Associate Software Engineer Review

I was part of the Technology group. I had a positive experience overall. But, I believe it could have been organised better so that we can actually make the most of our limited time in the company. Finding a project within the company was really challenging and there was not much help provided in terms of it. Accenture is a good place to kick start a career as there is so much room for development and support for training yourself constantly. I would recommend it to people who want to work in tech.

I got extremely lucky with my client project, the whole team was supportive, friendly and approachable. Most people were surprised to find out I was an industrial placement student. They always treated me like a graduate engineer and gave me such responsibilities. I was never ashamed of seeking for help as I was always encouraged to do so by my team mates. My manager was a very knowledgable person who gave me constant feedback on my development, which was great.

I was extremely lucky to have my manager as my manager! He was the nicest, friendliest manager I could ever ask for. He always encouraged me to push my limits. He constantly gave me advice for my growth. He created so many opportunities for me to show my skills in front of the client and key stakeholders as well. Also, helped me grow my network by introducing me to colleagues outside our project bubble. It was a great experience to work with/for him.

I was working on a client project in which people from all around the globe were involved, meaning my work hours would change depending on the people I was working with. As I had a limited time in the company I personally decided to dedicate a lot of time and effort into my placement so my work hours were longer than a typical industrial placement student. I would say that work hours vary depending on the project you are working for. Normal hours are 9-17.30 with a lunch break.

I was expected to do productive work constantly. I was never treated like an intern, the responsibilities I had were almost the same as any other engineer in my team. It was a bit rough at the beginning but once I got used to it, I realised that it was actually the best way to learn about my profession and develop new skills. This depends on the project and the person that you are, if you are in a project where you are encouraged to take a good amount of responsibility and you are actually seeking for it, you will have a full learning experience.

The skills that I have developed helped me quite a bit. I am actually back in university right now and working on my third year project. I decided to include the knowledge I have gained from my industrial experience and ended up proposing a project that includes those technologies and software tools. It is not limited with my final year project, I constantly feel that I have a much stronger tech background now and I can see the effects in my modules.

It is quite hard to meet with new people and grow your network in the office because everyone is minding their own businesses. People are highly motivated and focused on their work and the main office in London is quite big. There are kitchens around where you can make coffee and have a chat with colleagues. It is also quite hard to find a spot in the office if you have not made a reservation.

Accenture is one of the best companies when it comes to investing on its people's personal training and development. The industrial placement starts with an initial training that lasts 2 weeks. However, if you want to develop new skills and do trainings, there is always something that you can sign up to whether it is online or in person. They even cover your travel expenses if you need to leave the city or the country.

The pay is not very competitive considering how expensive the living costs are in London. Also, even though you have a 12 months long experience from the organisation, you are invited back from the same level, meaning you will be doing what you have already done for 12 months. It would have been nicer if we could come back with a promotion. These two are the main concerns in my case, other than that I would say it is a good company to come back.

The people in my start group were all very nice. I built many friendships that are beyond work. Almost every month the company would prepare or encourage the start group to prepare events to see each other. The events included drinks, games, food and etc. I am still keeping in touch with most of the people in my start group. So overall, I would say that there was a great social scene amongst fellow placement students.

I had to move to London for my industrial experience and London is one of the most expensive cities to live in. My home was in Zone 2 but my client office was outside London so travelling there everyday was pricey. However, the expenses were covered which was a plus. In terms of socialising, London is a great city, there is always something happening that you can enjoy. Only concern is the money as it is an expensive city.

There was always something happening whether if it was a volunteering activity or a networking activity. I have been to many informal breakfast events where you can meet senior leaders and ask them whatever questions you want in a safe environment. The Christmas party was also nice, it was at a fancy venue and it was a great to catch up with people and meet new ones. There were also events happening in my client project such as drinks/food/games after work, which was fun and relaxing.