I was paid $90,000 as an Associate for Booz Allen in 2005. Perks include great after work events and networking nights. The Booz Allen events are always fun and helpful for your career.

The company culture is very hierarchical. Everything goes up and down through the hierarchy. Because of this, a lot of people at the younger levels spend more time trying to prove themselves to the management than trying to create value for the client. Its quite the opposite at the Associate level and above. They put the client before their actual career advancement.

You really have to fight for your place in the company. Getting a promotion is based on politics rather than merit, and you will have to convince the right person that you're valuable if you want to get the promotion. To work here and succeed, and you must be willing to put yourself before others and focus on your career development rather than on a work/life balance.

I was hired as a Consultant in 2004. My salary was $60,000 with a signing bonus of $7,000.

The company is very conservative. It usually takes around 3-4 years to get a promotion and move from one level of the company to another. You get great salary promotions at each level, but the actual work and responsibilities that you get don't change that drastically. The company wants you to fully master your position on until you move on to the next one.

At Booz Allen, you get respect from people in the industry, you get recognition for the brand name, and you get great job security. The flow of information at the company is great, and you feel encouraged to share your ideas.

Work hours can very greatly. I can work as little as 45 hours in one week and then work 80 hours the next. This really depends on what project or client I am staffed on. If you are required to travel to the client site, then expect to work a lot of hours.

People at the office are very smart, creative, ambitious, and energetic. You can tell that the people here truly want to be here because they love the work that they do and the people that they work with. I work an average of 55 hours a week. The company supports good ideas and innovative thinking which is encouraging for the young talent in the company.

Dress is business professional everyday. This keeps the company very professional and morale intact. The company focuses on training you as a professional and developing your skills so that you can add value when you move up within the company. They don't want to use you to the fullest and burn you out, Booz Allen wants to make sure you stay with the company as long as possible.

The culture at the company is very conservative and is based on the individual rather than on the team. You must be aggressive in the company to get good opportunities. If you don't ask for the best projects or prove that you deserve them, you will never be staffed on a project that you like.

Work is very flexible and about 40 hours a week. Management gives me the opportunity to control my activities because I finish the projects that need to be finished and I attend all of the required meetings. Overall, there is a good balance between work and life.

Growth within the company is dependant on the individual. If you want to move up quick within the company, then you will be given the opportunity to do so. If you are comfortable in the position you are in and want to take your time, then you are not given any pressure to move up. This is great because I would not like an up or out mentality.

The job is very flexible. Many consultants spend a majority of their time working at home. The company also has a great mentoring program and the Managers do a great job at giving you advice and guidance. I have learned a lot from my mentors and carry each thing I learn to the next project.

There is a very professional atmosphere around the office. Everyone is very supportive and helps you reach your next career goal. Our office culture benefits from diversity - there are many women and minorities that work here at the office.

I worked as an intern at Booz Allen and I did not find it pleasant at all. As an intern, you really have to be proactive about the work you want to get; if you don't take the initiative, most people will ignore you and you won't get the opportunities to learn. You get the feeling that no one wants to give you their time, and when you do get a task, it feels a lot like grunt work. Not a pleasant experience at all.

Booz Allen is a progressive conservative company. This may sound like a contradiction, but let me explain. Dress is business professional around the office, but employees are encouraged with flexible schedules. Your career progression in the company is completely dependant on your want for advancement. If you're comfortable where you're at, then you can stay there until you feel comfortable to move up.