Hello Top-Consultant Forum.I work for a consulting firm and have been extended with a single client for another year (3 years in the row). I've known the client before that for a long time.The assignment is intensive, requires a lot, and full-time.As time marches on, I have had to increasingly work at maintaining my own identity, and a healthy relationship with the firm.There is an increasing risk of going native, but never quite being one of the club. Occasional offers to defect into permanent employment with the client and breaching non-compete. Or, snapping on a bad day, and planning a great escape to something else (with or without the firm).Anyone else in a similar situation, how do you deal with it mentally? On a good day, of which there are still a few it is good fun.Ellen

I don't know how you deal with it mentally. But why would you want to? Either go and get the benefits of consulting (i.e. the varied work, the different industries, the new learning curves, the wide network etc) or take the benefits of an industry role. Presumably you could increase your salary? Have you had a promotion in the two years at this client?I would be interested to hear your reasons for wanting to extend this role.

Firm is highly leveraged to one client. So diversity of industry isn't there. It's a long term client side roles, potentially extending over years.Economics / devolved KPI don't incentivise firm to rotate. Hits the bottom line. High pain for succession.Yes on promo, though salary not directly correlated to that. Jam tomorrow, with reasonable expectation of something arriving.If I don't extend or leave earlier would need to find a new firm or industry role; unlikely to get rehoused where I am. P&L wouldn't show that as a good thing.The role is 'the' only role with continuation prospects. Hence extension is implicit, not a choice.But with all doom and gloom, the role is very interesting.El.

Not really a consultant if you're sitting in a role for 2 years+ are ya? You're working for them already buddy, might as well jump ship and get the pay out.

You got it.So my role has morphed into something client alike; due to shortage of knowledge and experience on their side; and a willingness to pay for it. This isn't how I'd envisaged it playing out, though others from all sorts of firms, strategy, tech etc in a similar boat see it as a 'good' rather than bad thing given sector. I naturally ask more questions and don't always drink the firms newspeak.It's interesting for sure, but I cannot see how this sustains in a good way over the longer term. Most realistic outcome is stagnation when living in limbo just isn't fun anymore.I guess opposite of legging it could be that the client buys out the non compete; they'd do that. But I've still got a spark in my head that says, don't limit yourself, there's a big world out there, and other places to go.El