How to deal with long working hours?

BCG was the best experience I never want to have again.

If I went back in time, I would 100% do it again. But I will never do it again in this lifetime.

It's the marines. You become your best professional self there. The training, the learning, the network, the brand, the experience, the people.

It's up to you to decide if it's worth it.

I highly recommend you read my consulting survival guide

Here are a couple of snippets from that guide, based on what you've said:

1) This job is inherently stressful, and you are not going to be the first person to struggle with stress. Consulting firms have mechanisms in place to try to keep consultants from burning out. If you are struggling, reach out early.

2) You need comrades - your people for the really good and the really garbage days. Find them and stick to them.

3) There will always be pressure, but not every task will make or break the bank. If the success or failure of the project relies solely on the one slide you're making, there are bigger issues going on.

4) Keep a one-page version of the case story up-to-date every couple of days.

5) Always bring solutions, not problems.

6)You learn so much more when you are fully transparent about what you don't understand.

7) You will do your best work once you are okay with being fired.

8) Your Project Lead/Principal is not inside your head. Learn how to communicate and guide their attention to what they need to know. Work to their style and your life will be easier.

9) You have to stand up for yourself. And people will respect you for it (98% of the time).

10) People's perception of your performance is just as important as your performance.

11) Communication is as important as content. Communication isn't what you say, it's what they hear.

12) Being good at the qualitative aspects of consulting (presentation, communication etc.) is significantly more important than being good at the analysis/excel/quantitative side of consulting.

13) Consulting is a confidence game. Always have a strong opinion, lightly held.

coffe.
besides that.

Welcome to the club, week 2 is supposed to feel like this. If it did not, we would worry.

1. Week 2 is not a data point, it is a hazing ritual You have zero context, zero muscle memory, and zero idea what "good enough" looks like. Everything takes 3x longer than it will by month 3. The 8am to 1am is mostly inefficiency tax, not actual workload. Future-you will do the same deck in 2 hours and wonder what week-2-you was doing all night

2. Audit your hours, you will laugh Track 3 days in 30 min blocks. Most new joiners find:

• 30 to 40% rework because nobody told them what good looks like
• 20% over-polishing slides nobody asked for
• 20% staying online "just in case" while waiting for inputs
• The rest is real work The fix is not working harder, it is working on the right things. That alone gives you 2 to 3 hours back per night

3. Talk to your manager this week, casually Not a complaint, a calibration. "Hey, want to make sure I am spending time on the right things, where should I stop polishing?" Most managers love this question because it means you are thinking. If yours does not respond well, that is team data, not consulting data

4. Forget the hobby advice for now You do not need pottery class in week 2. You need sleep, food, and a 20 min walk outside. That is it. Hobbies come back at month 3 when you have oxygen again. Right now just protect the basics and stop feeling guilty about Saturday on the couch, that is exactly where you should be

5. The only real question Not "will I get used to it" (you will), but "are the hours shrinking month over month." If yes, stay at least 6 months before deciding anything. If at month 3 you are still drowning and nobody can tell you why, then it is worth a real conversation

You are going to be fine. Every single person around you felt exactly like this in week 2 and conveniently forgot by month 6. Welcome aboard

I really get where you’re coming from. I spent about 10 years at BCG; started as an Intern and left as a Principal, so I’ve had my share of both great periods and really rough ones. The ups and downs are just part of the job, and over time you do get used to it; not saying that’s a good thing, but it’s the reality.

If I’m being honest, early in your career, work will take over a big part of your life. At that stage, you don’t yet have a reputation internally, so it’s harder to push back. The main goal at the beginning is to prove that you’re reliable, committed, and consistently deliver.

The good news is that it doesn’t stay like that forever. Once people trust you and see your track record, you get much more room to push back and manage your workload on your own terms. That part comes with time.

I know this probably isn’t what you want to hear, but it’s how it tends to play out. In the short term, I just hope your current project calms down a bit. A lot depends on the case; clients matter, but honestly, the biggest difference usually comes from the PL/EM. That can really make or break the experience.

If you want to discuss feel free to DM and I'd be happy to share my experience
Best,
Franco

Others have shared good tactical advice on coping, so let me offer a different perspective. 

You made it through one of the most competitive recruiting processes in the world. Consulting firms hire a tiny fraction of applicants. You are, by definition, among the smartest and most capable people of your cohort. Do not lose sight of that when you feel down or tired at 1 AM - the fact that you are sitting in that seat is already an enormous achievement. A lot of people are feeling envious of you to be in this position. 

