Anyone else feel like consulting can be quite emotionally abusive or is that just MBB?
Sep 25, 2020
26 Comments
So much keeping up appearances, personal sacrifices, brown-nosing, pressure to always be ‘inspiring’. It can be a bit much. Anyone else feel this way? Is it a McKinsey thing or do other consultants feel this way? If so how do you cope?
comments
When i was a new grad working at McK and felt what I thought was abuse, I wasn't sure if it was abuse because I didn't know any better. everyone around me were all in MBB and IB with worse horror stories and you're told to suck it up and not complain about the golden ticket you just received.
Years later you realize those managers in MBB adding pressure onto you are also scared shitless for their jobs and they also have no sense of security.
After leaving consulting and then going back to hire MBB for corporate projects, BB IB teams for two start-up exits I was part of, and now working at FB. I can 100% say the typical bullshit you get in consulting is unnecessary and abusive. But that's the game you signed up for. No one in the firm is going to listen and change. there's a saying at McK that the best leave, the worst get fired, and the avg rise to partners and lead the firm. those folks that worked the system well and survived have little incentive to change it ;)
I definitely learnt a lot during my time there and much more confident today due to that experience. But the price paid is very high for that learning