4 Reasons That Show How Hard Consulting Is

Consulting seems perfect, but it’s not easy. Long hours, constant travel, and stress reveal just how hard consulting is. Being a consultant is rewarding and allows you to learn, grow professionally, and earn well. But all that comes at a cost, and this profession can get really hard with time.

Consulting seems like a perfect job (don’t get me wrong, it is)  with many perks. But there’s a flip side, too. This field gets pretty hard because you have to work more than the usual business hours. On top of that, you may have to travel a lot, and that often leads to stress, which may make you sick.  

In this guide, I’ll help you discover:

• 4 reasons that show how hard consulting is
• How do consulting companies help their employees ease the pressure?

Is Consulting a Hard Field?

Without a doubt, consulting is hard. You have to be a quick thinker and a smart worker to be successful. In short, it takes a lot to become a pro at this job. (Source)

But once you’ve nailed it, you can definitely expect a satisfying career.

With that being said, I’m going to discuss the 4 reasons that will show you how hard it can be for you in the consulting profession:

1. Different Clients, Different Expectations

As a consultant, you’ll deal with a huge number of clients. All of them will have several different expectations from you. 

This can become a challenge, and you’ll have to be in the right state of mind to get things going. Otherwise, the job pressure can take you down, and you may want to quit! (Source)

However, the best consulting firms in the world take major actions to narrow down your stress on the job. These companies may demand a lot from you. But, in return, they benefit you like you can never imagine!

For example, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is one of the most famous consulting companies in the world (a part of the MBB firms). It offers numerous benefits that let you relax and forget the worries of work for a while. 

Here’s how the firm looks after you:

• Parental Leave: BCG provides flexible parental leave policies to help employees welcome a new family member.
• Paid Time Off: You can enjoy a balanced life with paid time off (including vacation days, holidays, sick leave, and bereavement).
• Flex Time: You get flexible time arrangements to recharge between cases. This promotes a healthy work-life balance.
• Ways of Working: BCG knows that consulting assignments can take a toll on you. So, you can work flexibly, as per your choice (with hybrid and remote teaming options). 

(Source)

2. A Lot of Travel

Consulting (often) requires you to travel a lot to meet clients in different cities (and even countries). 

Traveling may seem like the best thing as of now because you get to explore different places. But, sooner or later, you’ll get really tired of constant commitments that keep you on your feet! (Source)

This makes consulting a bit hard because you’re unable to see your family for days. 

But here’s the good news! The consulting firms do have an idea that continuous travel and work may leave you in bad health.

That’s why the firms like Bain & Company (one of the MBB firms) let you reset! 

And how does that work? Well, you get the opportunity to switch to part-time and adjust your load. This way, you can meet your personal needs, set your foot off the airplane, and spend some time with your loved ones. (Source)

3. Time Commitment

If you’re a 9 to 5 kind of person who just needs a 40-hour workweek, a strict schedule, and weekends and holidays off, then consulting can be very hard for you! 

Trust me when I say this: You need a strong work ethic and the ability to handle long hours if you’re here to succeed. If you don’t have these qualities, you’ll quit and never look back! (Source)

Here’s a table that shows you the expected working hours of some of the biggest consulting firms in the world:

(Source)

If you decide to step into this field, you’ll have to focus more on growing your career (and gaining experience) rather than having a strict work-life balance. 

Thankfully, many popular consulting firms are quite understanding. They offer you many benefits to help you manage your time. 

For example, I was quite impressed by McKinsey & Company (Another MBB firm) and their efforts in giving you your personal space. Here’s how it helps:

• You get time away (including paid time off and some more paid time off to volunteer and support charitable causes)
• Maternity and paternity leaves
• Flexible working models (in-office, hybrid, or virtual) 

(Source)

4. Extreme Commitment To Learning

In consulting, you get to work in lots of different industries. This means learning about all these sectors and that, too, quickly! (Source) 

Understanding how a new industry works, what the market is like, and the different ways businesses operate can get really tough for you. You’ll have to balance your work and the learning curve all at the same time. 

But you can take it positively because (at the end of the day) you’re getting a chance to learn tons of new things. Isn’t it? 

All these things will not only prove to be precious in your current consulting job, but in fact, they will continue to help you in your future career. 

Let me share with you the training initiatives of PwC, one of the Big 4 consulting companies in the world! 

The firm has recently launched a program called “Digital Badge.” It allows all team members (including interns) to earn digital credentials for mastering valuable tech skills. These are:

• Digital Acumen
• Data Visualization
• Business Analytics
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and many more. 

(Source)

A consultant working at PwC wrote on Glassdoor: “I’ve been working as a consultant at PwC for a while now, and I can say that the job can get pretty challenging. There’s a lot to learn, and sometimes the workload can be intense.” (Source)

This consultant then added that despite all of the hardships, the learning he got was genuinely worth the time and the effort.

To be honest, these skills (even hard to learn) are gold in today’s fast-moving world. These will benefit you for the rest of your life, no matter where your career journey takes you.