Consulting is often seen as a less demanding job than investment banking, but it still requires long hours and hard work. The average workweek for consultants at McKinsey & Co., Boston Consulting Group, and Bain & Co. is between 60 and 70 hours. For recent graduates without an MBA, the typical stay at McKinsey is between 1.5 and 2 years, while those with an MBA tend to stay for 1.5 to 3 years.
Despite the long hours, many consultants enjoy their time at McKinsey due to the diverse and talented colleagues they work with. Consulting may not require the same number of hours as investment banking, but it still involves long days of work. The average workweek for consultants at McKinsey & Co., Boston Consulting Group, and Bain & Co. is between 60 and 70 hours spread over five days. This translates into days of 14 to 16 hours of work.
Plus, consulting has almost no downtime, meaning you'll rarely be able to take a break for coffee, make important phone calls, or go to the store. Constantly being away from home means you'll have to include almost all of your private tasks in your weekend. MBA jobs at big global consulting firms don't have it much easier. At McKinsey & Co., the average workweek is 70 to 80 hours, while at Boston Consulting Group it's 63 hours a week and at Bain & Co., it's slightly lower due to their “home office” system which reduces travel time. Despite the long hours, many consultants enjoy their time at McKinsey due to the diverse and talented colleagues they work with. You'll find that teams are made up of people from many different countries, as well as from educational and professional backgrounds.
Most people decide to move on after a couple of years or wait until their third year to do an MBA. It may seem very brief to some, but if you consider the phases of being a typical consultant and the key factors why people leave consulting, it's easy to see why this is happening.
