A U.S.-based reader recently emailed me a series of recruiting and lifestyle questions about international consulting. It’s a great topic that hasn’t been addressed here before.
Today, we’ll avoid the standard “10 key points about international consulting” post, and instead directly address his questions since they are both thorough and interesting.
Let me caveat by saying that I was never “based” out of a non-U.S. office. However, I did spend significant time in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Latin America on various projects, and have verified most of the assertions below with international consulting colleagues
International recruiting process
1. Is the interview process to work abroad as competitive as that in the United States?
Yes. Sometimes it can be even more so. This will depend heavily on the specific office to which you’re applying.
For instance, you can expect an extremely selective resume screening process in China. In some Continental European offices, the resume screen (for on-campus recruiting) is somewhat more forgiving, but it’s tough to pass the initial phone screen.
Another factor is broader macroeconomic conditions. The Middle East as a region has been known for explosive growth in consulting work, and as a result it’s been a somewhat easier process to get hired there if you meet the necessary prerequisites.
Keep in mind that the current recession economy has dramatically altered the hiring landscape, although some are predicting that the hiring market has reached a bottom.
2. How can U.S. applicants be more competitive if they want to work in overseas offices like Berlin or Johannesburg?
A few things to keep in mind:
-Certain offices have language prerequisites that are inflexible. If you want to work for BCG Seoul, you’re going to need a near-fluent understanding of Korean. It’s that simple
-Demonstrate a specific cultural/educational/professional tie to your country of choice. For instance, if you’re interested in working for McKinsey in Johannesburg, a track-record of African Studies and prior work internships in Sub-Saharan Africa will be a big advantage
-Make the right contacts here in the U.S.. This is a combination of networking with the right people at every opportunity, plus a proactive search for U.S. consultants who have prior experience in your country of interest. Not only can you learn more about the international consulting environment, they may be able to introduce you to the right overseas office contacts.
3. Can you work in the U.S. and move abroad?
Absolutely. This is in fact the smartest strategy unless you have a unarguable reason for starting or transitioning your career to overseas. Most people who have a “casual interest” in international consulting are best suited to working in the U.S. initially, getting staffed on an overseas project or two, and then making the transition.
You may find after serving your first Russian client that living in St. Petersburg is not for you.
Most global consulting firms have relatively fluid office transfer policies, provided that you produce outstanding work. A few tips:
-Produce outstanding work. It’s worth repeating, because only by building this credibility will you be able to one, get staffed on international studies, and two, build enough partner and local office support to drive an office transfer
-Network with international consultants. This is relatively simple once you’re inside the firm. Start with lower level consultants and work your way up. Demonstrate an interest in their work by doing your research.
-Build relevant expertise. For instance, if you’re interested in consulting in Tokyo, figure out what types of work your firm does in Tokyo. If it’s mostly automotive consulting, staff yourself on automotive industry projects in the U.S.. This will give you a head start.
Lifestyle as an international consultant
1. What are the benefits/perks of working abroad (eg, housing, salary, etc)?
The benefits will be broadly similar to U.S. consulting perks. You’ll have expense accounts, travel in style, attend fancy team and firm events, and the like.
However, your base pay and bonuses will probably be lower (on the order of 10-20%). You may receive fewer perks. For instance, most McKinsey Asia offices do not provide blackberries to junior consultants (you’ll have to hit Engagement Manager before receiving one).
If you’re an international hire (eg, moving from the U.S. to Sao Paulo), you may receive some added relocation benefits including temporary housing and a higher relocation bonus. Beyond that, you’ll be treated just like a local consulting hire.
If anyone has more specific international consulting salary and benefits data, please comment below
2. Can you describe the lifestyle working abroad (eg, hours, social life, etc)?
Again, it really depends on the office and the country. You can expect to work harder in East Asia (eg, China, Japan, Korea) and enjoy a shorter workday in Latin and Central America (eg, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico).
In terms of social life, it’s all what you make of it. You can expect a standard amount of after-hours socializing with colleagues and project teams. In addition, there will be the usual litany of office and team events such as dinners, conferences, and retreats.
There are important cultural issues that are specific to each office and country. For instance, you can’t legally buy alcohol in Saudi Arabia. Do your research thoroughly before applying internationally or even attempting to be staffed overseas.
The actual work of an international consultant
1. Does the work differ from consulting in the States? Do you get more responsibilities or less?
Consulting abroad can be divided into 2 general categories – consulting in developed countries (eg, Western Europe, Japan) and consulting in emerging economies (eg, Vietnam, Czech Republic).
In developed countries, the work you do will be very similar to consulting in the U.S. Variables include the mix of clients and industries in the target country, as well as your firm’s local reputation and areas of strength.
In emerging economies, the work will be different for several reasons.
-Clients are less sophisticated
-Partners/principals are more varied in quality and experience
-Local offices usually have fewer resources
This can mean a lot of things. Here are just a few pros and cons:
The pros are:
-More interaction with client senior management
-More interaction with partners and principals
-More work on high-urgency/high-impact problems
-Faster implementation of recommendations.
The cons are:
-More variability in project scope, execution, and deliverables
-Higher degree of client handholding and capabilities/skill-building
-Less work with companies that will truly impact the global business environment
-More individual grunt-work/administrative work
That wraps up our tour of international consulting from a U.S. perspective. Do you have any more questions about consulting abroad? Ask them below and I’ll update the article!
