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Questions with a Tattle-Tale Tone “I know that your company eliminated about 15 percent of its workforce back in 2001 and 2002. I’m curious whether your firm has developed a better way of adjusting hiring activity to the market.” This is a question you might want to ask, but use your better judgment. After all, it’s a little early in  [ Read More ]

When it comes time to ask questions of your interviewer, there are a few sand traps that you should avoid. As one insider put it, “It’s probably not a good idea to ask me anything that would make me question your intelligence or your integrity.” In addition, you don’t want to ask questions that display a blatant ignorance of the  [ Read More ]

Who Am I Working for Again? Although consulting is often considered one of the most glamorous options for people in IT, some of that sheen wears off when you discover you are actually working for PETCO, Pic’n Save, the New York City Department of Sanitation, or the shoeinsert company that is your client for that week.

Where’s the Tech? While some in consulting are pining to be managers at “real” companies, others miss the creative thrill of making stuff that often comes with hardware or software development. “Sometimes I get to roll up my sleeves and do the dirty work,” says one IT consultant. “Other times PowerPoint is the only computing skill I need.”

A Dog’s Life The travel, the hours, and the difficulty of maintaining a personal life top everyone’s list of consulting complaints, regardless of the industry or function in which they specialize. One beleaguered IT consultant warns that “consulting firms care a lot about building relationships—just not your own.”

Many people enter consulting with the idea that they’ll do it for a couple of years and then move on to something else. “It’s hands-down the best job for someone [planning to start] a business or work at a Fortune 500 company.” says an insider, “You can get behind the thought processes of key executives.”

Very few consultants would publicly put it at the top of their lists, but most really like the pay and perks of the position. Even if you’re not a particularly moneygrubbing type, wouldn’t you like to be able to afford a nice apartment, a new car, and be able to pay off all those school loans in a couple of  [ Read More ]