What would be a reason for you decide against a particular project?

Hi,

Interesting question. At BCG, we were given one ‘golden bullet’ per year by staffing - essentially a one-time ability to say no to any project, no questions asked.

For me, I prioritized 2 things:

1. Leadership: If I did not like that Project Leader/Partners there was no way I was going to work with them on a sustained basis and enjoy it
2. Project type: I absolutely hated certain types of projects (i.e. Procurement) and would try my best to avoid them

Hope this helps to shed light on this topic!

Multiple reasons

1. People - always the most important factor to consider on projects. Do you like the people, are they people you admire, do they have knowledge that you want to gain etc.

2. Industry - Some industries I was not always interested in, others I wanted to learn a lot more about!

3. Type of project - I prefered strategy projects but others liked execution/PMO type projects more. Some were analytical, others less so etc. Everyone has their own set of preferences

4. Location - long distance travel sounds fun until you realize it can get taxing very quick

5. Duration - short is not always good but neither is too long. 

Those were some of the factors I used in my decision matrix

Hi,

The main criterion is always the people. It's critical for promotions, work-life, etc

Everything else is less important since bad people lead to bad reviews, bad career track and its a slippery slope.

Another rule of thumb - the sexier the project sounds - the worse it will be (less structured, undefined scope, bad client feedback, bad reviews, etc)

Best

Hi,

There could be multiple reasons:

• People - you may not want to work for a particular person, as he/she may not create a positive atmosphere or may not provide good feedback
• Industry - personally, I stayed away from financial services and banking sectors as these sectors do not appeal to me
• Geography - some projects are outside your home city, thus some are reluctant to travel and do not want to spend 4 days away

Best,

Deniz

Hi A,

First reason for me is people, of course. Having nice spirit within the team is crucial for you work-life, life balance, and promotion of course. 

And the second is content or topic to work with. It should be your domain area, and you should like it. 


Best,

André