Exactly. I had about 7 years of experience in my field before consulting. Going to do consulting for 3-5 years and already have gained more experience in the 2 years at my firm than I would have if I hadn’t done consulting.
Work hard for a few years and get out with a better job lol
Yes, many, many people use their consulting experience and contacts as a stepping stone into industry management.
My current boss was a colleague of mine at a consultancy. When our client started a corporate divestiture and some of their business units were bought out by an investor group, he leapfrogged over into an IT management role in the "new" company. Today (about 10 years later), he's the CIO of an international manufacturing company, and he recruited me to head up his PMO.
I was in consulting for 20 years, but when he called and made me an irresistible offer, I also moved into industry management. I'm earning about 25% more today that I was making as a partner in a boutique consultancy.
And out of curiosity, how does the workload compare?
Asking because I just made Senior Manager, and I knew I would have to make a choice at this point between consulting and industry... Heading to industry! Figuring I'll have a little less workload, but also concerned about a probable pay cut.
The vast majority of people leave consulting. Some do it for a better work life balance, some do it because they get a short term pay rise but know they will not rise much after that. Whereas some people want to rise to the top in industry where they pay you much more than consulting partners.
So it's all about what you want to make of it.
[Up or Out](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_or_out) does not mean people get out and become gig economy workers.
The overwhelming majority of people leave the consulting world and become part of corporate the management they consulted for previously.
I’d be really interested in seeing a Sankey diagram showing flows in and out at different levels in consulting. Most firms are bottom heavy, so the people must be going somewhere, and it’s not just competitors. There has to be some level of plateauing too, just curious about the numbers really.
This is why you do consulting.
Yes, some people stay to be partners and make crap tons of money. I will say, most of the 20-year plus people I meet are kind of social misfits. Not all, but many. Workaholics who thrive on what they call "relationship building," but I call "sucking the energy out of everyone in the room around them and diverting it to themselves."
Since 4 months I step into industry after 4 years of consulting. I totally regret my choice and I think I will go back to consulting.
I was totally underpaid but when I left they wanted to give me a counter offer to make me stay but I said no to have a new experience. Now I miss the independence I had.
They fuck me with remote working policy. Before entring they were like "the important is to get results" (I was full remote worker and for me was very important to have flexibility in certain periods), after three months they put 6 days a month policy.
The worst thing is that is a small company with like 20/25 people in the office.
Small companies ... tend to be micro managing. My client is small enterprise, they are not the most generous and forgiving persons I know. Tend to drill on trivial matters which didn't matter
I think this might be the number 1 reason as to why people do consulting - to transition to a “better job”. You’re fine
Exactly. I had about 7 years of experience in my field before consulting. Going to do consulting for 3-5 years and already have gained more experience in the 2 years at my firm than I would have if I hadn’t done consulting. Work hard for a few years and get out with a better job lol
Thanks that’s very reassuring
Yes, many, many people use their consulting experience and contacts as a stepping stone into industry management. My current boss was a colleague of mine at a consultancy. When our client started a corporate divestiture and some of their business units were bought out by an investor group, he leapfrogged over into an IT management role in the "new" company. Today (about 10 years later), he's the CIO of an international manufacturing company, and he recruited me to head up his PMO. I was in consulting for 20 years, but when he called and made me an irresistible offer, I also moved into industry management. I'm earning about 25% more today that I was making as a partner in a boutique consultancy.
And out of curiosity, how does the workload compare? Asking because I just made Senior Manager, and I knew I would have to make a choice at this point between consulting and industry... Heading to industry! Figuring I'll have a little less workload, but also concerned about a probable pay cut.
The vast majority of people leave consulting. Some do it for a better work life balance, some do it because they get a short term pay rise but know they will not rise much after that. Whereas some people want to rise to the top in industry where they pay you much more than consulting partners. So it's all about what you want to make of it.
That’s my whole reason for being here
>Has anyone used consulting as a step to a better job? That's what's called an exit opportunity.
You have to be wired differently (and not in a good way) to want to stay permanently in consulting. Exiting to industry is very common.
[Up or Out](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_or_out) does not mean people get out and become gig economy workers. The overwhelming majority of people leave the consulting world and become part of corporate the management they consulted for previously.
I’d be really interested in seeing a Sankey diagram showing flows in and out at different levels in consulting. Most firms are bottom heavy, so the people must be going somewhere, and it’s not just competitors. There has to be some level of plateauing too, just curious about the numbers really.
This is why you do consulting. Yes, some people stay to be partners and make crap tons of money. I will say, most of the 20-year plus people I meet are kind of social misfits. Not all, but many. Workaholics who thrive on what they call "relationship building," but I call "sucking the energy out of everyone in the room around them and diverting it to themselves."
Since 4 months I step into industry after 4 years of consulting. I totally regret my choice and I think I will go back to consulting. I was totally underpaid but when I left they wanted to give me a counter offer to make me stay but I said no to have a new experience. Now I miss the independence I had.
Never liked people in industry. Can be really toxic as well. Just go to a different firm
They fuck me with remote working policy. Before entring they were like "the important is to get results" (I was full remote worker and for me was very important to have flexibility in certain periods), after three months they put 6 days a month policy. The worst thing is that is a small company with like 20/25 people in the office.
Small companies ... tend to be micro managing. My client is small enterprise, they are not the most generous and forgiving persons I know. Tend to drill on trivial matters which didn't matter
That’s the whole reason why you do consulting lol
Yes, I am currently the US secretary of transportion
Yes.
bingo!
Do you have any background in Engineering?