Public Consulting Group is a management consulting firm focusing on operational, financial, & regulatory challenges. The firm provides a wide range of services to help clients take control of their business operations, improve efficiency, and grow. Their expertise lies in the areas of public policy, health & human services, corrections, healthcare management, IT, and more. The firm as locations across the globe and allow one to feel like they're making an impact in these public sector industries.
Firm Key Stats
Firm Website: www.publicconsultinggroup.com/
Firm Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts
Firm Number of Employees: ~2,000
Firm Number of Locations: 33
Firm Chief Executive: Bill Mosakowski
Firm Revenue: $600M
Public Consulting Group History
Bill Mosakowski founded Public Consulting Group in 1986 with the goal of improving government entities and thus improving the results for public citizens. Public Consulting Group has since grown exponentially which Bill attributes to the symbiotic relationship between business building and supporting the greater good. Since its founding, PCG has grown to employ 2,000 people and serve thousands of government agencies at the state and local level.
Public Consulting Group Careers
Public Consulting Group careers are highly impactful, given the public sector focus. Per Public Consulting Group, a focus on diversity and inclusion is at the heart of a Public Consulting Group career. Careers at PCG also focus on professional development as well as community service, with employees having the opportunity to volunteer for 32 hours each year.
To read more about Public Consulting Group careers in the employee compact, please click here.
Public Consulting Group Internship
Public Consulting Group offers 8-10 week internships across three practice areas: Consulting, Technology, and Corporate Operations. Generally, Public Consulting Group employs 40-50 interns per year. In 2021, ~20% of the interns were hired as a Public Consulting Group employee. As of 2022, Public Consulting Group internships are fully remote due to COVID-19; however, it is best to clarify the internship information with a recruiter, given the rapidly changing times.
A Public Consulting Group internship affords interns with the opportunity to:
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- Grow professionally
- Attend leadership speaker series
- Network with Public Consulting Group professionals
Practice Areas
The Public Consulting Group practice areas are:
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- Corporate
- Education
- Health
- Human Services
- Technology Consulting
Industries
Public Consulting Group’s main industry is the public sector. If you are passionate about public service work, Public Consulting Group’s singular focus is a strong differentiator from other consulting firms where public service is one of many sectors consulting firm’s serve. In these larger firms (e.g., Deloitte), you may have to network to get onto public sector projects.
Practice Consulting Group Locations
Practice Consulting Group’s locations are in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, and Poland. Locations include:
United States:
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- San Diego, California
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Princeton, New Jersey
- Austin, Texas
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Canada
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- St-Laurent, Quebec
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United Kingdom
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- Maidenhead
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Poland
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- Warsaw
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Career Path
Public Consulting Group does not publish its career path, unlike firms like Deloitte or BCG. Given firms often change their policies on career paths (e.g., need to go to business school), it is always best to clarify the career path to partner with a recruiter.
Exit Opportunities
Given the Public Consulting Group has a public sector focus, the Public Consulting Group exit opportunities will be focused in the public sector. Exit opportunities of prior employees include:
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- Business school
- Other consulting firms
- Operations
Notable Alumni
While Public Consulting Group does not publish its notable alumni, based on LinkedIn, some notable alumni include:
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- Managers in strategy and operations at Google
- Positions in the government (e.g., deputy chief secretary)
- Vice Presidents at Morgan Stanley
Target Schools
Based on LinkedIn, Public Consulting Group target schools include:
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- Clark University
- Rutgers University
- Northeastern University
- San Diego State University
Diversity Programs
Public Consulting Group has a continued focus on diversity and inclusion. Specifically, per Public Consulting Group’s website, they are “committed to creating solutions that matter for the communities we serve. [They] strive to create a workforce that reflects those communities and to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates the diverse backgrounds of our employees.” To read more about Public Consulting Group’s commitment to diversity, please click here.
Specific diversity programs include:
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- PCG’s Military Networking Group
- A virtual discussion series conducted at the beginning of 2022 focused on diversity and inclusion, e.g., on the importance of having different racial, genders, and perspectives in the workplace
Public Consulting Group Culture
On Glassdoor, Public Consulting Group has a 3.8 out of 5 star rating with 69% recommending Public Consulting Group to a friend and 86% approving of the CEO.
Positive aspects of the culture have been reported to include:
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- Ability to work with great and friendly people
- Flexible work environment (e.g., work from home)
- Strong benefits
Negative aspects of the culture include:
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- Limited work life balance (e.g., long hours)
- Some bad managers
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Public Consulting Group Interview
The Public Consulting Group interview is behavioral and may have a case component. Specific Public Consulting Group interview questions you may be asked are:
- Why Public Consulting Group?
- Why the public sector?
- What is your experience
- How do you prioritize competing priorities?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Firm Interview Process
The firm interview process anecdotally includes a phone screen and an in-person interview with deep 1:1 interviews. Given the Public Consulting Group interview process can differ based on group and based on timing, it is best to clarify the firm interview process with your recruiter.
Public Consulting Group Salary
Per Glassdoor, the Public Consulting Group salary for an analyst is ~$95,000-100,000 which is a ~$85,000 base and a ~$12,000 bonus. The Public Consulting Group salary is less than the salary of a business analyst at MBB firms. Across MBB firms, the typical base is ~$110,000-115,000 and the typical bonus is ~$20,000-30,000. To read a full report of salaries across consulting firms, please see Management Consutled’s salary report here.
Conclusion
Therefore, if you are passionate about public sector work, Public Consulting Group may be a great firm to look at. Public Consulting Group works across five areas: corporate, education, health, human services, technology consulting. Public Consulting Group has a global presence with offices in the US, Canada, the UK, and Poland. Public Consulting Group target schools include: Clark University, Rutgers University, Northeastern, and San Diego State University. If you are interested in prepping for a Public Consulting Group interview with an ex-MBB consultant, please click here.
Additional Resources:
- Top Consulting Firms of 2023
- Top 10 Boutique Consulting Firms in US
- Consulting Resume: Complete Guide
- Case Interview: Complete Prep Guide