Hey FB fam! Got counseled out on Friday. Tech Strategy Senior Associate at Strategy& for 2 years, aligned to Healthcare vertical. Looking for my next stop in consulting. Thanks in advance

like
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at
Highlighted IconHIGHLIGHTED

It often does have to do with how the firm is doing. The quality bar doesn’t change, but when the firm is busy people get plenty of at-bats and learning experiences. It’s tougher during slow times.

like

This is one of the issues we need to fix in Strategy&. We use a strategy development model (Eg up or out) but then we use PwC’s separation model (no six month “performance improvement pulse check”, no placement time/resources, same-day/same-week departure, and no time for internal transfers to other lines of service with different skillsets). It’s a very broken model and in my opinion one of the top issues where we are getting the worst of both worlds (strategy consulting and non-strategy practice management). Most strategy firms are aggressive on the counsel ons but give plenty of support before, during, and after. Most non strategy firms let the individual’s personal drive dictate their career progression, but cut ties quickly without warning because at that point the performance issues have been going on for longer/proven durations

like

Experiencing this is full force now. Little-no apprenticeship or development...and the firm and seniors do not care about talent development. At the same time, we work strategy hours/compete with MBB on projects....

Recent IconRecent

OP, find an immigration lawyer and switch to the b2 visa asap

like

Hang in there! Good luck

like

The bench is not an issue at the moment.

helpful

Were you counseled out at the SA2 level?

like

^this. How long until you are cut loose?

like

SA3, things vary by vertical. In FS we have no bench but not all SA3’s that were eligible were promoted. Other verticals may be less sold than we are. You can get counseled out at any level, not everyone goes from SA2 to M1 or SA3.

like

Which office are you out of? Open to relocation?

like

Damn op, that’s kinda messed up - and I’m glad this practice was brought up here as an eye opener when considering S&. Hopefully this visibility opens eyes to other people at the firm so changes can be made. Your positive attitude is why I know you’ll be fine moving forward.

like

I’m all for up and out, but the blind side counseling out is uncool, especially if you’re getting good feedback. With that lack of notice or feedback, it can create stresses on those consultants that aren’t conducive to growth.

like

Remember on the S& all hands call last year when DeAnne was announced they were “looking into introducing a counsel out period for the more tenured members” of the firm?

LOL

like

OP - sorry that this happened, but glad you have a positive attitude. Unfortunately, sometimes we get squeezed by things outside our control. Addressing a few things to dispel FB confusion and rumors:

- unfortunately, CRT’s are more of a black box than processing the project/snapshot feedback. 90% of people are above average, so there are crazy rack and stack politics that go on. Unfortunately, your situation is not unique — just part of the beast, especially within an up or out model. Rare is the case that someone is materially underperforming in obvious ways.

- Capacity is really dependent on the vertical. I know it was impossible to find a SA in IPS, TMTor CM this spring, but there was a bunch of staff that became available in HIA. Not sure if a project fell through or it was something else. Maybe unlucky timing. Maybe it was even due to the few recent partners that left for industry that created an out of whack supply/demand situation that is out of your control. Unfortunately, we do a poor job of helping people switch verticals in this situation, but it’s worth a shot.

- Did your RP explain more about the skills/needs comment? I’m curious if we’re moving away from having “tech strategy” roles. While important, our own internal setup makes it difficult to have a tech consulting group at lower rates than the tech strategy group. I could see the from moving away from this as a possibility, too. Again, it’s unfortunate to not offer alternative moves if this was the case.

Not sure if any of this helps explain things, but it’s not always a straightforward explanation/discussion. Good luck with the search, and I’m sure you will land on your feet.

like

Thank you for the solidarity guys. I’m sharing my burner here in case anyone wishes to connect with me. ad.9@yahoo.com

like

Thanks guys. 😊

uplifting

Burner is ad.9@yahoo.com. In case you wish to communicate via email

Were you given a reason? Sorry to hear that

Good luck OP!

Thank you S2

Sorry op! Is strategy& struggling with a bench or something?

Do you still want to do consulting?

Hey Booz, yes I absolutely want to do consulting for as long as I can. No kids yet and wife is super supportive.
S& always has quite a few people on the beach simply due to the short duration of most projects

Thank you S3

Related Posts

Does anyone here work at Cover Whale Insurance? They are a wholesale company and I’m wondering what the culture is like since it is a fairly new but quickly growing company.

like

What would you prefer:

Job 1: 85k at small boutique firm (3 attorneys). Standard benefits but no 401k. Semi-annual raises. No billable hour requirement and regular 40 hour week. Being groomed to be a partner on a 2-3 year track.

