Technology Consulting Analyst Review

I really enjoyed working for Accenture and enjoyed working for them back in 2017 - which is why I returned. The reason I enjoyed my placement year was the chance of opportunity and also the people I got to work with. My team were very supportive and wanted me to strive for more responsibility and roles in order to broaden my understanding of where I might want to be in the future at Accenture. Also, the level of opportunity is unlimited with many roles available within all industries and sectors, therefore enabling us to further help decide where we might like to work in the future. The only downfall was working virtually. I missed being in the office with my team and going for team lunches, however it soon became the norm to work from home.

I was lucky enough to work with one team my whole time on my placement year. The team were all very friendly on my arrival and I learned to feel very comfortable around them. I was lucky enough to work with a team where we would go for team lunches and discuss life outside of work. If I ever was going through a stressful time I was lucky enough to have a team who were supportive and would listen. Never did I once feel undervalued or undermined and I was always asked if I was okay.

I worked alongside a really helpful team who were always willing to answer my questions whenever I was stuck. I worked alongside individuals of all levels, from analysts right the way up to MDs and everyone was so supportive. I never felt embarrassed to ask a question or request feedback. The team were always so helpful and made me feel apart of the team. It became more difficult to interact with the team once we were working from home, however the accessibility of being able to ping or set up a call was still there.

Due to my role being specifically PMO based, I found myself being fairly busy on a daily basis with regular activities that had to be completed. On days where I felt I had little work to do, I would request for additional work or see if there was anything I could help with for my managers. I never found myself underworked or without work and I never found myself overworked until late. I believe it was the right balance of work.

When first joining my project I found myself working within a team of PMO with a manger and another analyst. However as time went on, I found I was given more responsibility in order to improve my skills for my return to Accenture. My manager ended up taking on a different role supporting the delivery team, so I ended up fronting the PMO team. I would hold daily calls with workstream leads and work with the client individually to ensure governance was in place.

I believe the skills I’ve learned at Accenture will be skills that can be applied into the outside world. Within a PMO role the skills are transferable and therefore opens many doors to different roles. Skills included organisation, prioritisation, leadership and delegation. However, in relation to my degree I struggled to find a strong link with the courses I had selected in previous years but I have used my skills that I have gained to influence my choices in final year and have begun to notice the links between both the skills I have learned and the work I will be studying.

When we were originally in the office I was very lucky to be in a team that enjoyed working hard but also having a laugh. As mentioned previously on a Friday, we would always go for lunch as a team and catch up on our every day lives. However in the office there would be times when it was important to work hard, especially working alongside our client. We would ensure that we were working hard and getting what we needed to get done finished and then would have a laugh when the time was right or when the work had been completed.

I was lucky enough to be based on a project all year so I found the experience very seamless. However I know others who struggled to find roles or were on the bench for prolonged periods of time, making it difficult to find roles. I was lucky enough to feel like I was always valued and was always learning, however with those of the bench I think they may have struggled to see the value in being there. Unfortunately, with the current climate it was very difficult for roles to become available and this was not Accenture’s fault.

We all worked on our feedback throughout the year, where we would discuss expected growth and improvements. I would have weekly catch ups with my manager to discuss where I could develop and what roles I could take on to further myself and my skills. In terms of training, I did not partake in many sessions as I would usually have many meetings during the day, but I know from other individuals there were many opportunities for different training courses, both in person and online, which could enhance their skill set.

I was lucky enough to be on a scheme already that has resulted in a three year contract after graduating from University. I was lucky enough to also receive really good feedback after completing my time at Accenture from my team, where they believed I was a safe set of hands and a pleasure to work with, which further helped with my chance of getting a job! I am very grateful to be returning to Accenture and think it’s a great company to work for.

Before Covid 19 we had a very strong group of placement students and we would schedule in drinks and meet up outside of work. I had the role of Social Secretary for my internship group and I believe we had lots of fun when events happened. However due to Covid it became a lot more difficult to plan events or find the time and therefore we were unable to schedule a big event virtually. I still maintain a level of contact with a few of my placement student friends and believe it’s so important to stay in touch for when/if we return to Accenture or working in London!

I was lucky enough to know my way around the south of England so decided to situate myself outside of london in Kent. The prices were still very expensive, however due to Covid 19 I did not leave the house very often unless it was to go the shop or the occasional meal. I lived with a really lovely group of girls who preferred nights in with a takeaway compared to going on a night out once we were allowed. As a suggestion I would say live further out of London if you know you will be in a London office and commute in to save the cost of living.

As previously mentioned when working in London there were many opportunities to go out, with a lot of company activities also offered by Accenture. I was lucky enough to be based pretty centrally so was able to go out very often after work, whether that be for one drink or on an actual night out. However, once covid struck and we were all working from home this depleted this option and we were unable to return to this before we left Accenture. Although, going off of the time prior to Covid I would say there are amble opportunities to go out!

I believe that Accenture is very good at offering activities outside of work. There were many sporting teams that you could join with many of these teams partaking in tours across the world. There were also breakfasts and dinners for those who did not enjoy sports but preferred the social aspect and meeting new people and networking. Additionally, there were many calls and sessions that were set up that could be joined during the lockdown, such as quizzes, virtual cocktail making nights and more. There were always opportunities available no matter what time of year and it was always fun to join!