Hey everyone,
I'm pretty new to the site; found it while researching some questions related to B-School admissions and really enjoyed some of the content. Anyhow, I saw plenty of users looking for more info on management consulting and thought I'd make myself available. I spent two years in Deloitte's S&O practice in DC working with Federal clients (mostly in the health care space). I then did some time at Booz Allen Hamilton, where I largely supported DoD clients but dabbled in some commercial work as well.
I'm happy to answer any questions: breaking into consulting, federal vs. commercial work, living in DC area, exit opps, whatever.
Full disclosure - I've been out of the game for two years (having bailed for industry) so some of my first-hand knowledge may no longer be current.
Insider Information On Deloitte and Booz Allen Hamilton
Here at Wall Street Oasis we are lucky to have many experts willing to share their insight on topics that they have experience. User @SpeedAKL" has a few years with Deloitte and Booz Allen consulting and was willing to let other users pick their brain on the two companies. Below we have excerpts from the Q&A.
Movement Opportunities
Deloitte and Booz Allen Hamilton feature a huge workforce. Because of sheer quantity, the applicants that they receive and the exiting employees are extremely diverse. Due to this it is often very difficult to move into a position at either company without a recommendation from a current employee. Applicants that are hired will usually have a recommendation and will currently be in the same or a similar position. User @SpeedAKL" did not notice anyone transferring in from other fields such as tax or audit because of the vast difference in skill sets. He did see the occasional move from HR or finance into client-facing roles.
As far as exit opportunities it really depends on the person. Plenty of people switch to other federal consulting companies. Other things people left for were tech companies, politics, non-profits, the government, etc. There is no real standard path because you develop very different and unique skill sets and the experience is valuable in so many fields. Approximately 40-50 percent exited into positions unrelated to government. 2-5 years in a federal practice seems to be the sweet spot for gaining valuable experience but not being stuck in a government related job.
There is a good amount of location movement within Deloitte. Say the Deloitte DC office needs someone with your skill set. You will be a strong candidate for the role due to already being in the company. Many people from Deloitte in DC have moved to international positions. Coming from an office like New York that focuses on commercial or private industry clients makes moving between offices easier.
New Employee Advice
As a new employee you will almost definitely either come in overconfident or the opposite. If you are overconfident you will quickly learn not to be, and if you are not confident enough you will struggle to make the moves that are necessary to further your career and impress your employers. @SpeedAKL" provided some tips on succeeding in the fast-paced environment at Deloitte or BAH:
- Actively network and seek out mentors, both on and off your project
- Details, details, details
- If you screw up, apologize promptly and make sure you learn from it
- Kill it with your work ethic, even with seemingly-menial tasks. Doing well on the small stuff can quickly lead to more responsibility
- Ask plenty of questions, but make a reasonable effort to find the answers yourself first - if you do ask, write down the answer for future reference
- Remember to be a professional. I saw tons of people come in who could not write proper e-mails, goofed off in meetings, showed up late, or were unaware that the f bomb was not considered proper business terminology
- Don't be discouraged if you get stuck on a project outside your areas of interest. Those opps will come if you perform well and build a network
The Best and Worst Parts of Deloitte and Booz Allen Hamilton
There are many great things about working at Deloitte and Booz Allen Hamilton. All of your colleagues are very bright and motivated people. Being surrounded by people like that is very motivating and they will often have very interesting personalities and stories. They are also from a very diverse base as they can come from Ivy Leagues, small liberal arts colleges, military, etc. You will have great mentors at a place like Deloitte or Booz Allen hamilton. This is especially important in a field with such a steep learning curve. You learn the basic skills that are very important in business such as data analysis, presentations, project planning, project management, people management, etc. The offices, tech, perks are all much better than in corporate America. The travel is far less brutal than commercial jobs. The training is exceptional. Both companies really invest in their people. And, of course, name recognition. Everyone recognizes the name Deloitte and most recognize Booz Allen Hamilton as well.
On the flip side of all the great things about the companies, there are some definite negatives to working there. The first is having to live in a major metro. For example, if you work at Deloitte DC the metro has insane traffic and the cost of living really is extremely high. It is less interesting working in the federal roles as it will be a very long time before you get to make any of the big decisions. You also see the rot in the positions of power in our country. Some civil servants really are great, but many fulfill every negative stereotype you've heard and more. Tenure is almost exclusively what matters when it comes to job security, pay, etc. Because of this there is no incentive to shake things up and there is no reason not to do a poor job. There is no motivation to do a good job unless it matters personally to them. Most people are just sitting around waiting for their retirement and pension. The amount of waste and inefficiency truly is unbelievable. You also may find yourself doing something that clashes with your political beliefs, but that's your job.
Read More About Deloitte and Booz Allen Hamilton
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Sure thing. Re: lateral recruiting, I would strongly recommend getting a recommendation from someone who already works at BAH or Deloitte. I went lateral from Deloitte to BAH; at the time, almost nobody got into BAH simply by applying online. Keep in mind that these are huge firms who likely receive thousands upon thousands of resumes through their online portals. Having someone vouch for you makes a HUGE difference. It doesn't need to be anyone high up the ranks, though this certainly helps. I'd target people who work in the area you are interested in (strategy/org, human capital, tech, operations, etc.)