Job 2: 135k at large regional firm (200 attorneys) good benefits. 1900 billable hours requirement. Partner track is 6-8 years but not guaranteed.

Both located in a MCOL area

like

I am expecting an offer from Master Card for Senior Software Engineer position in O Fallon MO. Please let me know what kind of base salary I can expect with 11 yrs experience . I don’t wanna undersell but also trying to avoid being aggressive but quote a decent number which will be achievable. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Is 125k $ base a fair value for or I can pitch higher? They have a 15 to 20 % bonus on top of base pay and a 10% match on 401k which the recruiter keep highlighting.

like

Alright auto fishes, I’m in the market for a entry level luxury car. Open to used or a lease. I don’t plan to use it as a daily driver, live in an HCOL. Only restriction is that I’d like to keep my monthly costs at no more than $600-$700/month (including insurance, financing / fees, etc; have a parking spot already). Doesn’t have to be a European badge. Thoughts?

like

Can someone help me understand the structure of health strategy / health consulting at Accenture? Are these two separate teams? I know Federal Health is entirely separate (right?)

likehelpful

Hi fishes,
I just got an offer from a startup in India putting my total comp to 40LPA(incl. vested stocks work 8kUSD and I also have an offer from a big 4 in the London for 65250GBP + benefits.

Any thoughts on comparing the two options?

like
likeuplifting
like

What are benefits of working with a content strategist on a project?

What are strong must-have traits of a good content strategist?

Trying to build a case for my agency to hire our first CS!

like

Bain & Company What are the pros/cons or uniqueness of working in different healthcare spaces? Payers, providers, life science, Med tech/devices. ZS Associates PwC Deloitte EY KPMG L.E.K. Consulting McKinsey & Company Bain & Company Boston Consulting Group

like

I have 6 YOE in. Net+Angular and got an offer from Legato Health Technologies with 20 LPA Fixed, i joined Infor just 11 months ago with 12LPA Fixed and i will get the hike in August. If i resign now i will not get hike and i am a critical resource in the project, i guess Infor might try to retain me by matching offer. What should i do? Should i resign ASAP and not negotiate with Infor . I have all these doubts because Infor is a product based company.

like

Is there any benefit to opening a brokerage account with the same broker? Currently have 401K through Fidelity but looking into Vanguard ETFs..

like

I’m discussing a part-time orthopedic position that would include clinic and surgery in WA state, about 1 hour from seattle. 5 years experience. Anyone have experience with this? I’m looking for hourly rate expectations. I will be covered under their malpractice insurance, but no other benefits.

like

Whomever is doing the tv placement for Advocate Healthcare in Chicago: do you have to have the ad going every other commercial? If I hear “come on get healthy” one more time, I’m leaving the state.

likefunny

Healthcare Consulting/Consultant referral? Medical doctor, experienced in data collection, advanced statistical analysis, leadership skills, communication skills. Looking for a job in New York.

like

Hi fishes, Which one to choose? NielsenIQ or Western Union both are same package and variable.
Which one is good in terms of WLB? And which have better perks, employee benefits.. and pls list employee benefits if you have idea on each org.

like

Looking to pivot out of a top pharma marketing/ad agency and into consulting. Ultimately want to leverage both experiences to move client side or to a healthcare start up.

What are the best firms for this type of transition and why?

like

Hi All, I have two offers on hand.

1. Deloitte - 12.5 LPA Fixed + 1.25L Variable along with 2L joining bonus and 2L retention bonus.

2. PWC - 13 LPA Fixed + 2L joining bonus and permanent WFH.

Yoe is 2.8 and tech stack is DotNet Dev.

Which one would be better to join, considering the CTC, benefits and WLB?

like

Any current or former Whole Foods folks who can share a bit about internal culture and benefits? I hear the health insurance is very disappointing, is that accurate?

like

I 485 question - I do not have any vaccination record from my home town. It is a small village. I am thinking of getting the required vaccination here in US. Will insurance cover my vaccination?

More Posts

general question, about how long after submitting an online application should one assume that they aren’t getting an interview?

like

Wanted some interview question tips for Rivian, chemical design internship role.
Suggestions are most welcome!
Rivian

like

Been in sales for 7 years (door to door,telecom,BDR,) I interviewed for a closing position and after submitting a demo presentation and 2 mock emails they have moved be forward for the last “wrap up call”. Any tips and advice for this?

