Pros
The associate role mainly involves reaching out to potential leads (experts) and convincing them to consult on projects. Essentially, it functions as a basic recruitment position focused on ad‑hoc projects across different industries. Once you progress to a Senior Associate or Lead position, you begin interacting with clients; however, this interaction is often quite superficial, as the projects are short‑term and it can be difficult to build meaningful relationships — especially when working with large consulting firms. The main advantage is the exposure to a wide range of industries, even if indirectly, and the opportunity to work with colleagues from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds. This can be particularly valuable when starting your corporate career.
Cons
1. As the company has scaled and leadership has completely changed over the last two years, there is no longer a clear vision of what the organisation wants to achieve or where it stands within the competitive expert‑network landscape. There is no unique selling point beyond the existing client base. There has also been no significant development in the product portfolio for the past three years, which is disappointing given how many employees have strong ideas for improving services and products. 2. Unfortunately, the operations department is now focused almost exclusively on numerical achievements, and employees are treated more as revenue generators than as people. The obsession with KPIs and targets has reached a point where senior management communicates about them every hour, as if nothing else matters. This has undermined trust across all levels, as experienced employees no longer feel trusted to deliver results independently. 3. Senior management is highly resistant to feedback from middle management and other levels of the organisation, which limits opportunities for improvement and contributes to ongoing frustration.