Pros
Deliver results - I came from a big consulting firm (10K+ consultants) and we did similar work but I never felt I was actually helping the client's bottom line. At AlixPartners we really do get to impact the client's bottom line and it is very rewarding. Smart people - Super smart people....not cocky about it and are happy to teach and coach. I've worked with some of the smarted people on my engagements. Its helped me learn much faster than I have in the past Collegial environment - AlixPartners has a "inverted pyramid" structure, meaning there are more senior folks than junior analysts and associates. At first I wasn't sure how well this model would work, being used to the typical pyramid model. But it does work and its mainly b/c everyone at all levels rolls up their sleeves and does the work, creating a very collaborative and collegial environment. Good compensation - I've only been at one other consulting firm, but I have many friends at other firms and from what I can tell AlixPartners compensates very competitively. The structure is more bonus heavy than my last firm, but that didn't mean my base salary was less....all upside.
Cons
Diversity - There is definitely a lack of diversity at the firm. However, I do believe leadership is working very hard at improving this. I'm not sure how long it will take to shift, but I think we're headed in the right direction. I think this firm is only going to get better as we become more diverse. Work/Life balance - I'm not sure its more imbalanced than any other top consulting firm....its what we signed up for. I have noticed that we do a lot more short and intense projects that by nature are less flexible and require more concentrated hours than typical 3-4 month engagements. I knew this going in so I'm OK with it....others may not. Transparency - As a small(ish) firm, we don't have nearly as much structure as where I came from. While I've enjoyed the change in size, it has definitely been an adjustment not knowing exactly how certain decisions are made (e.g. year end reviews).