Consulting life can be tough for some people as it may often feel like an endless grind. Getting into the ‘swing of things’ is difficult to do as a consultant, and if you’re someone who like routines this may not be the right industry for you. In consulting you’re constantly dealing with change…. Change of projects, change of managers, change of working locations, and change of clients. A typical strategy project lasts 3-6 months so it is entirely possible that within your first year you may work on four entirely separate pieces of work.

With each new project, change will occur and you’ll be forced to re-acclimate yourself to your new environment. One of the biggest positives about this continual change however is the variety it brings. Consultant life really keeps you on your toes and for the most part does keep work life fresh. You’ll experience so many different types of working environments in such a short time that will truly help you grow professionally. For work related functions during my first two years I’ve traveled to California on three separate engagements, Florida, New York City, and of course several places in the Middle of Nowhere. Masquerading as the ‘business traveler’ is exciting when you first start and egotistically you do feel somewhat important the first time you check into that $300+ a night hotel room.

A lot of people ask what’s a normal week in consulting, but honestly there is no typical feel week to week while being on a project. Every team I’ve been on has been different, and every manager I’ve worked with has had his own managing style. With each project I’ve been on, I’ve had varying degrees of responsibility and weekly tasks assigned.

On any given week, on any project the only clear guarantees are:

Consulting is a tough life but you do get used to it and it does soon become normal.  Although you will be away from home and the people you most associate with outside of work, you will become extremely close with your project team as you spend days upon days with the same people cracking out the analysis.  At least once every other week my team will try to go out and grab drinks.  And maybe about once a month the partner will take everyone out to dinner as part of team bonding exercises.    

My own advice as you go through the process of evaluating consulting as a profession is to honestly ask yourself if you can manage life on the road.  It’s not as difficult as I may be making it out to be, and I do reiterate that the advantages of consulting far out weigh the detractions. Plus frankly, I don’t know too many working young professionals who have a real active social life Monday-Wednesday night anyway.  But you should truly assess the effects traveling will have on your life situation, your relationships, and on how you value your time.