Why do people go into consulting?
Why do people go into consulting? In IB myself, and I've never understood.
- it's not a pay "haircut": it's a massive difference. Even compared to MBB, we're talking a $50k+ difference, which only widens. Heard bonuses were something like $5,000 last year. Forgot if it was LEK or some other shop. I'd quit if I got a $5,000 bonus.
- WLB: I'll give you protected weekends (that's admittedly huge), but Monday to Thursday, my MBB friends are working until 11pm. Not to mention, travel. Travel = no WLB. Most days, I workout at Equinox before work. I take the subway 15 minutes. In the evenings, I'm usually home by 7 or 8pm. Eat dinner with my gf a few days a week. Couldn't pay me to be in a Marriot in Springfield, Missouri.
- Worse exit opportunities, worse PE recruiting. Yes, there's corporate strategy, but again, read 1.
- Square people. My colleagues are square, and they know it. We try to avoid talking about work, outside of work. Consultants are square, and they just don't know it. Some of the most risk-averse people on god's green earth. Also, many seem oddly pretentious. I've seen the "cases" (or "casing"?) you do for interviews. It's not rocket science.
I don't get the point
I'm going to assume you are posting this because you are genuinely curious and don't understand why people choose consulting over banking, not as a shitpost. Judging by your extremely odd comment history though, I doubt it.
And you sound like a cuck. OP has more brains than anyone else in this comment thread, including myself
Analyst 1's math is pretty wack. According to your own calculations (#2) you work 8 hours less per week than me. And get paid, what? $80k less vs me in my first year? Factoring in a few weeks of PTO, that means you calculate your free time as worth ~$200/hr.
As for point #2, it goes back to point #1: VC and corporate strategy both pay BAD!
We live in a time where 200k is a mediocre salary. I’m sorry, but that’s the harsh truth. The reason why consulting seems a little shitty is because plenty of other careers can produce this payout - law, medicine, IB, tech, registered nurses come close, PA, real estate, plumbers, Californian firefighters, etc. For such a prestige whore industry, consulting doesn’t have that much money appeal.
But here’s the real kicker. Consulting people are risk-averse people who DELIBERATELY avoided IB and PE and whatnot. Bullshit they were more passionate about it. It’s rare to see someone actually be passionate about finance these days - besides prestige and making boatloads. But my point is you’re surrounding yourself with incessant pseudo intellectuals who carry themselves like they’re better than you - but later on - these are the same people who are “Microsoft lead of strategy” (200-350k) or “Amazon product development” (200k).
That is objectively, hilariously, demonstrably false.
So can instagram influencer, poker player, stripper... the list goes on. So what? There's lots of ways to make money. That's not really the point.
The point is, taking $200k (which, let's remember, is the base starting salary for someone coming out of MBA in the strategy consulting industry) as the sole data point is absurd. That fresh 29 year old MBA grad going to MBB, if they make it in consulting, will make 7 figures in 8 years. How many nurses do that? How many doctors? Some folks in tech had that kind of trajectory, over the last 10 years given equity appreciation, but not many are going to in the next 10 years.
Consulting is, objectively speaking, a highly paid field. It's less highly paid than banking, less than finance, less than PE, but more than almost anything else.
This is rich coming from the kid who constantly whines that non targets can't get into consulting.
I went into consulting after doing a PhD. There was no path available into IB or PE for me. I chose a path that has notoriously high up-or-out turnover, then switched firms to build a new book, then literally founded my own business. But please, tell me some more about how I'm risk averse.
I really, truly enjoy doing what I do. I get paid to think about things I literally would think about for free.
Your insecurity would be funny if it weren't so sad.
Career investment bankers are some of the most risk-adverse people out there…
Frankly after reading some of ur comments I think u don’t pass the minimum IQ requirement to be on this forum (which is quite shocking considering the requirement is 0pts)
Also what is that “pretty much anything else.” Really. I always hear this talk about “yes, your PE and HF opps might not be good, but for EVERYTHINT ELSE you’re solid.” Like what though? I’m actually curious- if anyone can tell me. The consultants ive talked to have all taken even further pay cuts. The only thing you can say about consulting is that they can kick back and take vacations and have good WLB.
Heres my take on this whole thing, had to make an account just to respond: people go into consulting for three main reasons: (1) they don’t want to grind 80-100 hours a week in IB, (2) they value optionality over upfront comp, and (3) they’re not finance hardos who dream of modeling debt waterfalls at 2 AM. Simple as that.
