July 9, 2025

Leaving consulting? Here are five things you might miss...

There are lots of reasons people leave consulting. Weve asked our members for their 3 key reasons why and the 5 reasons to stay. Read more...

There are lots of reasons people leave consulting. When we polled our members, the top 3 were: working unsustainable hours, advising rather than doing and spending too much time travelling away from family & friends. In another poll, we also found out what the dream post-consulting industry. 

But when people leave, there are often things they miss. Some go back. For others who decide to move to an industry role, for example, the cons still outweigh the pros (particularly for those who only went into consulting as a means to an end). Here are the things most people seem to mention that they miss the most*

(*please pardon the generalisation. Obviously, there will be plenty of exceptions!)

  1. The consistently high calibre of colleagues
  2. The variety of work
  3. The problem solving – big juicy ones
  4. The expenses (posh dinners, reward points, taxis & air miles)
  5. The travel (some are great; just not quite that much!)

So if you’re leaving consulting or know that you’ll leave eventually, take time to appreciate all the things you’re likely to miss when you’re gone!

Related topics:

Table of contents
TAGS
Archive
Share
Sign up to our newsletter
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Insight Articles

Our latest articles

We regularly publish up-to-date articles to keep you up-to-date on the market and our work.
From MBB to Brisbane: Why One Consultant Chose Partners In Performance - and Australia
  • From MBB to Partners In Performance: one consultant's bold move to Brisbane unlocked execution-driven work, a people-first culture & a life Down Under. Here's his story!
  • Insider interviews
    Careers after consulting
    The new age of talent: how organisations are rethinking transformation through flexible expertise

    A structural shift in talent is enabling organisations to access senior operators and specialists on a flexible, project basis at scale. First-mover PE and enterprise clients are moving away from traditional consulting toward agile, workstream-based teams combining ex-MBB partners, operators, and experts to deliver lower cost and often higher-quality execution, while also embedding lightweight internal capability to retain momentum after delivery.

    Consulting and Advisory
    From MBB to Sydney: A McKinsey Consultant's Journey to BC Strategy and Australia
  • A former McKinsey consultant on leaving MBB, joining a boutique strategy firm, and building a career and life in Australia.
  • Insider interviews
    Careers after consulting

    Join our ecosystem to discover unique opportunities and advice

    Community AND INSIGHTS
    STRATEGY AND COMMERCIAL

    90,000+

    Total members