Big consultancies - good experience or a blood sucking role?

[ChimpMaster]

When I was younger I used to believe that working for the big consultancies was what it was all about. Having the Anderson Consulting (remember them?) name on your CV, the experience of working on multi-million £ projects for major clients, getting to grips with the best technologies etc.

Now I think of these consultancies as blood sucking factories where they recruit to fill a space and then empty that space when it's no longer needed. You have to sell your soul and relinquish your personal life to be in favour with management and to achieve 'targets' for 'bonuses'. Try working a short day and see your 'career' die.

Given the choice, I would never want to work for any of the big consultancies out there - a complete turnaround from my more naive days.

[KathyWoolfe]

When I was younger I used to believe that working for the big consultancies was what it was all about. Having the Anderson Consulting (remember them?) name on your CV, the experience of working on multi-million £ projects for major clients, getting to grips with the best technologies etc.

Now I think of these consultancies as blood sucking factories where they recruit to fill a space and then empty that space when it's no longer needed. You have to sell your soul and relinquish your personal life to be in favour with management and to achieve 'targets' for 'bonuses'. Try working a short day and see your 'career' die.

Given the choice, I would never want to work for any of the big consultancies out there - a complete turnaround from my more naive days.

So what else is new?

[DiscoStu]

I have 5 years of IBM on my CV. They were a pretty crap company to work for but it seems to impress hiring managers now I'm a contractor

[The Master]

Just stick a couple of years with Anderson down on your CV about 5 years back. No one will ever contact them to check anyway, even if they could. Works for me.

[Clippy]

I have 5 years of IBM on my CV. They were a pretty crap company to work for but it seems to impress hiring managers now I'm a contractor

Same here - haven't worked for any consultancies, but all the Co's on my CV, which have all been large global multi-nationals, seem to impress recruiters/hirers.

I think it is another factor to consider when deciding on whether to take a gig - it may be beneficial in the long run to have it on your CV.

[hyperD]

Just stick a couple of years with Anderson down on your CV about 5 years back. No one will ever contact them to check anyway, even if they could. Works for me.

Worked for Patsy Hewitt as well.

[Moscow Mule]

I'd rather cut my nuts off with a spoon than work for a big consultancy firm.

[oracleslave]

I'd rather cut my nuts off with a spoon

I'd buy a ticket to watch that

[BrilloPad]

I'd buy a ticket to watch that

MM's plan B?

[Francko]

When I was younger I used to believe that working for the big consultancies was what it was all about. Having the Anderson Consulting (remember them?) name on your CV, the experience of working on multi-million £ projects for major clients, getting to grips with the best technologies etc.

Now I think of these consultancies as blood sucking factories where they recruit to fill a space and then empty that space when it's no longer needed. You have to sell your soul and relinquish your personal life to be in favour with management and to achieve 'targets' for 'bonuses'. Try working a short day and see your 'career' die.

Given the choice, I would never want to work for any of the big consultancies out there - a complete turnaround from my more naive days.

Yes, they are blood sucking companies. However, for many of us who work on very expensive systems that only big companies can afford, there isn't too much choice. Either join them as permie or contract (but again it's not the best type of contract as they suck blood from contractors too).

The only other options is to find a good permie/contract role with an non-IT company which is still a big company and can afford to pay IT people a decent salary. But that's not easy and might turn up a bit boring.

If I could come back I would specialise on cheaper systems or as a more generic consultant so that I might do work on smaller companies where the environment is more human.