Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Accenture, I was there for 8 months and would highly reccomend the year in industry/Horizons Programme to anyone. It was great because whilst I was suggested to have around 2 roles whilst working there - I actually did 4. These were with 3 different industry sectors and allowed me to see how they differed in terms of operation. It was almost as though I had 4 different jobs entirely. I found the division I wanted to get into and actively sought out further roles. This is really great with Accenture because they encourage you to actively seek your own roles out.

Despite being an intern I was always treated as though I were an Analyst, this was really great in terms of motivation. Never did I get the feeling that I was being treated differently because I was a 'still a child'. One manager did however warn me not to make this evident to other contractors we were working with (other consultancies) as they may and try to pass the blame off to me.

Out of my 4 projects I did have one bad experience with a manager. In the first week he expected me to fill out every weekend I didn't have anything on - these would be weekends where I would therefore be expected to work. He paid very little regard to our personal well being and couldn't even manage a 'thank you', let alone a 'hello' in the mornings. He was extremely unhelpful when trying to sort out feedback and I did not once get any time with him alone for the whole 3 months. However, I must say he is DEFINITELY an exception within Accenture. From then on I had really great support from my managers, they were all keen to develop my skills and myself as a person. They were always there for any form of support, whether it be silly questions or performance feedback. The issue there is that you cannot always be guaranteed a decent manager... which really will affect your ability to be promoted.

It really depended on the type of project and the client. My first project wasn't going particularly well... I worked a number of overnights and weekends. My usual day was 9:00 - 19:00 but the workload was always consistent, it never really came in large batches. Most of my fellow interns however usually worked from about 9:00 - 17:00. To be honest it really depends on whereabouts you are in the project lifecycle.

This varied MASSIVELY. Straight off the bat I knew the roles I wanted to avoid. The 'PMO' and 'test' roles included a lot of repetitive work with very few responsibilities and chances to progress. I found this out through fellow interns. It was great because I could then avoid these roles when looking for my own. One of my roles it was just myself and a manager so I had a lot of responsibility, particularly when she was off ill and i found myself having to take a big role within meetings with people 40 years my senior. Another role I was the only member in the team from Accenture (the rest all client), this also meant a lot of responsibility, once again it all depends on what project you go for - so choose wisely!

Hugely. The personal skills and excel skills particularly. The client had huge expectations of what they expected, this meant I had to learn fast. The analytical skills I have acquired will massively help me through uni - particularly as I am studying Economics. Also great opportunity to get 3rd party qualifications paid for!

Depends on the client. One project i was based with only Accenture, therefore there was far more banter. The investment banking client however was working in silence all day.

Excellent. A very well put together introduction week with relevant training and ice breaker exercises. Also offered social events so you could re-connect with the fellow interns. Also great support when you were coming to the end of a project and wanted to move on to another. HR were always there to help you.

Apart from the first week where we received excel, networking skills sessions etc. Not a whole lot. There was expensive 3rd party training, but that is obviously given as a priority to those who have invested significant time with the company... As expected.

I know if I return to Accenture I will enjoy the work and the people.

Yes. They place heavy emphasis on social culture. This was a number of events each month which usually involved a free bar and networking.

It all depends where you are based. if you are living out of town, you pretty much live for free. I was however paying rent in London, which was kind of frustrating as I was paying rent and not living there. Socialising was pretty much always free due to free bars etc. However a few drinks were bought every Friday to catch up with the interns.

It's the City of London... Enough said!

Loads of clubs to get involved in. Every type of sport of society you can imagine. Events 5 days a week - something for everyone!