Capco Associate Consultant reviews

Capco is not a place you should want to work at, logically speaking. I work, for example, at one of their big clients in New York, and there is no reason from a benefits-maximizing perspective I shouldn't just work for this client as an employee. I work longer hours for less pay, prestige, and responsibility than many of the full time employees at this client. While they're leaving early on Friday, I'm there for hours longer. While their company subsidizes a large portion of their travel expenses, Capco does no such thing for its locals like me. While they're making a name for themselves in their company, the only people who know who I am at Capco are those whom I see on a daily basis. Many of these people went to the same school and studied the same thing I did, so I see no benefit to what I'm doing versus them. Their bonuses allow them to pay for new cars; Capco's allows me to get an extra fry at the drive-thru. For the same work plus, this seems like a bad deal. This is not a unique situation at Capco. Far from it. I wanted to be a consultant for many reasons, one of which was less work than direct financial services. I realized there would necessarily be less pay, but I was willing to make this trade. I was not ready to work far harder, longer, and for much (much) less pay than regular financial services employees, and then have to play a huge game of politics to even have a chance at getting promoted at a staff augmentation firm, which is what Capco truly is. I cannot logically think of one benefit joining this politically toxic firm affords me or anyone else. Even when you do a good job, Capco still wants you to be “innovative” by attending one of their happy hours. After working 12-13 hour days at the client all week long, to be thought of as “not a team player” for missing a happy hour is simply evil. What the other reviews say about Capco and politics is absolutely true: promotion here is a ridiculously political popularity contest that is so unprofessional its a wonder they've gotten away with it this long. Why would I want to work here?

As other reviewers have said, the entry-level position here is a joke wherein aging, dilapidated partners talk down to you while paying a salary that makes it impossible to live anywhere near the Manhattan office. I want to touch on how awful my experience was at Capco as a woman of color. I joined Capco through the ATP and left less than a year later; I just couldn't take it any longer! The partners in charge of the program were revolting, making passes at all the women ATPers and constantly inviting them to unofficial happy hours (where more suggestive things were uttered). It was totally creepy watching these old, pasty white men virtually drooling at the new, "exotic", young women who had joined the firm. It was obvious they had something completely inappropriate on the mind, as more than one female colleague revealed to me. Cringe. Getting talked down to wasn't uncommon. My first week, one of the most senior partners running the ATP sat me down and demanded that I give him my elevator speech. As I was doing so, he'd interrupt me and say "Listen, listen!" Listen to what? I thought he was joking around, but he was serious! He then asked me if I knew what the word "perception" meant three times in a row... It was absolutely bizarre! It was like he was treating me as a child. These things continued to happen throughout my employment to myself and others. The most discouraging experience was the indifference I received from one of the firm's top female partners. This lady asked me what university I attended; when I told her, she nonchalantly responded "Oh, that's an okay place." How rude! I later discovered she didn't have a college degree, and is known to do this to junior employees often. Pretty lackluster behavior, if you ask me. The mistreatment and gross behavior I witnessed at Capco made me want to leave for a more progressive firm, which I did. I am much happier now, and would recommend that you do not accept an offer with Capco if you're a minority or a woman. It's just really not our scene; definitely more of a boy's club.