Hi! Im an analyst working in Strategy for the 'tiger' of big consultancies. I am interested in leaving for i really dont like the company culture - anyone out there need a good analyst! (goes without saying, excellent credentials) G

'Excellent' credentials but, alas, no literacy or grammar knowledge. Stay at Accenture where you don't need these skills.

Why do people feel as though they need to make these kind of posts?? They help no-one and i thought that as busy people you would have something better to do with your time?

In writing such posts the authors are putting themselves 'in the shop window' so to speak. If they truly want other forum users to take their appeals for alternaive employment seriously then they should at least apply themselves diligently during the two minutes or so that it takes to create their post. The first impression created in this case may not lead to many intriguing lines of development, I fear. George does himself a disservice.

I have researched the management consulting market for 7-8 months, read many books, visited this site regularly, met quite a few insiders, I also had a total of 7 interviews, attended a company careers event and the MCA/Top-Consultant careers fair. I was recently close to secure an offer with a well known IT company in their brand new business consulting practice.It looks like I will have another interview opportunity in Jan and my CV improved as my knowledge of the market and my confidence did: if I keep up the effort I have reasons to believe I would probably end up working in management consulting.I am losing interest…The perception I have is that management consulting today is not a professionally healthy and rewarding environment. And unlike other, more developed and modern, or more creative and exciting business environments, it seems consulting lacks on certain basics that would make someone happy to get up in the morning and go to work. The people I met didn’t convince me, I have seen mediocrity more than excellence and followers more than leaders. MC recruiters’ practices are appalling, as it is the arrogant and aggressive attitude of many in the sector. Much has been written in leading publications and the media about lack of transparency and dubious governance of some of the firms and some well known scandals made it all credible. There is nothing I will add with regards to diversity policies and meritocracy, as it seems that building a “Great company Culture” means picking up the same people, as they were manufactured in a Ford factory, to brain wash them to think, talk and live like their superiors. I now doubt the frustrations of the type of environment you guys work in is worth the careers opportunities people say you’ll have once you’re out. I think there are many more rewarding careers in this world. I might be wrong as I am still young and naïve and I am sure there are many very capable and intelligent professionals working in MC. The problem is that there are also many who don’t look very good, I think a generational change is probably overdue and certain practices that ruin consulting should be axed and certain people who keep those practices in place and resist modernisation should go. I hope in the near future better and more successful people will work their ways up and bring change, reform the industry and make it the most challenging and rewarding career this great form of business deserves. For now, I will start looking somewhere else and maybe return to MC in a few years.Please, would someone explain why I am wrong?

Well you have a chip on your shoulder I think.You are in danger of over-analysing things. If you have your own career objectives in mind, then every step you take will be closer to that objective - and you will take out of each experience what you need.Consultancy firms need to impose processes and methodologies on their staff - since these processes are what define the business. I think working in a Consultancy firm will give you excellent exposure to the sorts of processes companies use to create a good business. These processes ensure that the customer gets a reliably good quality of service everytime - even if it is a different Consultant.If you don't want a boss then you should start your own business - and then impose these processes on other people.I am in final year at University, in an engineering degree and Consultancy is a fantastic opportunity for me to get away from my techie background and be more useful to the World. I am much more synical about a career in industry than consultancy - you should examine that one closely! In industry you are much more likely to fester away, waiting years to get any real responsibility.Go be a Consultant, get some real responsibility - and don't worry you will always have the process to catch you!Go on, be a tiger ;)

synical - spelling, see me

oh yeah; i've done that before.It's a word I learnt to say before learning to write it or read it. In fact it only normally comes up in conversation, I rarely read it, or write it.Like Jool's Holland - he plays music by ear; I speak by ear :)

excuse the apostrophe in Jools I really don't know - I didn't used to make such ignorant mistakes.

I was unsure about what paths to follow post uni so i ran off to a big 4 firm to go through the ACA and hopefully come out a little wiser-I thought it would be bland but manageable! I resigned within 6 months after hating the work and the training and despite working for two other big four firms in the months immediately following my resignation and a number of other top 10 accountancy firms in various departments to try and get some experience to put my economics degree to good use, i found it just wasn't for me. After traditional soul searching experiences many a grad goes through apparently, I am due to start a leading consultancy in the new year with a blank canvas to my development, projects and subsequent training the firm will pay for-including CIMA, MBA's and/or CIM if I so desire providing I can offer a business case for such an investment!As for you guys slating consultants for the mediocracy of your experiences, I totally agree with you-but that was the case in my experience of accountants to some degree. In the 18 months since i graduated I've come to the firm conclusion that looking for the holy grail of rewarding work we all thought was possible to find whilst sitting our degrees was one of the reasons i threw the towel in with the ACA!-work is boring, rigid, structured and a process of attrition! Even consultancy-one of mosts popular sectors for graduate applications has these traits-but what else will you do? Until you've got some experience, I wouldn't back a graduate's business!

Care to name your consulting employer?

How many jobs did you do in 18 months dude?