I work in consulting, which is unlike any other career. Long hours sometimes, other times I leave work at 2 PM. Traveling across the country some weeks, other weeks working from in bed at home. Basically, you just have to be prepared for anything. You learn a lot because you're always doing something different, but you have to be willing to adapt to any situation. This is a great job for someone who likes flexibility and hates having a routine. The biggest misconception people have about this job is they think the travel is glamourous. Not always! Try going to Bentonville, Arkansas every week for six months... where there are only a few flights in or out, you stay at a Holiday Inn, and you "dine" at McDonalds. Just be ready for anything!
The real reward of a career in public sector consulting is twofold. First, there is the chance to do work for the public good, even if it is something indirect such as improving government business processes, or helping them get the most value for money out of systems acquisitions. The second reward is the constant intellectual stimulation. The projects change and you get to develop many different skills.
The cons are that you are dealing with customers, which has both its positives and negatives. Another con is that your career is fairly itinerant. You move based on the work, and the inherent instability can be unnerving.
Overall though, I am a big fan. For someone like me who gets bored easily it is invaluable.
I wouldn't recommend this career because management is never pleased with the numbers and keeps pushing for ways to fiddle with the figures to boost productivity.
Dentists have one of the highest suicide rates of all professions. Their rate of suicide is 6.64 times greater than the rest of the working population.
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