Capco is not a place you should want to work at, logically speaking. I work, for example, at one of their big clients in New York, and there is no reason from a benefits-maximizing perspective I shouldn't just work for this client as an employee. I work longer hours for less pay, prestige, and responsibility than many of the full time employees at this client. While they're leaving early on Friday, I'm there for hours longer. While their company subsidizes a large portion of their travel expenses, Capco does no such thing for its locals like me. While they're making a name for themselves in their company, the only people who know who I am at Capco are those whom I see on a daily basis.
Many of these people went to the same school and studied the same thing I did, so I see no benefit to what I'm doing versus them. Their bonuses allow them to pay for new cars; Capco's allows me to get an extra fry at the drive-thru. For the same work plus, this seems like a bad deal.
This is not a unique situation at Capco. Far from it.
I wanted to be a consultant for many reasons, one of which was less work than direct financial services. I realized there would necessarily be less pay, but I was willing to make this trade. I was not ready to work far harder, longer, and for much (much) less pay than regular financial services employees, and then have to play a huge game of politics to even have a chance at getting promoted at a staff augmentation firm, which is what Capco truly is.
I cannot logically think of one benefit joining this politically toxic firm affords me or anyone else. Even when you do a good job, Capco still wants you to be “innovative” by attending one of their happy hours. After working 12-13 hour days at the client all week long, to be thought of as “not a team player” for missing a happy hour is simply evil. What the other reviews say about Capco and politics is absolutely true: promotion here is a ridiculously political popularity contest that is so unprofessional its a wonder they've gotten away with it this long.
Why would I want to work here?
