Charles River Associates FAQ

Pros

CRA is exceptionally organized, and works like a well-oiled machine. You will be able to work on a wide array of projects in many different areas. The problems are challenging, but interesting. You will become very proficient in whatever tools you use to solve those problems.

Cons

Work-life balance is nonexistent. Management touts “flexibility” in workload, but this flexibility is only meant to provide you with more work- very seldom are you encouraged to rest during periods of less work. As an analyst, you will be expected to work at a moment’s notice during nights, weekends, and holidays. Making personal plans and sticking to any kind of schedule is very difficult. Day-to-day experiences will vary wildly by project, and especially by project manager. Some project managers are organized, communicative, and considerate. Some are the polar opposite. You are expected to perform consistently across all of these projects- very little (if any) responsibility is placed on poor project managers. The overall culture at CRA is broken. Despite putting in the majority of the work, analysts don’t get to experience any ownership of the projects- they forfeit all successes and shoulder the mistakes. Even the best project managers are pushed to their breaking point by the tremendous pressures that upper management puts on them to take on more projects and promise faster deadlines. The generous amount of PTO given to employees is hardly ever utilized. Working in this type of atmosphere, the general dissatisfaction is apparent to everyone, but verbally recognized by no one (for fear of seeming unmotivated or lagging behind). Many of the junior staff learn to accept this “churn-and-burn” type of culture, which is truly unfortunate.

Advice to Management

So many of the cons above are the direct result of upper management (and the consulting industry in general) believing that “this is the way it has always been, so this is the way it must be.” There must be a large-scale reckoning with the fact that they are forcing their employees to work outside the bounds of human needs and abilities.

Pros

An excellent place to start your career. You can learn a lot in a concise time. Clear career development path. Good benefit package.

Cons

no great work-life balance especially during pandemics

Pros

CRA cares about the employees and provides generous in-office perks like free lunches, happy hours and hosts external events for employees.

Cons

The corporate side is understaffed.

Pros

Good exit opportunities; Great people and culture; Competitive bonus pay; good health and dental insurance plan;

Cons

Most people leave in 1-2 years; long hours; typical work life balance like other consulting

Pros

Great people Good benefits scheme Pension scheme Private insurance Supportive colleagiate style work environment

Cons

Poor work/life balance, almost as though its frowned upon to not keep working until midnight, all junior staff are under the impression this is required

Advice to Management

Instill efficiency into juniors, with a hybrid between quality and speed, not quality at the cost of personal life