So with 60 days Military PTO, a pretty healthy vacation policy, good benefits overall and from what I am perceiving as a pretty damn good career path, almost like an Army officer career path, is this consulting career actually a pretty good gig? I mean, it seems like you can do just about whatever you want in Accenture, even if “consulting,” isn’t the path you want to go down long term. Are these people wining about comp, hours, and projects, just clueless to what the real world is like, and how much Military hours and “projects” can be? I don’t know I just feel like this is like the civilian equivalent to the Military, and not in a bad way, thoughts?
I spent 7 years in the infantry and just over 7 now in consulting. Consulting is nothing like the operational military. The closest thing I can equate consulting to in the military is some POG mos that pushes paper all day. That said, junior officers and enlisted at least know when shut their mouth, move out and execute. A skill that some consultants could greatly benefit by.
From my perspective the whining about hours is how deliotte talks a big game when it comes to "work life balance" but doesn't seem to understand it should be "life work balance". As for comparing it to the military, this isn't the military
My comp should be around 165k for tax purposes this year. I loved what I did in the Army as an infantry officer - I left for three reasons, 1. I was turd officers that lack skill and competence get promoted and awarded MSMs and other awards while sitting in their chu on deployments playing video games while the troops were out on patrol taking care of business, 2. The military is no longer a meritocracy like it was 40 years ago - again people that shouldn’t be allowed to piss without supervision are put in charge of leading 150+ men, 3. After company command there was only about a 10% chance of getting a battalion command and I didn’t want to spend the next 15 years as staff - I figured if I was going to sit around and make slides all day I can do that for a lot more money elsewhere.
The best part of military comp is that only basic pay is taxed - so depending on rank maybe 50k per year. Everything else is tax free plus free medical insurance. When I got out in 2010, I left from Alaska and moved to DC - at the time I made 101k as a captain with pay and entitlements (my bah was about 1900 and I think cola up there was 600 per month)
Rule of thumb on consulting comp trajectory is to double comp every 4-5 years. 7 years in, out as an O-3, 7 years removed now. Compared pay scales for about two years after I got out, and similarly, took a small step down to get out. Not even worth looking anymore.
Just be glad u guys didn't join as enlisted. E-1 pay was about 13k after taxes I made e-5 in. 2 years and still under 30k. I have never griped about consulting pay lol.
So many leaf eaters ...
D3 - I mean from a perspective of pay, benefits, career options and moving up in rank. Seems to be faster promotions and better pay than industry, similar to the Military.
On the officer side anyways
I would agree with that. An O-3 usually spends 5-8 years before getting promoted to a field grade.
Yea I was promoted O3 on active duty 4 years ago. I would I be up for Major right now. Definitely had to take some steps back compensation wise over the last 3 years. This job is the closest I have been able to come to matching my O3 salary (with BAH). Still about $40k short, but hopefully I can surpass my Military comp in 10 years.
What are they paying you guys? I'm doing way better than my buddies still in. Got out as an O-3.
I got out as an O3 and went to Booz. I didn’t have a clue what I should be getting paid at the time. I joined at 71k. Over the past 7 years I worked full time while completing my mba part time and have more than doubled my base and when you add in performance bonuses it just escalated from there.
As far as comp goes, in way ahead of where I would be as an officer or any of my military peers. My comp is higher than most O6’s unless they have a big cola entitlement as part of their pay and benefits for a high cost area
D3 - That’s awesome! What’s your current comp? I was an O3 with 12 years in. I would have to pull in $120k+ right now, to match that. I just started at the firm at 88k. I also make about $15k annually part time in the Reserves. So roughly $100k overall. I think I would have to be at $140k+ to equal Major comp, and that’s not factoring the free health care either. Assuming you are liking your Consulting career more than the Military? Of course with the Military the comp is good, but the total lack of choice (where you live, what you do for a job) is what I didn’t like about it. I wanted more control of my life.
D3 - Totally understand where you are coming from. It’s a huge gamble even “if” you will make BN command and what will transpire beyond that. I think you made the right call. And you said it exactly, making slides, doing briefs like on staff, might as well do what your doing now with much better living conditions and probably more job satisfaction overall. I think I made the right choice too, I was AG, so staff was pretty much my life beyond my one command opportunity at a Human Resources Company.
I started off enlisted for two years finished college then commissioned. In fact, the military is how I put myself through undergrad and then grad school with the post 9/11 GI Bill. There always something to bitch about but that’s just human nature. At the end of the day, the money that I make now allows my children to have advantages and opportunities that wernt available to me.
D3 - I did the same thing, but enlisted pay in a combat zone tax free. At 19, that was a lot of money. Somehow I squandered it all over the years, I even started an investment fund when I got back. Made such poor choices 😒, but I suppose I would have lost most of it in 2008 anyways...I should have bought a house near school.
These O’s thinking they’re entitled to walk into a salary getting what they got (base/bah/cola) while active. 😂
SC1 - Should be anyone’s thinking, to not get paid grossly less than what you made at your last job, not just “O’s”. Obviously it’s not going to be exactly the same, but I don’t think 25 year olds with 2-3 years of experience are that much more special either, just because they were in a position to enter the firm right after college.