Pros
1) Good name to have on your resume, particularly if you can start straight out of undergrad 2) The collective braintrust -- Everyone is very smart, which makes it an outfit where you can count on learning something. (Although I must mention that you learn more from each other than from the limited "must be approved and adding value to client projects" training options.) 3) The professionalism you find among coworkers, which translates into respect by clients.
Cons
Thanks to those who are sharing here. There are too many cons to count. Suffice to say I agree with most of the complaints originally stated here. I would only disagree with the idea that the stock won't do well as it IPOs. I think it will do well, but as everyone in the highest levels of the co. and Carlyle sell their shares it will drop. The way Carlyle is squeezing out infrastructure costs (cutting offices, supplies, etc. - i.e. running lean) and adding titles/levels that make it harder to get promoted, they'll boost how attractive the IPO appears to outside investors. Too bad no one below partner (and possibly even senior partner) will get shares. If you think you will, you're in dream land. Just consider the year-on-year profitability of Booz that doesn't trickle down at that % (smaller level at best in ECAP -- which also requires vesting). Every year the mgmt. boasts of our profitability I cringe. I want to tell them that I'm not impressed, since I'll never see it at the Associate level. How do you think they'll handle it this year, when our profitability is in the teens vs. the 22% or more it's been in the past. Oh, and may I add how many people are being laid off? -- Oops, the party line is that Booz Allen Hamilton "throughout company history" has never laid anyone off -- They just use the cute name "lack of work" when sending letters to employees they're kicking out the door on two weeks notice. Ah well, back to work.