First off, the whole “IB vs. consulting” debate is pointless if you don’t even factor in the different types of consulting. RX consulting? Pays better than most IB up until MD level and gives you direct access to distressed funds, PE shops, C-Suite and other high-finance exits, doesn't matter that most RX consultants don't exit due to high pay and interesting work. Econ consulting? Niche but can pay very well, and the WLB is often better than both IB and MBB. Strategy consulting (MBB)? Yeah, the pay gap is real, but the hours are also real in IB. A first-year IB analyst is getting obliterated with 80-100 hour weeks, random Saturday staffing, and last-minute MD “plz fix” emails. A first-year MBB consultant? Still working hard, but not that hard—and yes, there’s travel, but let’s not pretend flying business class most of the time and racking up points is some kind of prison sentence.
Now let’s talk exits. Everyone in IB yaps about PE, but let’s be honest: the vast majority of analysts are not getting megafund offers. And if you don’t make PE, then what? Some niche HF? Corp dev? Lateral to another IB role? Guess what: consulting exits are just as good, just different. MBB sends people to corporate strategy, VC, growth equity, and even PE (yes, it’s harder, but it happens). Not to mention, if you actually want to run a company one day instead of just moving money around, consulting puts you in a much better position.
As for the whole “consultants are squares” argument—yeah, some of them are. But have you met finance bros? The same dudes who think wearing Patagonia vests and talking about league tables makes them interesting? Finance isn’t exactly a breeding ground for free spirits either. Both industries attract type-A, risk-averse, prestige-chasing people, so let’s not pretend one is some bastion of coolness while the other is full of dweebs.
Bottom line: if you want to make the most money in the first 5-10 years of your career and you can stomach the IB grind, go for it. If you want more optionality, better work-life balance (relative to IB), and still strong exit opps, consulting makes sense. But let’s cut the crap—not everyone wants to be a finance robot, and that’s why consulting exists.
Genuinely hope you're not serious about what you just posted.
I can think of 3 people off the top of my head from my MBB class (~50 people that year) who now run public companies. Another couple who are CEO direct reports at big (F50) companies, several more who run sizeable private companies. A few of us founded firms of various kinds. A bunch of us did startups, and a few of those have had successful exits. At least a dozen PE operating partners of various flavors, and a handful who are in PE directly including one guy who is investment side (which is, obviously, super rare -- but it has happened).
The rest? Their downside case is making $300-$1M (though at the higher end of that range, more weighted towards equity) and work 50 hours a week. That's not a bad life. Many choose to go that way. And yes, some took pay cuts when they initially left MBB, but it's not like comp is static your whole life. There's trajectory everywhere for strong performers.
I’ll give you answer that isn’t made a PC sissy. Girls, who are going to become mothers, should go into consulting. Why? More free time now and at senior levels.
1) pay haircut is basically going bald. Makes essentially no money
2) people love to talk about exit opps. I know 3 ex McK, 2 Bain, and 5 bcg (feeder). I know these guys far out from graduation and they ALL went into corp dev or took an even further haircut because they had kids. Don’t kid yourself- you’re not going to be that guy who becomes a CEO after mbb stint. If you want a happy wife happy life and kids, you absolutely won’t. Don’t kid yourself and go into IB, law, or medicine.
This is coming from the "their are Indian CEOs from buttfuck India" guy. The "why can't I find a rushee who can bench the bar" guy. The guy that ranted about "the plight of non-targets" in a thread about how unfair it is non-targets have a tough time getting into MBB/T2, before insisting you are from a target. Read: major insecurity.
Here's my take. You didn't get into consulting, you're at some middle market bank clearing more than an MBB 1st year would and think you're hot shit. That's great for you, make the most of it. Enjoy working for an ex-MBB guy one day, cause the universe has a way of playing jokes on absolute twats like yourself.
I am at a target in the east coast. You clearly browsed through my profile. You can also take the time to read my credentials. I have my junior year internship lined up in IB at a respectable bank. I merely come here to give my opinion, and if you don’t like it, go fuck your hardo girlfriend.
I will never work for an ex-mbb. You know why? Because I’m going to do PE, which has absolutely no Mbb presence.
Nope, just remember your dumbass username from another thread.
Wow! Congratulations on the internship, Mr. Sophomore in College! You must be incredibly knowledgable about how the world works.
Hate to disappoint, but https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/private-equity/mbb-consultant-friendly-pe-firm outlines the plethora of PE firms at which you'll find ex-MBB's in investing seats.
