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Boston Consulting Group

Engaged employer

Not a sustainable life for most; be careful about exit timing - Principal Boston Consulting Group Employee Review

3.0
21 Oct 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Very rapid learning curve, opportunity to work with top management at well-known clients, very friendly office culture (at junior levels), very smart and motivated people, and a powerful addition to your CV.

Cons

As noted elsewhere, there is a powerfully-entrenched long-hours culture and absolutely constant and overwhelming pressure on teams. The PTO process is supposed to address this, but in London at least, has resulted in no real changes to partner behaviour, and so PTO sessions really just turn into grumbling sessions that don't change expectations. The fact that the name was changed from its original "predictable time off" to "predictability, teaming and open communication" is a pretty good clue. There is a very wide range of partner personality types. For example, judging by what consulting staff say, 3/4 of the London energy Partners have a ruthless, critical, and driving approach to teams, as do the private equity guys, while media Partners are at the other end of the scale in terms of personality and approach. Banking partners are in the middle. Career progression can be tough, with any negative feedback or issues with individual partners magnified out of proportion. At the Principal level, one bad project can be enough to derail your career. A lot of project approaches are very theoretical, and although what ultimately goes to clients is almost invariably of high quality, what the client sees is often a fraction of the work consultants are driven to do to satisfy partner desires for a perfect solution, rather than a practical one. With the wrong partner, case team meetings can be a nightmare. Finally, it is important to manage your exit timing, keeping in mind that even Partners rarely stay longer than seven years. Consultant or P/L is likely to have the best mix of exit options that don't require a big fall in salary and give good industry exposure. At P or Partner level, industry options become far fewer, and often require a big drop in compensation. Do keep in mind that in contrast to McK, the BCG alumni and career services network is rudimentary, so you will be on your own when you start looking!

Explore other reviews about Boston Consulting Group

5.0
5 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good benefits, people, lots of resources

Cons

Can have long hours and lots of travel

2.0
14 May 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

BCG has top tier benefits, really smart colleagues, good in-office perks, and has a great company reputation. This was a huge part of my experience and has made me go back forth about my decision to leave.

Cons

This is speaking as someone who is not on the consulting side. On my particular team, office politics were very strong with little to no opportunities for people outside of the inner circle to assimilate. More broadly, I feel like the salary trajectory was a little slow, there is a lack of location mobility and and promotions can be hard to come by. Even so, I have personally seen exceptions be made for certain people. More broadly, being located in North America can be difficult since new roles are being open in other regions which is making internal mobility next to impossible. If you have any dissatisfaction with your current team, title, or level - there's a real possibility that you will have to wait multiple years before being able to make meaningful shifts towards your long term career goals.

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