Analyst Review

This placement has been invaluable to me, however, it was very different from what I expected. The way Accenture sells its management consulting placement isn't accurate - most interns spend 11 months testing software and rolling out/training clients to use skype or office programs etc... Which isn't really what you think you'll be doing when you start.

From the very beginning of each project I worked on I felt like I was very valued by the team and that they were happy to have me there.

All my managers on each project were incredibly supportive and made the effort (even after the projects ended) to check in on me throughout the year and keep in contact. I feel like I learned a lot from each of them.

Every day that I was on a project, I was very busy - but never so much that I felt overwhelmed, and most managers are conscious not to let interns work too late. Most days I would finish at about 6:30 and the latest I ever worked was 10pm. If you're "on the bench" however, it is incredibly boring as there is not much to do - a lot of people don't even go in to work and if they do they'd leave before 5 most days.

I was lucky that on each of my projects I was given the same amount of responsibility as graduate analysts, and in some cases consultants - this was a result of being on very small project teams.

I think I'll use all the skills I've developed in my future studies and career, particularly in terms of stakeholder management and best practices of consulting.

It can be quite lonely jumping between teams as you don't have a lot of time to form close relationships - especially when working from different offices/from home. There's a much better atmosphere when you find a team who works together regularly and therefore allows time for relationship building. The London office was always quite casual and relaxed, and most people are really friendly.

As much as I enjoyed my placement, there are some critical issues with the way it's organised. The induction week doesn't actually set you up for anything past the first week (e.g. don't know how to book desks, search for projects, or even the fundamentals of how Accenture works), and despite the 1 day excel course there was a lack of training provided.

As mentioned, there was almost no training provided whatsoever - if there were other opportunities for formal training throughout the year, it was not something I was made aware of. As for personal development, this comes down to the groups you end up in and the projects and managers you are involved with - they will be your biggest source of knowledge help for personal development. I was lucky as I had great managers who were keen to support me.

I look forward to returning to Accenture, especially now I know how it works and I have created my own network to go back to.

To be honest, it is easy to lose touch with fellow interns, especially if your first project is not in the Accenture office. There are NO organised events by HR (apart from 1 leaving party) which was very disappointing and made it difficult to socialise with other interns. Many other interns however who did have their first projects together or in the same office had a much better social scene though.

London is hugely expensive but this is to be expected

Great nightlife in London and in The City there's a great atmosphere for after work drinks.

This is another thing that could be improved - it's hard to find out about activities. There are plenty of things (e.g. breakfasts in Fortnum & Mason, women in leadership events etc) however I only ever found out about them after they had already happened.