Not the place for high-flying individuals who just want respect for their work and a true work-life balance
Pros
Some of the colleagues you will work with (those who haven't already moved on to another opportunity) are actually great people. Also, occassionally, you will get staffed on a project where you will be doing what you always thought consulting would be: a project where you learn, interact with people who respect you and more importantly your time, a project which allows you to have a work-life balance, and a project which positively impacts a company and which you would be proud to put down as an experience on your resume. Lastly, since no one is ever in the office, it is nice to be able to work from home. Other than these three things though, one of which is not consistent and more often than not disappointing, it is very difficult for me to find other good things to say about this firm.
Cons
Where do I begin?! The pay is atrocious, bonuses are a sham, and to add insult to injury: hours are 12-16 per day with the understanding that you will be on call on weekends. Calls frequently run till 10 in the evening because senior management can't get their act together and you will inevitably be forced to be on that call to-of all things-take notes. PRTM is a CHEAP company. Resources are thin and help is poor from functional departments like IT or Research. You wonder about your poor pay? It's because the directors and partners are greedy. Getting staffed on projects is a nightmare, even if you're in the lower ranks and thus, cheaper labor. When you first join, many consultants find themselves on the beach for at least a month if not five months-affecting your ability to get a portion of the already meagre (read: less than 5% of your base) bonus pool. Like any place, PRTM has its share of awful people who are either bipolar, slave drivers, or sourpusses. No one ever knows their schedule till 5 pm on Friday afternoon, meaning they could ship you to Singapore or Savannah at the drop of a hat with no regard for the fact that you are not paid enough NOT to have a life. PRTM does a great job SELLING you on to the company by making sure that the people you interact with during the recruiting process are only bona fide PRTM cheerleaders. Little do most people know that these cheerleaders are not representative of the majority of PRTM staffers. And little do people know that many of these cheerleaders burn out in the end. Frankly, if you're a principal or above, you will be treated with respect and will enjoy your job. Anyone below this level will frequently question the meaning of life and how they were so blind as to not see how this place could be so awful.
