Response 8

Graduating Year: 2001
Major: Finance

What company did you work with after graduation?
Accenture – Financial Services

Where were you located?
NYC Office – transferred after 1.5 years to the Boston office

What was your position?
Consultant in the Financial Services Strategy group

What were your basic responsibilities?
Worked effectively in team based environment across a multitude of different clients and industry sectors; Actively managed on–going client relationships to ensure coordination and communication across business units; Interacted with C–level executives on projects involving training design and delivery, industry benchmarking, comparative analytics, program design, development and marketing, and requirements determination.

How many hours did you work per week?
The number of hours really depended on the project. However, when staffed on a client, I would say we tended to work 55 hours per week (+/–) some weeks.

What has changed in the years since you worked at that job? Have you switched to a new position? A new company? A new industry?
During my 3 years at Accenture, the company reorganized itself several times, first disbanding the strategy group, then later reinstating it. After 3 years I decided to go back to school full time for a Master's in Higher Education at Harvard. This was the beginning of a career change for me into the non–profit/higher education industry.

What did you like most about your job (either past or present)? What experiences stand out?
I really enjoyed the opportunity to work on a variety of different clients and gain exposure to different industries, and organizations. During my 3 years at Accenture I worked on clients ranging from investment banks, retail banks, state governments, start–up non–profits, and large financial services companies. I also had the opportunity to work closely with C–level executives, even as a relative newcomer to the organization.

What did you like least about your job (again, past or present)?
Although at times I enjoyed traveling to different cities (I spent a few months in Chicago and San Francisco), most of the time the travel was quite draining. I left my house Sunday evenings, and returned either Friday or else late Thursday night. It was difficult to have a life outside of work, as my time at "home" was quite limited. In addition, after rolling off a project it was rare to work with the same people again – so each new project brought a new group of colleagues – making it more difficult to establish a sense of "community" at work.

What did you think of the company as a whole?
I think Accenture, and consulting in general, is great training ground for any field you want to go into. They do a great job of providing in–house training, and you have the opportunity to work with all different types of businesses. In terms of higher–education, I definitely recommend it as an alternative for anyone considering a non–profit career. There are wonderful benefits (including free schooling), and it's a great environment with a manageable work–life balance. Like any company, there are finance positions, accounting positions, marketing roles, etc., and schools need people who know how to think, analyze and make critical decisions just as much as large corporations.

Can you offer any tips for interviewing with this particular company?
Accenture, and consulting companies in general are looking for people who can reason out a problem and think on their feet. I would be prepared to answer those seemingly ambiguous questions (How many propellers are there in the world? How many people could attend a concert in Central Park?). They are not looking for the "right" answer, but a logical way of reasoning out a solution.

Considering your experience, would you recommend this internship to other students?
I would encourage people to consider careers and companies outside of those that advertise on campus and recruit heavily. There are many other fields out there and even within the financial services world, smaller companies can be a great fit, and provide a terrific work experience.