Hi, I'm about to start with Accenture in BSI with a view to specializing in Human Performance after a few years.I'm conscious of the difficulty in getting a good work-life balance in consulting and, though I'll need to wait and see how I feel in the future, I think I'd like to get out at about 30 or so.What doors would Human Performance open up outside consulting? I was looking at HR Director jobs but is the experience relevant and how much would I need really? Any other thoughts on the matter would be much appreciated also.

It depends on your focus within HP the kind of skillset you end up. You probably wouldn't move straight into a HR Director or large HRM job without line experience. You'd be more likely to move into a more specialised role. However, you might be able to get a job as a HR Business Partner which has a tighter focus and where your business-side experience would be valuable. Alternatively, if you really want a line role, you may be able to move into a HRIS job if you have been doing ERP projects at Accenture. There are also roles as change or business performance VP's (generally in larger organisations) that you may be eligible for by that point in your career.

Thanks vax,How many years experience do you think would be necessary for the types of jobs you mention? HR business partner sounds interesting. What sort of salary to expect in these roles?

£50-100k? Best to have a look at People Management or changeboard.com to get a feel for this.