Consulting can work with a family, but it requires a realistic discussion about time, travel and predictability.

Work patterns vary greatly by firm, office, team and project; broad promises about work-life balance are not reliable guarantees.

A local project with reasonable hours differs from a demanding engagement involving weekly travel and late client requests. Ask about travel patterns on the actual teams you would join, since a firm-wide average will not describe every assignment.

Speak with consultants in the exact office and practice you are considering about recent travel, client demands and predictability. Compare those accounts with the consulting travel lifestyle before deciding what arrangements your family could realistically support.

The uncertainty around travel worries me more than long days.

I'd want to speak to someone who has young kids.