Love the confidence, hope you live out your MF dreams. Only problem is you'll be competing with others who have 100x the social skills and are far more discerning (read: anything you've commented on this thread which demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of nuance). Good luck! Can't wait to see your "what are the best places to do corp dev" post in 3 years.
Assuming you get the return offer, of course!
Oh this is too good. Most PE firms, almost all I should say, don’t look at consultants. Sorry if that shattered your dreams 1st year consultant.
I think I’ll sleep fine knowing my parents didn’t engage in consanguineous sex unlike some on WSO
Must have last word! Must have last word! Incest! Nice.
You definitely had to look up what consanguinity even is. At least at Dartmouth, we have a liberal arts education.
You are exactly the person that makes me glad I chose consulting over banking
I’m a senior at Dartmouth rn, gonna tell my dipp friends about u and laugh lmfao
Good shit bud I applaud you for never missing a football game. But hmm… how many fields can you not miss a football game in? Gee probably a lot. Maybe I should go do Faang, or become a specialized doctor, or partner, or I don’t know be a fucking firefighter in California and perhaps I can bask in the same privilege as you
Sure. I could have been a middle school teacher, or a retail banker, or a supply chain analyst at a misized industrial company. How many of those careers would have led to mid-8-figure lifetime earnings?
You know what fields can't guarantee not missing a football game? Banking, for one. PE. Yes, those are fields where expected value might be higher, but they're fields where you don't own your Friday nights.
How many people at FAANG make 8 figures in their career?
The answer is, in absolute terms, a lot -- thousands, for sure. In percentage terms though? Your chances are pretty slim, and get worse as your start date gets later. And I hate to break it to you, but if you're in college now you've already missed the run-up in FAANG equity. You were an investment banking summer, presumably you know how basic math works. FAANG can't compound at 60% forever. It likely never will again.
Specialized doctors don't generally start earning real money till they're in their mid-30s... and they don't have control of their schedule during that time. I'm not sure how you could possibly not be aware of this, but medical residents work notoriously brutal schedules. Neurosurgery residents don't get to see all of their kids' football games.
in... a consulting firm? Because that's literally what I am
Base pay for even highly paid firefighters in California is only in the mid-100's.
Or, maybe, you could try not running your mouth about things you don't understand, and maybe learning something from the experience of others...? Just a thought. You do you though.
This is the best reply in this whole thread. That life in point 2 is a lot more desirable for a lot of people compared to the high finance route bouncing between PE and HF shops
You're certainly right that pay and exit opps in consulting are probably worse on average than they are for IB/PE. Besides subjective points about "how much money is enough", etc., I did want to share a few thoughts on some of your other points:
Because they wanna do strategy long term not finance
Yesterday you were trying to rat two girls out who got internships at goldman and today you are trying to ragebait people. How retarded and lifeless are you dude?
Not enough I guess
Man I love my life
I agree with you OP but I am incredibly, heinously, catastrophically, apocalyptically, irredeemably biased. Anyways:
1 and 2 go hand in hand - you're sacrificing pay in consulting for better WLB. No job has both.
3 is true if you are only interested in finance (HF/PE), but IB is no better than consulting if you get burnt out and end up going the corp dev/strategy route.
4 has not been true for me anecdotally, I've met cool guys who are bankers, and I've met cool guys who are consultants. More a person-to-person and firm culture thing than consultants or bankers inherently being weirder than one another.
I second this...
I started my career at MBB and sometimes I wish I did IB instead. But I guess the grass is greener.
I'm chilling now (exited to corp strat a bit under 2 years in making 170k working 40 hrs/week, potential to get equity next year when I'm promoted)... so I'm pretty happy where I'm at!
From my undergrad at a LAC there was very little overlap between the pool recruiting for banking and consulting. Some people do both, and if you care about comp you're not gonna take consulting over IB in a cross offer. I think the people who do best in consulting are the people who like the learning. I've worked on almost 30 engagements now and the amount of random trivia I know and stuff in see walking around everyday where I'm like "I know how that works" or "I know who makes these and what their margins are and how much I just overpaid for this" is great on top of just being generally plugged into world and technology developments. People clown on the pseudo intellectual pretentiousness of consultants which can be justified but there's a lot of people I know who would be doing academia if they weren't working with me, myself included
Couldn't get into IB (joking and being serious at the time).
Sourc: Me.
After leaving a corporate role, I realized consulting was the only career where I could use both analytical and strategic skills daily. What makes it worth it for me isn't just the work variety, but the systems that support it.
I've worked with Unit4, and the way it unifies finance and workforce planning makes the job smoother. You spend less time chasing data and more time actually solving business problems.
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