Placement Review at Accenture

The Role

Role Description

I was effectively part of the analyst consulting group (grad scheme). During the course of the internship I was given two projects. The first was an IT transformation project for a large financial services company, where my team were responsible for offshoring network services to remote operations centres in India and Prague. My second project was a SAP Retail implementation, where I was in the training team (responsible for training the client on new systems and processes). I had responsibility for course creation and various planning activities.

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Overall I was given challenging work which stretched me and gave me ample opportunity to develop myself and learn about consulting. The social aspect of the first also greatly enhanced my experience, as everyone is keen to go out after work and be socialise with colleagues.

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I was treated not as an intern, but as a full time employee. I was given work on an equal level to a new graduate, and the expectations of me were the same. Once I built up trust I was often asked to do ad hoc work by various team members besides my line managers.

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

On both of my projects I was sit right opposite my line managers. Whenever I wanted feedback or help with a task they were more than happy to help me, and I would say that their feedback was what taught me the most about myself and allowed me to improve the most during the internship.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I was busy enough for my working hours (8.30-6), but not too busy that I was stressed after work or taking work home with me. This would have changed, however, nearer the implementation phases of the projects, where more is expected of everyone.

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I wouldn't say I was running the show, but I was given responsibility which was appropriate for my skills and level of experience. I had independent responsibility for all of my tasks and on occasions did things beyond my experience level, such as running reporting meetings to senior management. At Accenture you will get responsibility once you show that you can handle it.

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I wouldn't say my development will specifically help with my degree, but overall Accenture was the most formative 6 months of my life. I learnt lots about myself, and how to work, and I believe that I will hit the ground running on any grad role because of this.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

In the office we were serious about work and go the job done, which is indicative of working on client-site. However, as I was working out of town, I went out for dinner/drinks with colleagues literally every night after work. They were a great bunch and we had fun every night. Its very much a work hard, play hard environment.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Very well organised. The fact that I was given the opportunity to experience two projects allowed me to build up skills in two different areas of the business and gain experience of how two different types of project are run. HR are very supportive through the whole process.

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

We received a week's training when we began the internship, on things such as presentation skills and excel, but beyond this there wasn't any formal training. We were thrown into the deep end on projects and had to learn quickly; overall this was much better for my development than any training could have been.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

• Sports and Social Club
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• National Travel
• Company Parties/Events
• Above 25 days holiday
• Working from home

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I will be going back to work for Accenture when I graduate. They are a great company with opportunities for graduates on par with any other.

Other Information

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

We had lots of intern socials throughout the 6 months, and as I mentioned there was lots of fun after work. One could go to London with no friends and leave after 6 months with a whole new group.

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

In London (the city) its expensive to go out, but the pay reflects this.

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I had an excellent time after work nearly every day.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Yes, I organised various events on my project, which gave me great exposure to the senior managers and helped make sure I was part of the social scene. There are also opportunities to take charity days out of work for all members of staff.

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

Overall Accenture is an excellent company and one which would benefit any graduate's personal development, whether they want to go into consultancy or not. Once you get there, take every opportunity available, both in and outside of work, to ensure that you get the most out of the internship.

Review 84/111 for Accenture

Previous Next