Pros
I started at Booz Allen Hamilton directly after undergrad. Was contacted by a recruiter who noticed my previous internships with defense contractors. Signed a contingent offer, got cleared during final semester in school, started right away. Started off on a billable contract right away. Was offered little to no guidance but using common logic and networking skills I was able to grow my contacts, shadow IT and business development experts, and become familiar with the consulting model. Depending on your contract the work can be extremely challenging. Staff come and go and only the strong survive in client-space. If you have a political/feudal government client - good luck. Know how to play the game. Work hard and look out for yourself, place your teammates in a position to succeed. Selfish individuals are immediately identified and not rewarded by management. In my short tenure I made opportunities for myself by leading change and demonstrating exceptional delivery. I was rewarded with back-to-back promotions (Consultant -> Sr. Consultant -> Associate) in 2 years. Firm training is decent but not advertised. You will determine how your career progresses. Non-existent hand-holding.
Cons
Benefits have noticeably decreased the past few years. 401k dropped from 10% employer contribution to 7.5% matching to 6% matching. Health insurance deductibles are in effect this year. Employees are unhappy and frustrated. I have witnessed cases in which top talent were given LOW letters due to their contract funding being cut. Most employees sit around and twiddle their thumbs, banking their careers on their career managers. If the career manager is busy, on vacation, or simply not knowledgeable enough to find new billable work... it's bye bye for you. Keep in mind career managers have basic training and seminars they attend - but they aren't all-knowing. Network network network to put yourself in the best position to succeed and survive in this tough market. The different account leaders are not collaborating at an effective level. Staff turnover can be prevented if home teams communicate with one another on horizontal staff transitions. The firm is in danger of becoming another seat-filler corporation. I am lucky enough to be highly visible to management because of the excellent work I'm doing. But some of my teammates feel very alienated from leadership and are unaware of our business operations. Everyone is busy and I noticed the folks that complain are the ones who do not do anything about it. They are unwilling to work a single minute over 40 hours a week, refuse to attend company socials, and badmouth teammates that succeed. Management is performed at the micro level and it seems to be hit-or-miss depending on client and work location.