Pros
You work with Fortune 500 companies, travel 4 days a week, have full expense accounts, and work with relatively smart, genuine, down to earth, disciplined people. Lack of pretension. Some people love it here.
Cons
This is my experience working in PAS, not the general management consulting practice, which I've heard is even more intense, whereas PAS is known for being more "casual": There are no formal measures taken by the company to instill work-life balance, and as a result, it is left to the whimsy of the manager, who does not always have tight control over projects or good project management skills. Working 80 to 90 hour work weeks can be typical; you can always expect the occasional 100+ hour work weeks in a project before important deadlines. Living in hotels can become isolating. Work environment is "laid back", but most everyone is too concerned about their personal brand to give true face, show weakness, or deliver honest feedback. Your quality of work life is highly dependent on the project you are working on, which can range from a few weeks to a year+. If you are stuck on a bad project team, sucks for you. Employees tend to be technically adept, but generally lack EQ (emotional intelligence), which is important when you are spending this much time with people, from 8am to 4am some nights. Getting a project is a matter of personal networking and your "reputation", not necessarily formalized measures of merit. Project work isn't always that exciting.
