For decades, consulting was a glamorous, globe-trotting career with lavish compensation. But those days appear to be waning as technology, penny-pinching clients, and economic uncertainty have conspired to complicate the consulting model. In the halcyon days, consultants flew cross-country weekly to solve thorny problems at Fortune 500 companies. Firms like McKinsey, Bain, and Boston Consulting Group became training grounds for future executives, with their alumni reaching the upper echelons of corporate America. Consulting retained a patina of prestige and exclusivity.