Does this mean I’m being highly considered? Or are they just going along like many companies do. This is a Norway based Saas company.

like

What are some useful tools that you use to assist you in your management?

like

How do you celebrate new members for making their first post?

like

Do non-profits have community managers? How different is the work compared to a for-profit?

like

Can someone look at my resume and give me some feedback please? I am trying to get to Bain and am not sure what they are looking for in a candidate.

like

Any business casual shoe recommendations? Looking to buy a pair of shoes to go into the office. TIA!

like

Hi folks,
I hold an experience of 4+ years in Sales as wealth Manager, and right now working with the Fintech company.
I’m looking for new opportunities which has remote location for sales or business development profile.
Please let me know if there’s any referrals and I can share the resume for the same

like

Does anyone get weird looks wearing a yamaka?

likesmart

I am having 6 months of experience.
Can anyone refer me in a good company on java,js,SQL.

like

Is anyone's agency currently looking for a Senior or ACD position?

like

What does leven 9 or 8 means !!

Genetic fingerprinting of this thing pretty fascinating. Thank god for DNA sequencing

like

Had my first pregnant patient with COVID. She did OK, child is in isolation from mother, and mother is recovering separately

like

Is there anything that we can do at the individual level to help improve the public perception of our profession?

like

So. I've been a Clinical Research Associate for a little over two years making $25.50 an hour. But with my company's CRA shortage and the fact that they are working to the bone, I'm ready to ask for a raise. What percent should I shoot for?

like

I’m in publishing and my 1-woman department is growing (meaning me, ha) and I need to outsource some digital analysis duties to a part-timer. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to go about this, or suggested agencies? Note: We’re also exploring the in-house part time option - which I obviously prefer but due diligence and all..

like

Additional Posts in Consulting

There's a great invention called headphones. They are used to listen to your shitty music that the rest of us are not interested in. Use them. Thanks from all the passengers on this southwest flight!

like

Presidential debates start next year?

like

Anyone ever think about just quitting on the spot (or has anyone)?

like

EY versus AWS. Better culture , work life balance , benefits , long term potential ? I’m not talking about pay (AWS is about $80k more) just trying to gage the other factors.

like

Looking for some book recommendations :)

like

Starting to get a persistent eye twitch. Hasn’t gone away for months. Advice?

like

Anyone at Deloitte human capital worked with a former director with the initials FL? Please DM me

funny

Opinions on what happening with Facebook and their poor employee outlook? What will FAANG be if Facebook hits the fan? NAAG?

like

Woke up to bug bite at a Sheraton on my Birthday.. #GreatStart🙄😪

like

Does anyone else think Southwest is bush league or is it just me....

like

I'm looking to improve my communication skills to navigate a very political environment better (i.e. I need to be more diplomatic). Any books recommendarions are appreciated 💁🏼‍♀️

like

Does anyone have any view into a consulting Director role at cvs? What the comp is like? What the benefits are like? Wlb? Thanks in advance!

like

How to handle workload on a project where you are the only resource? I’ve done this work in the past with a team of 3, but I am stuck this time by myself. Tips to avoid a bad review?

like

All these layoffs reminding me that loyalty is dead

like

Weather is NUTS in dallas right now. Stay safe, fishes!

likehelpful

Boomerangs - can you share your perspective on how leaving and coming back impacted your career and relationships at the firm? Looking to weigh the pros and cons before leaving.

like

I want to make my money work for me and investing in index funds seems to be a good first step. Anyone have any good books/research websites to recommend for investing in index funds and/or other financial instruments? Would also appreciate advice anyone has for a first time investor who is terrified of losing money to the market.

like

Deloitte my S&A offer has 23 vacation days. Will I actually be able to use any of that? Does it count against my utilization? What’s the cultural expectation around using PTO?

funnylike

Legit question. Any companies pay your student loan? I don’t want tuition reimbursement, I want to pay for the degree I already got.

like

Anybody here previously work for a cigarette company / Juul? What was your reason for working there? (Genuinely curious)

like

New to Fishbowl?

Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
  • Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
  • Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
  • Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.

Already a user?
Login here

Share

Embed this post

Copy and paste embed code on your site

Preview

Download the
Fishbowl app

See what’s happening in your industry
from the palm of your hand.

A phone with Fishbowl app

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

Download app

Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Already have an account? Log in

Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use(New) and Privacy Policy(New)
Messaging rates may apply

Already have an account? Log in

For account settings, visit Fishbowl on Desktop Browser or

General

Legal