Hey everyone,
I’m currently exploring career paths in professional services and have some experience hearing that consulting isn’t quite as brutal as banking, but I know it still comes with its fair share of late nights. I’m particularly interested in boutiques/specialist consultancies (e.g. Baringa, OC&C, L.E.K., etc.) and was wondering:
Do people at these smaller firms still end up putting in regular 60–80 hour weeks?
How common is weekend work? Is it only around big project deadlines, or more of a regular expectation?
Does the workload vary significantly by practice area (e.g. energy vs. financial services)?
Any tips for managing work–life balance in a boutique setting?
If you’ve worked or are working at Baringa (or a similar-sized firm), I’d love to hear your honest take on:
Typical day‑to‑day hours (average and “crunch time”)
How often you’re asked to jump in on a Saturday or Sunday
Whether the “smaller team” vibe really means more flexibility, or if it just spreads the same work across fewer people
Appreciate any insight or anecdotes – thanks in advance! 🙏