Business Analyst Review

I had the opportunity to work in a really supportive team who ensured that I received the most out of my placement. They let me get really involved in the project which made me feel important. They also gave me the opportunity to speak to people in different departments which was really helpful because it gave an insight into other areas which I may want to explore in the future.

I felt very valued by my colleagues. They treated me as one of the teams. They gave me ownerships of certain tasks for example I was in charge of managing the meeting minutes and action list for the team. They also got me involved in all the strategic planning for the projects and listened to my ideas and input during brainstorms.

I was given lots of support and guidance by my management and supervisors. They answered any questions I had (task related or generally about Accenture) and were very approachable. They also gave me the opportunity to speak to other people in different departments which made my support network greater. They gave me lots of positive feedback and constructive criticism on where to improve which was really helpful in allowing me to progress throughout the internship.

How busy I was really did vary per project. Some projects I was non-stop on which I really enjoyed, often these were the projects which had a lot of structure and I knew my regular responsibilities. Other projects I did find there were times when I had very little on my plate. This was a little annoying as I did feel like a waste of space, but luckily it didn't happen too often. However, I always felt I could ask for more work if I wanted it. Additionally, it is important to say that between projects you can be put on the 'bench', which is essentially time you take to search for a new project, network, help at recruiting events, and undertake training. I enjoyed this time as it gave me the opportunity to meet other employees in other sectors at the company, but you do have to be very proactive to find a new project. If you are not, then you can be on the bench a while and therefore are not busy with work.

Again this varied a lot depending on the project I was on. Certain projects I was surprised with how much responsibility I was given, considering my lack of experience. This I really enjoyed, and even found this when I was client facing. Other projects I felt as though I was just doing the back admin, picking up little jobs here and there which weren't that essential to the project. However, overall I would say I was given the right level of responsibility, and again I always felt I could ask for more if I wished.

I would say that the skills I have developed haven't helped me with the specific content of my degree. However, I do feel as though I have really developed my teamwork skills, as well as persereverence with tasks. This I think will be particularly useful in my degree as this year has taught me to be more dedicated to a task, prioritising the most important aspects and completing tasks to the highest quality - particularly under time pressure.

In the Accenture offices the atmostphere was great. I always felt like I was in a hard working yet relaxed and fun environment. There is a hot desk policy, which means you sit next to people of all levels, and the glass offices makes the office feel very open and trusting. However, the nature of consulting means that you will not necessarily be based in the Accenture offices, but can be in the client offices. The atmosphere of these really vary, however, when away I did find Accenture teams were far more social and the atmosphere of Accenture colleagues was always great.

I think in general the placement was well setup. The company is very big, but all managers I was under seemed to have a fairly good idea of how the internship was setup and how to manage us. Although you are supposed to have two 6 month projects, due to the changing nature of project timelines, this doesn't always happen (I had more than 2), but unless you are really enjoying your one project you will always be able to experience more than one project which is really important and beneficial. I would say, however, that time on the bench could be managed better. As an intern it is not easy to find another project, and I feel as though this is an area Accenture can improve on - not just in term of helping interns find another project but also ensuring their time is spent usefully whilst also looking (e.g. setup training, or organise other Business Development work).

I felt as though the company invested a lot of time and money into me. This was through ensuring I truly experienced the consulting life - e.g. travelling to client site, and treating me well (via expenses and other perks) when I was working away from home. This does make a big difference when you are away for long periods of time. Therefore, I felt I as though my consulting experience was maximised and I was happy. Therefore, I was able to work to my best ability and focus on developing my skills. However, it is important to note that I feel Accenture invested in my personal training and development by 'learning on the job'. Interns are not able (unless the client pays for the whole account) to undertake formal training and gain qualifications. There are only Accenture training sites you can learn from, but you do not gain formal qualifications from.

I have not heard the result of my placement yet, but graduate job offers are availble if you deserve them (providing you peform well, show enthusiasm and initiative). Following each of your projects, your manager completes a form on your performance at which they advise on whether a job offer should be given.

There was a very good social scene amongst my fellow placement colleagues. Although there are not regular events setup by the company, the recruitment team do encourage start groups to setup whatsapp groups and organise events together. The nature of consulting obviously means you will spend the induction week together (which is SO well organised for meeting and mixing with people), but then unfortunately you are all sent to different offices. So the social scene is dependent on how much fun and up for socialising your start group are on all returning to London. I have made some amazing friends this year and have already been on holiday with them.

My internship was in London so cost of living/travel and socialising was very expensive. I thought the £500 relocation bonus was good because it helped accommodate for this slightly. In our first week lunches were also provided for us so this was also helpful. I found lunches were very expensive locally and the canteen isn't that well subsidised compared to other corporate canteens I have been to.

Nightlife in London is very good - there are lots of places you can go (within walking distance of the Fenchurch Street Office) which was nice as it made the working environment very pleasant and sociable. The only problem is that nightlife in London is obviously expensive but there were a lot of Accenture events that were paid for so this was nice.

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. There are opportunities - charity days which you can use and sports events which accenture provides entry for. There are also many different (almost like) 'societies' which you can join and get involved with.