Why should you work for a niche consultancy like CBI rather than the “big 4”?
Deciding where to take a job can be difficult, particularly in today’s climate. At first, it may seem advantageous to work for a well-known “big 4” consultancy due to the reputation. However, looking deeper into it, these big companies disregard many beneficial aspects that smaller niche consultancies emphasise. In a 2019 analysis by the Management Consultancies Association, it was found that small consultancy firms have grown at a rate of 18%, this is a larger growth rate than large and mid-sized consultancies. Let’s look at other factors which attract employees to niche consultancies like CBI:
1. Your work has more value
In smaller consultancies, projects may be less frequent but longer standing allowing individuals to have more involvement and not constantly jump between projects and teams. This agility also means you have more involvement in how the consultancy does overall. You are not one of hundreds or thousands working on the project, instead, you are one of a small team that will genuinely get to know each other. You will be a large factor as to why the project succeeded, rather than a tiny step along the way. You’ll get fully invested in your projects, working on them for a while and getting to know the people and facts involved. This indirectly says a lot about the environmental differences, especially company culture which is our next topic.
2. Company culture
Larger companies can seem cold and corporate. At smaller consultancies, you will get to truly know everyone involved in the company including the seniors. You will not feel like a number as there is a much bigger sense of community. Niche consultancies like CBI are started by people who genuinely love the sector and what they do. This creates a sense of passion and curiosity rather than making the work appear mundane and simply a matter of following “protocol”. Smaller consultancies want you to think beyond what you already know, looking to beat the trends and change the future of the sector.
3. Specialisation
Working in niche consultancies gives you more profound connections with the daily operations allowing faster and more specialised growth. Due to the size of larger corporations, they work on a tick box bases in which you deal with issues in a standardised manner. This contrasts with smaller consultancies that require innovative thinking providing answers beyond a checklist and everyday tasks. In these enviroments, smarter approaches are necessary and require a unique and intelligent thinker which challenges the employee far beyond those in large companies.
4. Exposure
This nicely leads onto the topic of exposure. As mentioned earlier, due to the smaller workforce, there are more opportunities and exposure to senior-level members. The teams may be smaller and a combination of senior analysts as well as those new to the sector. Working for a smaller firm can also give you wider exposure to different clients and projects – you will get to see first-hand how senior members create relationships and approach challenges. Consultancies like CBI require you to be able to do many different roles, and this allows you to work on different things. You will become exposed to matters that will take years to experience if at all in the big 4. The experience and learning that will come from this environment are invaluable.
From this information it is clear that one should not discount a small consultancy just because of it’s size. The experience you gain from working in a niche consultancy can benefit you beyond that of the big 4.