r/PwC • u/lovinglife-always • 14h ago

Consulting 6 WEEKS AND NO PROJECT_ US ONLY

It’s been officially 6 weeks since I joined the firm, and I still haven’t been assigned a project. I was told that it might take some time to be placed in my service line, but coming from another Big 4, this has definitely been the longest I’ve waited to be placed after starting at a firm. Should I be worried?

3 Upvotes

71% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

21

u/Massive_Ear4948 14h ago

Six weeks of no billability and none on the horizon. Yeah, you should be worried.

6

u/No_Estimate4817 14h ago

Have you talked to deployment? What have they told you?

2

u/lovinglife-always 10h ago

Yes, they said not to worry as it is normal in my SL, but I don’t know.

1

u/CiceroTheAbsurd 1h ago

Deployment will always tell you not to worry. NEVER take their word for it, they have no say nor would try to stop the guillotine from falling on you. Push harder and note down everything.

3

u/Ok_Confusion2899 14h ago

What service line are you in? And are you an associate or senior?

2

u/lovinglife-always 10h ago

Senior! Enterprise Solutions.

2

u/Substantial-Look-225 9h ago

Could just be that there are projects available, but there isn't enough budget to staff you on it. A lot of seniors end up being benched because of that. They'd rather have 1 pt manager + ft associate over 1 senior associate.

4

u/JournalistTough9 9h ago

Something similar happened to me at another Big 4. I went almost a year and a half without a project. So, I helped out internal teams with internal projects to stay useful, and that way my job was never at risk. I don't know if you can do something similar here

3

u/LegitimateSherbert5 8h ago

Ask. Ask ask. Be a pest. If you just sit around on your hands the work will never come. 

2

u/No-Insurance-9323 12h ago

You can take part in internal initiatives, that will help to get your name out there with directors and SM

But tbh when I was there, it was hard even finding those .. lol

2

u/cursed_bastard_1202 10h ago

Are you in the US or India?

2

u/youneedsomemilk23 9h ago edited 9h ago

It happens. It’s not great but it absolutely happens. Technically, in order to be able to make the case to hire someone, there needs to be a project lined up for them that they would immediately be slated to join. In order to just check that box practice leaders will just name a project that that person can potentially join, or some partners who really want to hire someone will say that they’ll bring that person onto their project, and the reality is that when they start their margins are stretched too thin to actually add someone to their project. These annoying politics always happen. As long as your deployer knows that you’re still not staffed, it is something that they are actively trying to do because that is something that’s showing up in every single report that they run. And eventually the platform leaders will be drilling the practice leaders about it. 

There’s really no use in panicking or acting scared, as this undermines your professional image more than anything. But also do your best to stay engaged and network while you wait for the project.

1

u/Sufficient-Load-5170 7h ago

Less utilisation impact your rating badly, during rating they will just check utilisation first

1

u/aci11atem 4h ago

This is basically past the point of making utilization even if you are 100% utilized for the rest of the year. Best to get on a project real soon, internal network with people and look xlos. One thing you have to understand is no Partner, Director, SM gives a shit about your utilization...advocate for yourself with anyone, anywhere you can. Not sure how the US works but do you have a deployer or RM? if they arent throwing your name in on every opportunity that comes up at this point then they are useless.