When AJ Eckstein attended the University of Southern California's undergraduate business school, he noticed a strong culture around going into either consulting or banking.
"It was the path that everyone seemed to be chasing, and there was a lot of social pressure to follow it," Eckstein told Business Insider.
Since Eckstein considered banking boring, he joined the consulting bandwagon in 2021. He landed a job at his first-choice Fortune 500 management consultant firm, and his roles ranged from product marketing to strategy consulting.
Eckstein liked the opportunities that consulting gave him to learn how to manage client relationships and stakeholders, work across large cross-functional teams, get his feet wet in new industries, and lead under pressure.
However, just three years after joining, he turned from delighted to disillusioned and disappointed, jumping ship from his six-figure job to launch his own business, Creator Match.
Eckstein shared with Business Insider five things he thinks people don't understand about the consulting industry that ultimately helped him decide to leave.
1. You won't like being a consultant if you want to own outcomes
A few years into his tenure, the excitement of his consulting job started to fade, and the work began to flatline. Eckstein said his dissatisfaction wasn't about the specific firm he worked at, since he felt it provided him with opportunities and an incredible team.
The problem, he said, came when he started to crave more ownership, more autonomy, and a different kind of challenge that would really fill his cup. Eckstein said he began to realize that as a consultant, his job was to hand off recommendations, not implement them.
Meanwhile, he had an entrepreneurial itch that started way before he joined consulting, since his mom ran her own jewelry company and he grew up tagging along to trade shows.
"While I'm grateful for the three years I spent in consulting, I didn't want to spend my days drafting emails for my manager or building decks for someone else to present," he said. "I wanted to be the one in the room pitching ideas, closing deals, and owning outcomes."
2. You won't have control over what you do in your job
What Eckstein liked least about consulting was the lack of control he experienced in his daily responsibilities.
Even with those he felt were great managers and collaborative teams, he often found himself in more of a support role, crafting communications or executing someone else's vision.
"I didn't always get to be the one presenting or owning the strategic direction," Eckstein said. "I hit a point where I realized I wanted to be more than just the person behind the scenes; I wanted to be the one driving the conversation."
3. Waiting for projects can be even worse than the long hours and fast pace
While Eckstein often felt drained by the industry's long hours and fast pace — especially when the effort didn't always translate into the recognition or impact he wanted — the turning point came for him during a lull in his workload.
His client had gone through major layoffs and cut a big chunk of the client's consulting team, including Eckstein, which led to finding himself "on the bench" for the first time in three years. Up until then, he'd been booked in back-to-back projects, but suddenly, he was just waiting.
"It was a wake-up call that I wanted to get out of consulting," Eckstein said. "For the first time, I really felt how replaceable I was. I wasn't building something of my own, I was just filling in where needed, on someone else's timeline."
4. Despite high pay, your growth may plateau
After three years dedicated to his firm, Eckstein found there was no salary bump and no clear path forward.
"Consulting has a rigid promotion timeline — no matter how well you perform, you're expected to stay 'at level' for a minimum amount of time," he said.
While Eckstein wasn't up for another promotion, he felt the writing was on the wall. He added that while the thought of quitting a job with a steady paycheck, benefits, and a prestigious company was difficult, he ultimately realized his goal was to achieve something bigger.
"It was hard to let go of the prestige and salary, but I knew it was the right decision for my long-term happiness. While I don't sleep much running my own business, I sleep better as I have more fulfillment."
5. You may feel proud of your decision to leave consulting
Eckstein said one of the biggest surprises was how good he felt when he finally left the industry.
"It felt like I was taking my career back into my own hands, he said. "Most would say there's a big risk in walking away from a stable six-figure salary, a clear path upward, and a prestigious role — but I'd argue the bigger risk is staying."
Since making the decision to quit his consultant job, Eckstein said he's felt more fulfilled, challenged, and creative
While he has no regrets about his time in consulting, he's clear that he wouldn't return.
"Consulting is still one of the best early-career crash courses in business — you learn how to structure problems, communicate clearly, manage up, and navigate complex organizations," Eckstein said. "That chapter served its purpose. Now I'm focused on building something of my own, and I'm excited about where that's taking me."
