Job Responsibilities
The responsibilities depend on the project that one works on. They can be very
administrative at times. Basically the expectation is to jump on the first
position that comes along whether you like it or not to stay 'chargeable'.
Responsibilities may include putting a project plan together, drafting
documents,
facilitating meetings, taking meeting minutes, helping with
proposals, etc.
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Job Requirements
People who are the most successful at BearingPoint are the ones who come in
right out of the college. They are smart and flexible, willing to put the extra
time in to please their supervisors. If you are an experienced person, you might
have a hard time with the culture; your supervisor could have less experience and
feel threatened by you. This could lead to getting low performance rating at the
end of the year!
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Uppers
In general, working in consulting requires being flexible and working on various
projects. One would get exposure to different clients and industries. You would
become Jack-of-all-trades, master on none.
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Downers
They expect you to work on the first project that comes along, whether you are
interested in it or not. You really don't have a say in it, in that
'chargeability' is the most important measure of all. Depending on the project
and the deadlines, you might spend a lot of late nights and weekend working. If
it is a long weekend and you already have plans with your family, it is your
problem. As you move up the ladder, the metrics for promotions become very
blurry. There is a lot of favoritism, and depending on the group you work for,
the 'older daughter marries first' mentality.
Once you roll off of a project, you are 'on the beach'. If you can't be staffed
within a month, they let you go, pretty cutthroat. Almost impossible to build
friendships in consulting, in that once you and your colleagues finish a project,
you could potentially be competing for the same spot; you can't afford to have
friendship be in the way.
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Lifestyle
Dress code is business casual. If you work at a client site, you are expected
to honor their dress code. Business travel would depend on the project, you
could be local or on the road 100%. For most local projects, you have to pay for
travel expenses; e.g., mileage. Work hours depend on the project. More often
than not, around deadlines, you are expected to work long hours. Some
supervisors would give you some comp time later, some not. There are no company
social events; however, your group might plan something every now and then,
depending on your supervisor. Work force is pretty diverse, though a strong
foreign accent could impact your chances of moving up.
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Compensation
$100K+, no bonus, no stock options. 401K is matched 25% up to 6% of your pay;
needs to be vested.
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Advice to Jobseekers
Once you get into consulting, you are on your own to set a career path and move
towards it. Most firms have a 'move up or move out' policy.
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