Consulting is a highly demanding job that requires long hours and hard work. It can be a great springboard for many other careers, but it can also be incredibly stressful. Long working hours and overworking can lead to psychological effects such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, or hostility. Consultants often leave home when their family is still sleeping and return when the children have already gone to bed, leaving little time for family life.
Co-workers often become their only friends due to the amount of time spent in the office. The consulting lifestyle can be difficult to sustain in the long term, especially when starting a family. Many consultants eventually move on to a new job in search of a better work-life balance. The average time a consultant spends in a major company is 2-4 years, with some statistics showing that 2.7 years is the average point at which a consultant leaves a major company such as McKinsey, BCG, or Bain.
If a consultant is at the bottom of the performance ladder and there are no signs that they have the potential to improve, they may be asked to leave.
