I am looking for a new job (ex-MBBB) and recruitment consultants have recommended PA. My perception was that this was an Accenture-like (or below) grade firm, but was told they are top-tier strategy. I didn't even know they did strategy!What is the PA image and are they really top-tier?!

They certainly aren't top tier for Strategy or anything else really. They're a decent UK firm but not of the ilk of Accenture and certainly not MBBB equivalent for strategy.Shouldn't you know who your competitors are??

The small SMP practice are doing very little private sector strategy work these days. The partners are not very impressive. Other than the heavy job losses in both PA and Accenture, there are few other similarities between these companies.

A curate's egg. At their worst when they body shop, at their best when they can exploit genuine expertise. The same recruitment consultants in a different context will tell you how many people are desperate to get out of 123. Despite some of the comments on this site, and I can't believe I'm defending them myself, they do do strategic work. They are reliant on key accounts, and though seen by many as public sector process mappers BP probably remains their biggest individual customer. I was in BP team meetings where everyone of us worked for PA. On the other hand they live in their own little world and it might be beginning to crumble.

As an ex-PAer I would say that PA wouldn't consider themselves a strategy firm. Even the CEO (ex-McKinsey) would not say that they are a strat firm. Essentially, they are a small, independent, employee owned consultancy who do some good work in operational environments. Lots of senior hires from industry - i.e. people who have actually done stuff rather than sit around and talk about doing stuff. Give them a try - you might be surprised.

I would try them, but don't want to have a 6 month stint - I need to know if I can deal with them...What about people-talent? Are they smart people? The few that I have come across have all been the older consultants (40+) and I am used to under 30s - not saying its a bad thing, but will obviously be a differnce in culture.Also, with all the redundancies they are making, is it really a firm that is on the up? Haven't they been on the down since that USB stick incident?The problem with working at MBBB (as in my case) is that you become totally oblivious to the competition because you hardly compete as 85% of work is relationship/follow-on stuff...

PA is an older crowd without a doubt with folk with real-life experience. I would say more PhDs than MBAs. I worked alongside some of their guys for a year or two on a client job and quite liked them (certainly compared to Accenture!). Very operational and solution focused. Not so hot on strategy but didn't claim to be either. Seemed to get good bonuses as well. You've got to ask yourself as well why did General Mike Jackson choose them over the other consultancies that were after him?

I would have to agree in that PA would not see themselves as a strategy firm. They do have a small strategy practice with some bright people doing a mixture of work.As with many consultancies (I have worked for 3), there is a range in the abilities there. Some are very impressive. In my view, the standard of their people is higher than industry average.

Re: question about General Mike Jackson (2 posts above).......erm......more money?

Haha! PA paying more money than their competitors!! Never heard that before.I think the General probably liked PA's independence - he can still do Newsnight etc

Michael Jackson's death must have been a big blow to PA

...because of all the consultancies it most closely resembles the military!

Becasue we all learn the moowalk as part of our induction...Now beat it !

Wow ! Have you seen the new website? Was it desgined by some colour blind intellectual pygmy? Or was it just cheap? 'spose PA need to save a whole lotta lolly to pay for all those redundancies. No mention of any missing USB memory sticks.

At the statutory minimum of £350 per week, the redundancies ain't going to cost much. Looks like the statutory minimum increases to £380 pw in October. No coincidence that the scapegoats will be gone by September?

Word is that there are more people on a PIP this year than ever before. The number of people on a PIP far exceeds the number of redundancies, so that's another 6 - 8% of staff that can be pushed out for free. I only hope that some of the useless tw*ts that are our partners get their P45s too.

re. the post by if 6 was 9 - statutory minimum?!surely that was a joke?

nope, it is no joke. they're offering statutory minimum (i.e. £350 per worked year above 2).

Oh soggy, getting in a USB reference, you're so clever and funny tehe!

Pacamack - now that Soggy has been kind enough to find you a missing USB reference - then please don't lose it! Te he he.....

It would be interesting to know which recruitment consultant recommended PA as a strategy house!!

"Word is that there are more people on a PIP this year than ever before."Ask any line manager, the curves were distributed a few months ago. The curve does have more 1s in for poorer performing practices, but equally it's not that much different from what it ever was. The Partner review is conducted seperately so will be interesting to see if they're ruthless in chopping those who have poorly performed, I think given a few of the smaller practices are short on partners you'll see some merged practices in months to come.On topic, PA isn't a strategy house but does have some patches of bright, strategic people. It really does depend where you land so if you go to interview ask very carefully about who you'll be working with and what their background is.

I've worked with Strat Houses and with PA before and believe me PA is many light years away from a Strat House! In fact, I would never work with PA again.....period.