Stay for 2-3 years, then get out on your own terms
Pros
Deloitte is like any major corporate giant that you can think of - you may be the most creative, amicable, dependable team player, but in the end of the day, you're just one tiny cog in a huge mechanism. And make no mistake - the senior leadership (not the Senior Managers or your regular engagement Principals, but those who actually make hiring decisions) will have absolutely zero qualms about "making the difficult decision to separate" at literally an hour's notice. This is an up or out mentality, and that is perfectly fine, but this is probably the only place I've ever worked that has such little respect for its employees, once it sucks all juices out of them. That being said, I've met some of the most amazing colleagues here - people who have truly become my friends and mentors. These are the relationships I will take with me for years to come. So take this job offer with a grain of salt. (Also, they will tell you that you're part of just 1% of the applicants who get accepted. This is a lie. Don't drink the Cool-Aid.) Use this company to build your resume - you truly WILL grow professionally and personally, that is a fact. But you will work to the bone for it - crazy hours; always on call (don't believe the Flexibility and Predictability hype); the super-competitive people who will throw you under the buss whenever it may suit them. Deloitte is a shark tank - no more, no less. So take it as such, and make the best of it. Then, after 2-3 years, get out, and join the living in a smaller consulting firm, or elsewhere.
Cons
- Cut-throat culture - Counselors are often inept and downright damaging to your career - No accountability for leadership - Salary decisions have zero visibility - If you have a clearance, you are pigeon-holed into certain jobs - Ratings are extremely subjective. Because most people in the federal sector work for the same client for at least a year, their ratings are usually done by the same person - which can be an awful idea, since it's extremely subjective and defeats the entire purpose of ongoing performance conversations (By the way, ratings are NOT shared with the employee throughout the year! You only get a composite "snapshot" at the very end, when it's too late)