Pros
I joined FDM as a consultant 6 years ago through the graduate programme and worked onsite for 2 and a half years. I left once my contract was complete and worked as a functional consultant, re-joining FDM in February 2015.
FDM has given me a career that has allowed me to work with a number of top companies and as well as the opportunity to work in several countries for extended periods of time. I came back as I liked the culture at FDM and was looking for somewhere I could make a difference - the idea of helping other graduates kick start their careers really appealed and I was hoping my experience as a former consultant would help with this.
My current role means I'm very fortunate to work closely with the trainees/consultants in the Academy, managing the beach and acting as Team Leader to my group - the Trailblazers. We meet weekly to discuss their experience at FDM - areas they need more support with, what's happened over the last week, upcoming interviews and to celebrate when someone gets placed!
Some of the postings I have seen on here do not accurately reflect the place that I chose to come back to or highlight the many positive experiences of our consultants that have now started successfully launched their careers in IT. The support provided to ensure this happens is always improving as we grow and it’s extremely satisfying when someone gets placed, especially if you’ve been able to help them get there.
Below are some of the main positives from working at FDM:
Salary
If you are prepared to put the effort in, you will be rewarded. The jump from 2nd year to 3rd year pay is significant – after this it’s very much up to you. The training is unpaid but the travel bursary helps with this now - considering the career opportunities available once you’ve completed the contract, it’s worth funding yourself for 2-3 months. Some of my friends from my original training group are now getting upwards of £600/day.
Support
There is already a CPS (Consultant Peer Support) at a large number of clients and the Consultant Support team visit as many clients as possible across the UK however, the support we provide to Consultants in the field has now improved further as everyone has a Relationship Manager that stays with them throughout their time at FDM, from the moment you first start onsite. I’m fortunate enough to be involved in this and now personally provide pastoral care, career advice and act as a general point of contact for 100+ Consultants, along with many other senior members of the management team across the business.
Networking
You start to build your network from day 1 and this continues for as long as you stay with FDM - Other delegates on your assessment day, your Foundation training group, your Core training group, Trainers, other Consultants on site, senior management both internal and external and recruiters, as once your 2 years is up you will have a set of transferable skills that are extremely marketable.
Clients
Top clients from a variety of industries including the Finance sector, Government, Insurance, Retail, NGO’s, Communications and more. FDM opens the door and it is down to you to work hard onsite and start to build on this. At the start of your career, the industry you work in is not as important as the commercial experience you will gain with any client – if you put the effort in during training, you will get the opportunity to prove yourself onsite and progress quickly with each new role. Unlike a normal graduate programme, the majority of roles are not entry level which already puts you ahead but this can of course be challenging, often with a steep learning curve so you need to be prepared to put the time and effort in.
It's your career, and what you put in you will definitely get back out!
Cons
Time spent between placements can be frustrating however, one of the things that I realised from working internally compared to my perception from when I was consultant was the significant effort that goes into sourcing suitable roles, with account managers sometimes working with accounts for 6 months+ before an opportunity becomes available with that client. I had thought it was like a conveyor belt previously with roles constantly available but the reality is that as with any business, there must be a demand.
This can sometimes lead to a period of time where you will be without a client, although this is only the case for 0.7% of the UK consultant population (over 2,200) with most finishing one role and moving straight into another.
I’ve seen a few posts around geographically flexibility being an issue, and the 2 year contract aspect but these are made clear from the start. If you ask any Consultant, the 2 years fly by (my contract was 2.5 years) and is such as small percentage of your overall career that being flexible now pays dividends later on when you are able to command a substantial salary in the market and can choose the location you work in.
