The long hours, travel, high intensity of work, and stress that come with consulting can take a toll on physical and mental health, as well as relationships and family life. As a result, many choose to leave consulting in search of a better work-life balance. Management consultants usually depart from their jobs after 2 to 4 years. Some are drawn to offers with higher salaries, more autonomy, or a better work-life balance; others quit to gain new experiences and update their learning curve, or to pursue other long-term plans. In addition, some consultants quit to retire from the consulting culture.
The same type of people that consulting firms need are the people who will eventually leave those consulting firms. This has led to the founding of MConsultingPrep - a platform that provides complete materials for every step of hiring consultants, from the curriculum to the last case interview. The reasons why consultants may receive such high offers are the broad set of skills they gain from consulting work (such as their exposure to high-level corporate management or their ability to influence people and negotiate), as well as the brand of their former employers (MBB on your resume gives you a lot of bragging rights).The same mentality and culture that make consultants unique and so efficient are also part of their “weaknesses”: Consultants tend to place too much emphasis on structure. Leaving consulting is a personal decision that should be taken after careful consideration. It is important to weigh all the pros and cons before making a decision. Consulting can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but it is not for everyone.
It is important to understand that there are other options available for those who want to pursue a different career path.