Good Experience - but beware the culture..
Pros
Exit Opportunities: Well known firm with very broad offering portfolio – I know people who have exited to areas they never worked in If your aim is the corporate world, you will learn solid corporate politics plays Work: Interesting project work (if you're the "right" type of person and work 14+ hours a day) Ability to gain exposure to a variety of industries and types of projects (This is not guaranteed. Its assuming you play your cards right and get lucky) If the client likes you, you have some leeway to do whatever you want Smart, driven, and generally competent colleagues Lifestyle: Alt Travel, expenses paid, relatively good pay (disclaimer: you make the firm at least 10x what you get paid, you make less than other consulting firms, and raises are terrible) An excessive amount of free networking events (dinners, drinks, box seats at sporting events, conventions, vacations, etc.) If you're fresh out of college, you may be comforted to know you’ll still be graded and promotion cycles are pretty standard.
Cons
Summary: If you want the experience and you have no options at a non-big 4 consulting firm, I'd say go for it. But know, if you want to be successful at Deloitte, this culture will bring out the worst in you. There are far better environments to spend your life. Culture Intensely and unhealthily competitive: please don't underestimate this. It's not just about working hard (I'm your stereotypical Type A), its who is willing to sacrifice the most for the firm. If you want to succeed and work on that hot new project, its a given that you're incredibly smart and charming; it's also assumed Deloitte IS your life. When you're not doing client work, you're doing firm initiatives or complimenting SMs/PPMDs at networking events; 16 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. You need to impress that partner for a chance they'll throw you a bone. Firsthand experience of a class system at work. There is a class system, staff see themselves as better than other staff, primarily based on the types of projects and internal initiatives. Also based on you background (private school, ivy league, hobbies, etc.). This embeds a "middle-class" mentality; you're afraid to become a lower class and will do anything to move up (and the firm profits) Deliverables: In strategy consulting, its less about your recommendations (consultants are never accountable for those anyways) and more about the client's career (& how much they like you). For the most part, you'll be structuring communication and regurgitating ancient business methods. There are very few times that you need to think critically. Truly, be sure to take a step back and think about it from the client's perspective: "Will this help my career?" - it'll give you an edge. You are entirely disposable and there is no upward accountability: partners and managers staff projects based somewhat on your ability to churn out decks (thinking not really required) but mostly on if they like you. Most people who become Senior Manager or Partners are egomaniacs; be prepared to completely alter your personality to suit their needs. If you have an issue with that, just know the firm is so large and staff are only expected to stay a few years. I wouldn't say the people at Deloitte are necessarily bad, but they're put in a system that brings the worst out of people. "Soft lies" and misleading comments are common; "hard lies" happen too. Work-Life The firm culture manipulates you to sacrificing more and more; it only gets more demanding the closer you get to partner. Senior managers (the 6-year level right before partner, have it the worst). Consulting These two are deal-breakers for me, they apply to the consulting industry but are heightened at Deloitte: One. You will always have a somewhat stable, relatively well-paying job; but you sacrifice career risk for hours of your life. Two. To be successful in consulting, you need to tie yourself to successful clients – just know even at the highest level: at best, you’re a coach. At worst, you’re a leach.
