Moving from one consultancy to another is now seen as the rule, rather than the exception. “In a good market, as we have at the moment, it is extremely common to move between firms,” says Tony Restell, director of the recruitment website Top-Consultant.com. “There is a lot of switching going on, partly due to people fast-tracking their careers and partly due to people looking for a better work-life balance.”

Staff turnover in the consulting industry is quite high, with the larger corporations likely to lose and replace 20-25 per cent of their staff each year. While the highest performers at each level get promoted, the others might be squeezed out.

Sebastian Lenain, managing consultant at recruitment consultants, Consulting Point, says: “It is fairly easy to move between firms. Some consulting firms are very proactive when it comes to recruiting and have open days, attend recruitment fairs, and so on, while others you have to approach yourself.”

Companies often have “bounty” schemes whereby they give bonuses of several thousand pounds to existing employees who bring in successful recruits. “It can cost a company a lot more than that to recruit someone themselves,” says Restell, who recommends that potential applicants make the most of their contacts in the industry. “The upside for companies is that they get people who are vouched for by somebody already in the company.”

While there are many positions available — Top-Consultant.com has about 200 recruitment notices on its site, several for multiple vacancies — there can be a hundred applicants for one position.

Any CV needs to be able to demonstrate a commitment to your previous roles,” advises Lenain. “Even if you have jumped between consultancies, it is better to have moved every three years than every year or 18 months. State your achievements and experiences: whether you are a generalist or a specialist. Companies like to be able to pigeon-hole you.”

However, Fiona Czerniawska of the Management Consultancies Association warns that the time for generalists might have gone: “Clients have always wanted people with specific skills but it is 20 times more important than 10 years ago. I’m not sure if there is room for generalised management consultants nowadays.”

The demand for experienced consultants means quality people have the upper hand over employers at the moment, and many use job offers from a rival firm to squeeze more money or a promotion out of their existing employers. Nicola Connelly, manager of consultancy, strategy and change at recruitment consultants, Michael Page International, says: “If somebody is moving from one of the big consulting firms to another, then chances are that the company he or she is leaving will up their offer to try to persuade them to stay.”

After the recruitment freezes and redundancies by big firms in recent years, there is very little feeling that you have to stay with one company out of loyalty. “When the market is strong, it is not necessarily seen as a bad thing if you are looking around to see what else is out there,” says Restell. “It is like a warning shot across your employer’s bows.”

A warning shot that is not going unheeded as companies concentrate time and resources on keeping employees happy. Alan Buckle, head of advisory at KPMG, says it is not just a question of money. “Internal relationships are a very important part of the attraction for a long-term deal. If you’re successful you can get the rewards very quickly.”

Trading places

At 31, Rohan Malik is the youngest account director in Ernst & Young’s business advisory services division and one of the most recent recruits to its expanding consulting team. He is a former employee, having worked on its strategy side in 1999 before the division was sold to Capgemini in 2000. He then moved to head the public sector division of RSM Robson Rhodes consultancy before returning to Ernst & Young.

Having packed so much into a short space of time, Malik is an advocate of moving from one consultancy to another. “I could have stayed working for just one company but in the break from Ernst & Young, I gained a broader perspective by working across different fields.”

During his first stint at the company, Malik worked in financial services and oil and gas, while at Capgemini he gained experience in the technology sector before moving to public sector organisations. This in turn led to his role at Robson Rhodes. He has worked in, among others, the UK Home Office, the DTI, the Department of Work and Pensions and the Prime Minister’s strategy unit.

Malik, who moved from Delhi in 1996 to study for an MBA at Manchester Business School before starting work, says that when it comes to moving between consultancies, the challenge is getting used to the different cultures.

“At Ernst & Young there is a mentoring relationship in place where you get lots of support in personal training, motivation and so on, which helps you become part of the team,” he says. Going there for the second time was like moving to a different company: “When I came back, it was not the same company I had left. It is very new, like a start-up, and is creating its own culture. Robson Rhodes is a great place to work, but Ernst & Young is a great opportunity. It has made it its mission to be the market leader and that is quite a turn-on for me.”

Malik lives in southwest London with his wife, Francesca, and their three-year-old son, and hopes one day to return to India to become involved in politics there. He attributes his rapid rise in consultancy to moving around the industry.

“Working for different companies was also great for my personal development,” he says. “My interests were better served by getting a lot of experience and learning how to adapt within different environments. It gives you a fresh perspective and it is good to learn the adaptability and flexibility that comes with being a consultant.”