunities to learn about technology.
