Hello everyone! I have been working as a registered civil engineer for about a year now. My current role involves survey work and design projects at a major company. The job has been really rewarding and I feel like I am growing as an engineer. The pay is decent too. However, there is one big challenge - the location is very far from where my family lives. It takes me around 10 hours by bus to get home, so I only manage to visit once per month.
Recently, I got offered a position at an international consulting firm. I do not have much knowledge about what the career progression looks like in consulting. At my current workplace, I know I could potentially move up to become a project engineer and maybe even reach management level eventually.
I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience working in consulting. What are the main advantages and disadvantages of choosing this career direction? Any insights would be helpful as I try to make this decision. Thanks in advance!
I made a similar move and consulting definitely fast-tracks your career compared to regular engineering jobs. Most firms have clear paths - you can go from associate to senior consultant to principal in 4-6 years if you perform well. You’ll get exposure to tons of different projects and industries, which builds your skills fast. But heads up - you need more than just technical chops. You’ll be managing client relationships, doing business development, and adapting to all kinds of project scopes. Work-life balance depends on the firm, but many are getting better about flexibility to keep people around. With your family situation, location sounds like a big deal. I’d dig into that specific firm’s culture and see their actual advancement numbers. Don’t underestimate how valuable it is being close to your support network while you’re building your career.
You’re overthinking this. Consulting isn’t some magical career - it’s engineering work with more PowerPoints and client meetings where everyone’s winging it. Yeah, you’ll get better pay and maybe some travel, but expect longer hours and more corporate nonsense. If you want to be closer to family, just take the job. Location beats career fantasies every time.
Been consulting for 3 years - biggest shock is how much time you spend managing clients instead of doing actual technical work. Half my day is emails and explaining timeline changes. But the pay bump is real - I’m making 40% more than friends who stayed at regular engineering firms. You can move up fast if you’re good with people, but forget just being a solid engineer. You’ve got to constantly sell yourself and your ideas. With those 10-hour bus rides and your family stuff, I’d take the consulting job. You’re young enough to figure it out.