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for these tips!!! Can you actually get more in-depth into the topic of how U.S. applicants can apply to foreign offices (like how you rank the offices, what you need to tell recruiters, and so forth). In particular, I am interested in France/Italy. Merci!
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Kevin – another great post, good work. I noticed you changed your font as well, I think this is more reading friendly.
I sent my resume to you as an “experienced person” as you say, look forwarding to seeing the video edits! Video is a great idea because it will adad variety to the site.
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It would be nice if you could have some from overseas (like India or China) share their consulting experience!
But good article, thanks for the information
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Rae – that’s a great suggestion and something I will look into. My best advice is to discuss this openly with recruiters, and with any strong consultant contacts you’ve built during the recruiting and networking process.
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Thanks Avis. Have received it and am looking forward to reviewing the submissions – I can’t guarantee that I will edit yours but if not, I think the video will give you a lot of insight into how to make a better resume!
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Nita – am definitely looking into that! I have already done an interview with an ATKearney Shanghai part-time consultant, but recognize that the “global aspect” is a bit lacking on the site. Thanks for your input!
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Very nice post!
In case you want to work in PE after consulting, could be a handicap the fact of having worked in an emerging economy instead of in a developed one?
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fcarr – absolutely. My friend Brian at M&I may be a great person to ask about this, but my thoughts are that it depends on the firm you want to work for and which office you’re looking to apply to. However, the PE industry is generally considered much stronger here in the U.S., and the bulk of hiring will be done within the U.S. and Western Europe.
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I’ve worked in several non-US offices. As a general rule, the compensation is lower, especially in less-developed markets where consulting rates are lower.
In countries like France and Italy, where it’s nearly impossible to fire someone, the base compensation is tiny and the discretionary bonus is huge. As a result, they work their butts off.
Cash compensation is generally lower in Europe too, although non-cash compensation is higher since Europe has such punishing taxes. The crazy perks like ski trips to St Moritz, sailing trips in Greece, or weekends on the French Riviera are a lot crazier in Europe. These are a form of compensation and are not taxed at 60-70% like income (as long as there’s at least a short business session), so they are very popular. Some markets also give consultants a free BMW for their personal use, as some European countries don’t consider company cars to be taxable compensation.
When the GBP was at 2.0 and the EUR at 1.6, the European offices were generally better compensated by 10-20% by my calculations. (Obviously this is based on a low sample size.) Now that the GBP is at 1.5 and the EUR is at 1.3, the US offices are probably slightly better compensated.
BTW, to reiterate a point Kevin made, by far the easiest way to get yourself into a foreign office is to work in your home country for a year, learn the job, do fabulous client work, and then request a transfer. It’s hard enough to learn consulting as a new hire, but it’s doubly hard when you’re working in a different language and culture.
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fcarr Reply:
May 5th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Magnificent explanation!
Have you worked in any Spanish office?
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Kevin Reply:
May 6th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Great contributions, thanks Traveler!
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I was a Sr. Consultant with Andersen based in Prague and won the option of being transferred to Zurich (I went to business school instead in the end) via first being hired for the largest consulting project ever for the then Big-5. Couple of points that, in my mind, were critical to succeed:
- Be proactive in searching for large projects in foreign offices for which the office has to look for staff in other offices. We had sort of a “worldwide project board” at Andersen.
- Get interviewed for the project and have the foreign office request you. You will remain an employee of your base office during the project.
- Once on the project, obviously make yourself visible to the top management in that office and do a stellar job. Then ask the Partner who you think will be most supportive and effective and ask him to initiate the transfer.
- Prepare a convincing plea for your local Managing Partner, as they have to approve the transfer. In my case, there was quite a bit of power-play and politics involved at higher levels.
Hope this helps!
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Kevin Reply:
June 14th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Marek – thanks for the great additions! Absolutely spot-on advice.
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Hi, Kevin!
I just stumbled upon your site. It looks really good! Will have to take a more in-depth look later.
I have two issues at hand and am hoping you can provide me with some tips/advice on how best to tackle them or if you may have come across someone in a similar situation as me. I am very interested in breaking into consulting and want to work in the US, specifically LA, as a Canadian. I have a Business Degree in Finance from Hong Kong but have not been working in the finance industry since graduation some years ago. I was told by an immigration lawyer office that I can get a TN Visa to work in the US if I can find an employer to offer me a position as a Management Consultant in Finance (based solely on my degree).
Many thanks!
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Kevin Reply:
July 15th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Hi SC,
I’m not too versed in visa and immigration issues. Anecdotally, I know that in these days it’s been hard to find companies willing to sponsor international workers given 1) the number of talented domestic employees and 2) the risk and uncertainty of the visa and employee sponsorship process.
You may want to ask someone more qualified, or if any of our readers can offer advice please comment below!
Kevin
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sc Reply:
July 15th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Thanks very much for your reply, Kevin! Good luck on your site!
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hello,
i am looking for a international firm which is willing to have a set up in india in metros like new delhi.basically looking for a established management consultant.kindly suugest .
Regards,
RAJLAXMI
NEW DELHI
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In countries like France and Italy, where it’s nearly impossible to fire someone, the base compensation is tiny and the discretionary bonus is huge. As a result, they work their butts off.
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Hi,
Thanks for the great information through this site.
I have a question regarding the differences in recruiting in different offices. On their websites, big companies claim that there’s no difference in the hiring process and that applicants do not increase their chances in applying to other offices.
Do you think they are exaggerating or is there truth to what they claim?
Thank you.
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