BAH does not have an analyst program per se. I believe they did at one point, but the analyst position was scrapped before I arrived. Entry-level consultants are simply called "Consultants". The hierarchy at BAH is as follows: Consultant > Senior Consultant > Associate > Lead Associate > Senior Associate > Principal > VP (at which point you are likely being considered for partnership). Deloitte follows a similar pattern: Analyst > Consultant > Sr. Consultant > Manager > Sr. Manager > Principal/Director. The two firms have a similar advancement track, but there are some key differences. Deloitte's partnership track is strict up-or-out, whereas BAH is more "grow or go" (though some teams within BAH like to see advancement on a reasonable timetable). BAH's hierarchy is standard for all client-facing personnel, while Deloitte forks at some point with the Specialist track (those who are interested in mastering technical skills and developing intellectual capital than managing projects or winning new business).
Re: exit opps, this is a tough one to answer because the exit opps seemed as diverse as the people who took them. It really depends on your skill set, network, background, and interests. I saw plenty of people switch to other Federal consulting companies (usually to get a nice pay raise and/or promotion). People also left for commercial consulting, Fortune 500s, tech companies, startups, new media, politics, nonprofits, health care providers, boutique or specialized consulting firms, or positions in the US gov't. There really wasn't a "standard path" unlike younger investment bankers or younger commercial management/strategy consultants. I'd say the amount of people who left for something unrelated to government (including those who went to grad school) was 40-50%.
See my earlier reply on exit opps. To sum it up, the exit opps were incredibly diverse and largely dependent on the individual's interests, network, skill set, etc. There was no "standard path". Many who planned on a switch to finance or commercial strategy consulting went back to business school; placement seemed strong at the top 15-20 MBA programs. Jumping to smaller Federal consulting/contracting firms seemed popular as they frequently offered better work hours, higher paychecks, and more responsibility; the tradeoff was less brand recognition and fewer engagements to choose from, but many seemed fine with that. The big firms aren't for everybody. Some folks did jump to PwC, IBM, Deloitte, BAH, Accenture, and other major players, usually for salary and/or promotion purposes.
I'd advise getting 2-5 years' experience at a Federal practice like Deloitte or BAH and then moving on if you don't want to be around government long-term. The basic skill sets you learn can be tremendously valuable across industries, but staying too long runs the risk of getting pigeonholed.
The best parts: 1. Smart, motivated colleagues from many walks of life - Ivy League, military, state schools, small liberal arts colleges, MBAs, engineers, public policy geeks, activists, you name it. Both places really valued diversity of experience (as opposed to the usual PC diversity). 2. I had some excellent leaders and mentors at both places who pushed me to perform yet had my back even if I screwed up. I didn't know crap about how to get work done in a timely, professional, polished manner. The first 6 months at Deloitte out of school were brutal. The learning curve was steep, but I stuck with it and grew tremendously as a professional and as a person. 3. I learned key basic business skills - data analysis, presentations, project planning, project management, people management, process analysis and improvement, communications, time management, strategic planning, change management, writing proposals and business plans, etc. - that are tough to teach in a classroom, yet important to know regardless of your industry. Consulting is a business boot camp in many respects. 4. Offices, IT/tech, perks, etc. are all really nice compared with corporate America. Both "Uncle Booz" and "Papa D" knew how to splurge. 5. Less travel than our commercial colleagues. I remember Deloitte's commercial S&O guys having particularly brutal travel schedules when I was there. 6. Name recognition. Everyone in business knows who Deloitte is. Many of them also know Booz Allen. 7. Training opportunities were excellent. Both firms really invested in their people.
Worst parts: 1. DC traffic/commuting/cost of living really does suck as much as people claim, even if you're right on a Metro line. 2. I find the work in private industry to generally be more interesting than most Federal projects, as many of the "big decisions" in USA Inc. are driven at the political level where consultants have little influence. I like working on major, strategic projects - that's tough to do in Federal consulting unless you're a very senior person. 3. Some of our country's civil servants really are excellent people; others fulfill every negative stereotype about government employees and then some. Much of this IMHO comes from Uncle Sam's HR policies, which reward tenure almost exclusively and provide very little incentive for outstanding performance or shaking up the status quo;they also provide very little deterrence from doing a poor job, as it is really hard to fire a Federal employee. Doing a good job is thus one of intrinsic self-motivation for Federal employees. Many Feds are baby boomers who are waiting for their retirement date and a fat pension - there's little motivation for change or improvement. 4. The waste and inefficiency really does have to be seen to be believed. 5. If you hold strong political opinions, you could find yourself working on things that clash with your ideology. Consulting firms occasionally took on projects that involved hot-button issues, e.g. Obamacare implementation, various Intel work, etc. 6. Some fellow analysts, consultants, etc. could be bratty, elitist, bitchy, conniving, or generally terrible people, but they were in the CLEAR minority. You get rotten, self-important types at any firm or industry that courts high-achieving young people.