A few things worth holding onto - This is a learning curve, not your steady state. The first months are brutal because everything is new from the tools, the pace, the expectations, the people. Tasks that take you 4 hours today will take you 40 minutes in six months. The hours do not necessarily shrink, but mental load does, dramatically. What feels unsustainable now becomes manageable, then routine.

The beginning is always the hardest - you have now clue about the culture, how to get help, the project rhythm, the client, the content, the partners. 

The first 2 weeks are almost always hard, thereafter things calm down abit. 

Also, you are super inefficient in the beginning. You should try to improve your speed to output by: 

1) creating a killer slide library (ask your senior consultants) 

2) Start using Shortcuts (EXCEL & PPT)
3) Use AI in a smart way 

4) Ask your PL for prioritization in the evening check-out

5) Sometimes it is better to prioritize sleep over doing one more slide, the addtl. sleep will make you much more productive in the morning (make sure you aligned with your PL the prios for the evening!). 

I do offer on the job coaching, DM me if you are interested. 

Hi, I get how you feel — the first weeks can be a shock, especially if it’s your first real job.

Let me be honest with you. What you’re experiencing is not unusual at the beginning. It’s intense, and going from university to this pace is a big jump.

First thing: give yourself some time.
Two weeks is way too early to conclude whether this is “for you” or not. Try to give it at least a few months, ideally around a year, to really understand the job and how you adapt to it.

Second: the hours.
To be transparent, in the first years they won’t dramatically improve overnight. You’ll have cycles:

• some periods like now (very intense)
• others more manageable

But overall, it will not be comparable to a corporate job in terms of hours and stress. That’s just the reality of consulting, even if firms have made real progress in making things more sustainable compared to the past.

The good news is:

• you will get used to it (it feels impossible now, but it happens)
• you’ll become more efficient
• you’ll learn how to manage your energy better

And over time, things do improve — usually from Manager / Senior Manager level, you get more control on your schedule.

The key question, though, is this:
Does what consulting gives you compensate for the intensity?

Because what it gives — exposure, learning, pace of growth — is honestly hard to match elsewhere. But it comes at a cost.

So use this period to understand that for yourself, not to judge too early.

On a practical level:

• don’t put pressure on yourself to have a perfect “hobby routine” now
• even small things help (a short walk, disconnecting properly on weekends)
• focus on surviving and adapting first

Then, once you have a clearer view, you can decide calmly whether this is the path you want.

Right now, what you’re feeling is normal. It doesn’t automatically mean the job is not for you.

First, take a breath. What you are feeling is normal. 8 AM to 1 AM in your first two weeks at MBB, straight out of college with no internships, is one of the toughest transitions there is. You are not the exception.

It does get better, not because the hours change, but because you get faster. By month three to six, the same task takes half the time.

That said, 8 AM to 1 AM every day is not normal long term. If this is still your routine after three months, it is a project or team problem. Talk to your staffing partner.

What to do now:

• Protect 6 hours of sleep. Non-negotiable.
• Eat real food, not just snacks and coffee.
• One small thing on weekends. A walk, a meal with a friend. Staying in bed all weekend makes Monday harder.
• Find one buddy in your cohort to vent to. It changes everything.
• Ask your manager what to prioritise. Good ones will tell you what to drop.

Do not decide if this job is for you in the first month. Give it 3 to 6 months. Hang in there.

My honest take is that there is no experience like working on a problem with your team late in the evening. Try to keep it fun and remember that it is not forever.

If you are not having fun, fog this with your manager or team coach if you have one. If it persists, don’t be afraid to resign - life is too short to work like crazy and not enjoy it

I feel you. 

That's the experience most people have when they start in consulting.

It's especially the case with the big, top firms, where most people spend 2-3 years and then leave. So, in that sense, it doesn't speak for the entire industry, but rather for the work experience of new joiners starting in new firms. 

There are several things that you can do and I actually wrote an entire guide on this. Adding it below:

• • Expert Guide: How to Manage for Lifestyle in Consulting

If you need any help beyond this, reach out. 

Best,
Cristian

hi there

Working 8 A.M. to 1 A.M. as a brand‑new grad is extremely tough, and it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. Your body isn’t used to this pace yet, and no hobby can fix exhaustion when you barely have time to breathe. You don’t need to assume the job isn’t for you after two weeks, but you also shouldn’t ignore how you feel.

Most new consultants eventually adjust once they learn how to prioritize, push back, and manage expectations. The first project is usually the hardest because everything is new. If the hours stay this extreme for months, it’s worth raising it with your manager or staffing team. Long hours are part of consulting, but constant 17‑hour days are not sustainable for anyone.

Give yourself some time to learn the rhythm, protect your weekends to recover, and don’t hesitate to ask for support. You’re not alone in this experience.

alessa