What's consultancy like?

needhelpguy

I work in a fairly niche IT area (ERP systems) and beyond my current employer there are few permanent posts available - most companies who implement these systems outsource the support development to consultancy companies (i.e. Version 1 etc.). The only real option for me for permanent roles in future is in one of these.

Just wondering has anyone experience in these companies and what are they like? I keep reading horror stories like massive workloads, long hours and lots of stress. Whereas my current role is very manageable and easy going.

The only other option for me really is contracting on a project basis (which I'm not keen on), or branching out into pure development, which thankfully I have some good experience with.

dudara

Consultancy companies will either (a) implement ERP and/or (b) provide ongoing maintennace services. Situation a is project based, which means it's driven by time and budget, meaning inevitably there will be pressure and occasionally high workloads. Situation b is more "business as usual" but can de demanding if you're dealing with a P1 incident or maybe P2.

Consultancy companies do offer the choice to work for a wide range of clients, and to develop your skills. Probably more so than you would manage on your own. However, they will want to hire experts in their ERP, who are up to date with the latest release or two. I've seen a lot of CVs come in from people who are ERP experts, but haven't stayed current with the latest versions or architecture changes.

needhelpguy

Thanks for the reply. I take it you work with one of these companies? Do you find the BAU work stressful/huge workload? I've also heard the pay in these consultancies can be quite bad?

emmallow

Hey, Tech Consultant here, currently on secondment to another area of the business (non-consulting).

I'm very mixed about my work, I think it suits a certain sort of person and that's probably not me.

Work can be very stressful at times, but that's so dependant on who you're working for. Sometimes you'll have a director who is a real slavedriver and I personally find it quite hard to keep saying no to late nights etc. However, because it's project based work, the end is always in sight!
Just to add to your confusion, I had one year-long project where we rented a farmhouse because there were no hotels anywhere near the client-site. We worked into the night, almost every night, for hours it was the worst project imaginable. But the experience I got was amazing, the people were fantastic, and I got a lot of kudos (including bonus etc)
To balance that experience, in usual circumstances I'm probably away before 7pm 99% of the time and before 6pm 50% of the time (My hours are officially until 5pm)

As you've mentioned, pay isn't great. In my experience people stay for 2 years, make a move to somewhere similar along with a rise in pay and grade, then do the same in another 2 years. Some companies have bonuses for spending a proportion of your time away from home. The number one reason I'm looking to leave consulting is because I'm sick of the Monday morning 7am flight to Heathrow with all the other Consultants!