I recently joined a large consultancy and have been very disappointed with the quality of my experience. After a rather extensive training programme (a good thing), I spent nearly two months desperately trying to secure a role on a client-facing project (a bad thing). Though I now have a couple of projects under my belt, I cannot shake the feeling that I am working for an organisation with which my work ethos is fundamentally incompatible: I sense a widespread lack of creativity and commitment within the organisation and fear that my career will be limited by the lack of variety in my day-to-day work. I have two (related) questions, and would appreciate anyone's advice on either:1) Is it unreasonable for me to be giving serious thought to leaving my job after such a short period (five months)? This is a question that I have been struggling with, as I generally pride myself on being fully committed to my work. 2) If I apply for positions at other Firms, how should I deal with the fact that I am leaving my current job after such a short tenure? Should I spend a lot of time discussing my reasons for leaving in the cover letter, or should I not mention it at all?Any thoughts/suggestions are welcome.Many thanks!

I have been in same position many times.1) The grass is not always greener. All large organisations are unpleasant to work in at times. You have to adapt or get out and do something else. You may find similar frustrations in other companies! So moving may not be the answer.2) Don't spend a lot of time discussing in the letter or interview. Just make sure you have thought it thru and have a one line explanation that sounds credible.btw i dont follow my own advice. i have worked for numerous blue chip companies. Generally I end up hating it then I go back for more in another blue chip company.

Often new grads feel like this, myself included.There's 2 approaches I can see here.1. Stick it out if you think the work will get more interesting and develop skills that will be applicable to doing work in other similar companies (smaller ones perhaps may suit you doing the same work). 2 years on these big companies grad schemes will open a lot of doors and provide a small assurance of quality to prospective employers.2. Leave and get on another grad scheme. They won't start until next September anyway so by then you will have over a year there on your CV and don't look like a job hopper. I have decided to do this and am changing industries. Consulting can be a great career and some of my friends love it. It's just not the one for me and other employers understand that. Word of advice though. Really think about why you are leaving and whether that will be an issue in your new job if you do decide to go. Best of luck.

Leave, go travelling and come back next year to a job that you like. The experience will be good for you.By the way, who do you work for. Not all large companies can be that bad.

This is bang on target with a point I try to discuss with lots of people trying to get into consulting; namely a) make you best efforts to get the role you think you want - there's lots of advice on how to do this, b) work out what day 2 feel like after you have got the job - lots of people forget to do this. You can ask to spend half a day in the office, contact staff at similar levels, look at the projects being staffed and those that have just been delivered. Whatever, and whenever you move on it is worth doing your homework to reduce the 'reality gap' of what you 'succeed' in joining.