What does bench life look like for you?
For me a typical day looks like this
9 am- sign in and check emails
930-11 : look for a new job
11-2 lunch and nap
2-3 : sometimes meetings, mostly begging people for billable work
3-4:30 - proposal work if I have it or more job hunting
5-9pm family time and dinner
10-3am - netflix, videogames, cry myself to sleep

likefunnyupliftinghelpfulsmart
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Confirmed: OP doesn't shower while on bench 💀

likefunnyupliftingsmart

Showering in their tears

funny

I wish. Bench life is legitimately worse than chargeable, Bc at least chargeable you get credit for. Cranking on proposals is an entirely thankless job

likesmartfunnyupliftinghelpful

It’s even worse when you don’t win because the firm expects the consultant to deliver the orals.

likefunnyupliftingsmart
Recent IconRecent

Glad I’m 120% utilized so you fuckers can enjoy bench life. So jealous

likefunnysmarthelpful

@EY 13 - clearly you haven’t worked with enough teams. You can only coach those who want to be coached and are receptive to it. I assume you have heard of the adage - ‘ You can take the horse to the pond but you can’t force it to drink water’

Can’t believe I’m saying this. But I am SO JEALOUS

likefunnyuplifting

Ya like it's all fun and games until you get put on PIP.

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This sounds like my day while staffed

likefunnyupliftingsmart

Hahahahaha yes

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Blessed

likefunnysmart

10am - wake up, check e-mails
11am - pretend to look for billable work
12pm - 3pm work on my business idea
4pm - video games
5pm - work out

likefunnysmart

What happens between 3-4 pm?

funnylikeupliftinghelpful

Man I want this type of bench life. I hit the bench for the first time in a few years recently and I was instantly added as capacity support to 2 projects. On top of that I became responsible for content to RFP responses, prepping teams for orals, and taking on additional work for internal initiatives. Never thought I'd be so happy to get staffed after that.

likefunny

It is best to have a good project under your belt and/or some good relationships established to help validate that you are useful elsewhere, and that your lack of engagement in nonbillables is excusable. I’m not saying you have to be a superstar elsewhere - it really doesn’t take much - even one project to which you contributed over the course of a few months will suffice. It’s all about having that reference point.

If you are very new, then you may unfortunately need to put some effort into your nonbillables to establish ‘allies.’ Let it be the first and last time that you do so.

likeupliftingfunny

This except 10 am sign in. Send out a couple of emails asking for work. Play Xbox, workout or watch Netflix. Have lunch at 1. Job hunt from 2-4. Log off at 4.

likeupliftinghelpfulfunny

Normally I get up at 9 for 15 minutes in case there's an urgent email or slack, then go back to bed

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Wake up at 9. Browse phone until 10.
Make breakfast, eat until 11 while browsing the news/FB.
Look up online courses/trainings if no BD work available until 2pm.
Lunch while watching Netflix until 3.
Repeat casual search for work until 5.
Close laptop!

likefunnysmart

Congrats! I’m off the bench too now, to do what was a ‘bench project’ full time and permanent.

It’s all about the side hustles in consulting!

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Do you have any additional roles outside your basic job/role description to expand?

I always have a highly productive bench time and spend maybe only an hour or two a week actually looking for a role. Most of it is supporting deals (not just doing other people’s slides, but deciding what the services are, partner engagement, researching evidence/credentials etc), and then also some time supporting a new capability within the org, so creating assets/collateral, educating and training etc.

I’m not a manager btw, but I feel like I do more than most in bench life. Just feels more enjoyable to do this, better for promotion than just straight up begging MD’s. Whether it gets you off the bench quicker? Maybe not but yeah.

likefunny

I either get onto projects by writing into the proposal, or working with those people builds credibility to get staffed on whatever else they have going on.

I hit the bench today and repped 3 plates for 9 reps

likefunnysmart

Plz Spot, thx

likefunny

What happens 3-9AM?
Seriously, I used to feel guilty about this all the time. You need to get off your ass and find ways to motivate yourself, or pick something up on your own instead of asking for work. Here are some suggestions - maybe they help, maybe you’ve already tried - up to you :
a) you aren’t going to get this free PTO for long, so either spend time on hobbies, reading or anything you’ve wanted to try out but always said you didn’t have time to do
b) there is so much free training out there! For any field! Especially with your LRN too - find out what you want to learn and do it
c) can you build accelerators on your own? Things that would have helped you do your job faster at engagements? Spend time figuring that out
d) do you make food at home? Figure out new recipes and cook!
e) get some think time for yourself - once a week, make a list of tasks and check them off as you finish. Great sense of accomplishment with that checking off
f) if you don’t energize yourself, you WILL get depressed. Trust me - I’ve been there. You sound like you’re in your way. You can find value in yourself before that.

likesmart

Except Cry, that's sounds perfect. I had this life for 6 straight months during my days at EY.

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That’s me right now. Waiting for the 🪓 to fall after my 1 year is up. SM/ Counsellor I’m working with doesn’t have anything for me to work on and I’ve had to beg for work from MD other SMs.

Jealous

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Ugh! I haven’t been on the bench in 3 years

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Well given my last project was 60-80 hour weeks ... I LOVE EVERY SECOND OF THE BEACH! Building 2 businesses right now!

8AM: wake up and breakfast
8-1130: bullshit with asset build out (getting hours of billable work - it’s not chargeable but doesn’t hurt me)
11:45 - preworkout meal
12-1: building business A
1:30-3:00 lift
3:30 post workout meal
4-7: build 2nd business
730: dinner
8-11: build business/fiancé time
Sleep and repeat

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Didn’t mean to sound negative. Go chase your dream! I never did anything with my CPA and am trying to figure out a personal finance/wealth business...

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Why cry yourself to sleep

likefunny

It’s the firm and economy more than it is you. Can I ask what level you are at EY?

likefunny

Glad I’m not too far off from others.

likesmartfunny

Similar. Log in at 8. Spend 1.5hrs on job search each in the morning and afternoon.

likesmart

Similar to you! My utilization this crazy year is around 30%. Sometimes I even forget that I have a job. But, for now, every other Friday I’m reminded in my bank account...

funnylike

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likefunny

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