Accenture: An insider guide - Gymkhana

The Company
With a brighter business outlook, some of the work strains seemed to have eased.
People don’t feel the need to put in extra overtime just to keep their job. But
make no mistake, the work is demanding. And the firm attracts the kind of
people who like to reach for high hurdles. “One plus about working here is the
kind of personality traits you can pick up—people here are at the top of their
game, A-types, go-getters,” says one insider.
Accenture tries to keep things from getting too intense. It keeps open lines of
communication between on-site employees and home-base operations through
regular e-mails, team and industry-specific meetings, and local get-togethers.
Everyone has a career counselor who works as the employee’s advocate when it
comes to staffing. The company also commits a ton of resources to training, and
passes on to its employees discounts on services, like cell phones, that come with
being a big multinational firm. It’s also got prestige: Accenture ranked first in its
industry in Fortune’s 2004 list of “America’s Most Admired Companies.”
Due in part to its university recruitment, Accenture has a youthful collegiate environment
in which employees have the energy to work hard as projects intensify as well as
the chance to relax with each other and interact socially. It’s not unusual for local
offices or project teams to play softball or have dinner together.
At work, insiders report a positive and cooperative environment. The atmosphere
might get a little stiffer when promotions are being decided. But the ability to
work well with one’s colleagues is a point of pride at the firm.
“There’s a culture of sharing. If someone happens to be an expert in Java
for instance, I feel I can pick up the phone even if I’ve never talked to them
before, and they’ll feel an extensive obligation, an esprit de corp, to help me
out,” says an insider.
As demanding as consulting can be, getting a job at Accenture can pose an
even greater challenge. Whether you’re an MBA or undergraduate, you should
be ready to sell yourself.
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