Life at a Top Consulting Firm: Interview with Aaron Snyder, Partner at BCG

We recently caught up with Aaron Snyder, Partner and Managing Director at BCG, to gain insight into what it’s really like to work at a top ranked firm from someone who’s built a career there.

Snyder’s career began in investment banking with the now defunct Lehman Brothers, and he went on to co-found and launch a start-up prior to business school. He attended Columbia Business School (with Ivy Exec Founder & CEO Elena Bajic) not knowing exactly what the next step would be after that.

After recruiting rounds and graduation, Snyder arrived at BCG. “I was drawn to BCG because of the people. We just clicked. BCG was small enough to feel personal, but big enough to offer any opportunities I would want,” reflects Snyder. BCG, while a prestigious global company, offers employees a more flexible, entrepreneurial workplace.

Says Snyder, “The beauty of working for BCG is that I’ve been able to ‘customize’ my experience. For example, I put my hand up for an international mobility program and worked in Stockholm for almost a year. And then had the opportunity to be an entrepreneur in a global company – moving to Miami where my wife grew up — and help grow a very small office into a sizeable one.”

For the former entrepreneur, the opportunity at BCG was not worth passing up. It brought the stimulation of analytical problem solving without the limitations of financing. According to Snyder, “The big difference between having my own company and working for BCG is that as a pure entrepreneur you have to figure out how to get things done with functionally no budget. BCG, on the other hand, has tremendous resources to tap to solve problems jointly with clients.”

As our survey respondents reported, when you are a BCG consultant, killer hours and life on the road are inevitable. Snyder corroborates that fact, “The travel can be challenging, especially if you are in high impact situations—like meeting with a company’s board every two weeks.” He added, “There have been times when the balance is off, but I have never missed out on something I really care about. BCG has flexible work models that make life a bit easier for people at times. For example, with a newborn at home, I’ve been able to focus on business development for a time so I could be there for my family, rather than doing the heavy lifting at clients. We formalized a program this year called ‘Time for You’ that allows staff to take up to 2 months off, with medical coverage, without any negative repercussions on their careers. Within the bounds of the job being demanding, I think BCG helps people manage the intensity as well as it can.”

Despite the global reach, the company has a small-team feel. One employee reported, “You never feel alone—everyone is very accessible, including the firm’s partners.” Snyder validates this, stating, “The partnership cares deeply about people. They are the asset that matters most. Our culture is open and welcoming, but it’s also driven and honest. It’s a high feedback culture, so the honesty helps you grow and develop, but it isn’t always easy to hear.”

According to Snyder, to be successful at BCG you need to have a drive to solve problems, sheer ability that’s a combination of analytical horsepower and the ability to connect the dots, and a communications skill set that allows you to make the complex simple.

As Snyder succinctly summarizes (and Ivy Exec’s members agreed), “I cannot imagine a better place to build a career.” To read more about BCG, visit Ivy Exec’s Consulting Rankings and learn more about Boston Consulting Group, or see www.bcg.com.