Strategy& work load

Has anyone here had a first hand experience of the actual work load at S&? Is it close to MBB work/life balance or to PwC's? Specifically at post-MBA senior associate level in the banking & cap markets practice.

15 Comments
 
Best Response
reformed
jdean:

Thanks! Looks like they remain unaffected by PwC's culture in this particular area.

Are MBB's hours better or worse than PwC?
Have been a client to both and haven't seen a noticeable difference.

With all due respect, as a client, you probably wouldn't. Clients really don't have any visibility into the behind-the-scenes sausage-making.

 

Friends I have at Strategy& work the same hours as M/B/B. Haven't heard any stories about more intense work environment or something beyond the occasional weekend stints at the end of projects. Would be surprised to watch them working less hours at MBB since they are competing for the same projects and foster the same client expectations.

 
Halton01

Friends I have at Strategy& work the same hours as M/B/B. Haven't heard any stories about more intense work environment or something beyond the occasional weekend stints at the end of projects. Would be surprised to watch them working less hours at MBB since they are competing for the same projects and foster the same client expectations.

The "occasional weekend stint" can make all the difference. For me, the line between "the hours aren't great, but they're manageable" to "this is hell, get me the fuck out of here" is usually when extensive weekend work starts to become involved.

 

Folks at PwC work usually less than MBB, but this is also dependent on the function, industry group, manager and project. M&A Advisory at PwC should have the same hours for example.

 

I used to work at Booz (NA) and am now at an MBB (Australia) working on a project co-sold with S& (mixed team, distinct modules).

My impression is that the working model for S& and MBB are extremely similar, with S& perhaps having a lower mean and higher variance in hours. So while my team might usually be at the client site longer than the S& team, we also have avoided huge spikes in workload.

Though obviously the answer will vary hugely by office, practice, client, manager, etc.

 

Earum veritatis repellendus sed. Fugiat dignissimos mollitia natus aut ea ipsum. Nesciunt commodi sed adipisci ut eligendi voluptatem. Temporibus perspiciatis nihil veritatis perferendis iste. Similique illo dignissimos culpa animi incidunt enim iure.

Dolores porro architecto quasi repellat quod. Ducimus rerum dolorem aspernatur. Dolore nesciunt fugit ut explicabo suscipit porro. Laborum quasi rerum at voluptatem veniam aut. Provident soluta commodi dolorem dolorem id vero molestias.

Sed quis culpa sint quaerat consequatur. Earum voluptatum consequatur tempore non et placeat placeat. Tempore quas quidem officiis sint qui itaque.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • McKinsey & Company 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.4%
  • McKinsey & Company 97.9%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.9%
  • McKinsey & Company 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
  • Principal (30) $294
  • Director/MD (59) $274
  • Vice President (53) $245
  • Engagement Manager (114) $233
  • Manager (171) $173
  • 2nd Year Associate (185) $142
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (116) $137
  • Senior Consultant (355) $132
  • Consultant (643) $122
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (164) $121
  • 1st Year Associate (578) $121
  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (394) $105
  • Associate Consultant (176) $101
  • 1st Year Analyst (1172) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (208) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (643) $68
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”