Pros
Brand Recognition - Love or hate Booz, the brand is well recognized and having it on your resume adds to increase personal market value QA/QC Processes - No matter what your functional expertise, part of the branding requires that QA/QC is in the forefront of everything one delivers, to the point that it becomes second nature Reach back capabilities - You can find someone who knows the answer to any question. The informal and formal communications work very efficiently, and because collaboration is recognized, staff is highly participatory.
Cons
Career Growth stalled - The firm's structure makes it necessary for staff to remain at the same level for long periods of time. Competition for Level IIIs (Associates) is intense as they make 50% of the staff and the transition to Level IV is extremely limited. Preferential treatment for Boozers come promotion time - Coming from industry, one can immediately spot those people who have always worked in the Booz Allen Hamilton environment, and it appears that institutional knowledge is so greatly valued as to outweight merit and any other competency when it is time to build a business case for promotion. Work Culture makes it difficult to find work-life balance - no matter how many accolades the firm gets (e.g. best employer for working moms, etc) the reality is that the culture is not flexible to permit staff to take advantage of policies and programs instituted by the firm.