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Accenture - Beginning to End

55 replies [Last post]
charlord

Hi,

I noticed that a few people have put up their experience of applying for various firms from application to assessment centre, so I thought I would put mine up for Accenture. Sadly, I didn't get the job and was absolutely gutted but hopefully my experience can help someone else.

Application Form
- The form is really simple, just three questions about your extracurricular activites, what an Analyst does and how Accenture helps it's clients. All the infomation is on the website. I kept it really simple, almost bullet pointed to get the message across.

1st Round Interview
- This was held in the offices at Victoria Street, London. My main advice is read the e-mail. It tells you EVERYTHING you need to know i.e research competition, give examples of the competencies they look for.
- I was asked questions about teamwork, flexibility, leadership, strength and weaknesses, and who their clients are (Technology = Bearing point, EDS, Capgemini, IBM..Strategy = BCG, Bain and Company, McKinsey, Deloitte etc...smaller firms = PA Consulting Group. You may want to include Indian compeition such as Wipro and Infosys) I was not asked in detail about it, just to list them.
- Case Study: This was not as terrifying as I thought. Mine was based on a water company and problems they had with complaints procedure. My first question was to identify 3 problems, the second was 3 ways to fix this, then problems that may arise from this and the possible long term and short term effects. Do some practice before hand and you will be fine.
- The main aim of this interview is to see if you can communicate strongly, that you are friendly...so shake hands with the interviewer, ask questions and make small talk. It all worked for me.

2nd Round Interview
- This was really quite intense. It begun with a case study, then individual interview, then group exericse, the document review, then idea generation and finally, a one on one interview
- Case Study: It's long! Mine was about 16 pages, with graphs, figures etc. Tou have 20 minutes to go through it and key is, be structured!! Identify the issues you think are a problem, and how to fix them. Try to think of short term and long term effects. and how to relate them to accenture. This sounds like a lot but you'll find that this flowws quite easily. You will be sat in a room with other applicants, which is quite off putting as you hear them turning the pages etc, just concentrate and you will be fine. Remember that there will be loads and loads to say and you cant possibly identify everything. So I would try and keep it simple to 3 or 4 points to keep your answers structured.
- One-on-one: This is a 20 minute discussion about the case study. You will be asked about the problems, how accenture could fix them, the long and short term implications. The interviewer may ask you lots of questions about your choices, leading you to question your original answers but try to stick with your original thinking. They are not saying you are wrong, simply checking you ahve thought of all the implications of your answer. At the end you will be asked to rank the most important issues in order.
- Group exercise: You will now have to sit in a group and go over the case study together to rank the most important issues together. You will soon find that you were not all looking at the same document at the beginning and have different infomation. They key is to work quickly and together. Don't let one person dominate. Mention the time, look at your clock and offer to be a scribe. I decided to write on the board, this was a good way of actively participating and also taking a leading role. You will notice that your group decision of the most important issues to tackle may not be the same as your thinking...bear this in mind for the final interview as you will be asked about it.
- Document Review: Again, the document is really long. My tip is to skim read and spot all the obvious mistakes first, such as spelling errors, bullet points, different fonts etc, Then go back through it and notice smaller ones such as, contents pages not matching up, wrong figures in tables, incorrect titles. I scored really highly on this and was advised this method by a successful applicant, so this is probabaly a good way of tackling it.
- Idea Generation: This exercise was the one that let me down and was the whole reason I didn't get into accenture. You will be given a case study...mine was the London Underground and a difficult question to answer. Mine was essentially to tackle the problem that it is overcrowded and underfunded. You then have to come up with ideas individually, and then decide on the 3 best ideas as a group. These 3 ideas then have to be assigned to each member but you can not have your own idea. For example, I suggested getting corporate sponsorship for the tubes to get more money. However, I was not allowed to argue this idea and someone else had to argue it. Then after 10 minutes of this, you will be given another piece of infomation and have 5 minutes to decide a course of action before presenting the idea to the assessors for 1 minute. In our case, we were given 3 lots of money and had to assign the different numbers to the different ideas and then argue why we chose this amount and how this idea would help. Basically, it is under extreme time pressure and is quite confusing. The main problem with our group was that a) we didnt talk for long periods - due to coming up with ideas b) we spent too long brainstorming and ran out of time. My own personal criticism from the recruitment team was that my ideas weren't 'innovative enough'. This was the only reason I was given for not being successful. So my main advice is think outside the box and work as a team and you will be fine!
- Interview: Finally, your interview. This begins with a self-evaluation of the whole day. This is your chance to explaion anything you think you did well or badly. Obviously, I discussed Idea Generation straight away. I also highlighted that I thought I had done well in the other group exercise because I was decisive. And in my feedback, I was told that my strength was my decisiveness. Obviously, your own answers will depend on the day but what is clear is that they read this and use it to help determine your strengths and weaknesses too. You will also be asked 'Why Accenture', 'What does an Analyst do'. I was not asked anything about competition or current issues.

Overall, despite not getting the job my day did go well. I felt very unlucky that I did so poorly in the Idea Generation but it just shows how competitive it is. So try not to be disheartened if you are unsuccessful. Other tips are, try to slip in Accenture knowledge where you can..I mentioned case studies in my one-on-one case study interview to show why I thought my idea would be successful. This was seen as good because it showed my ideas were inline with Accenture ones and that I had business awareness. Try and use the terminology too, like 'systems integration' etc, they love it.

I hope this helps!!

Accountant1981

Crikey, WHAT an interview process, they really put you through it. Sorry you didn't get it and good luck!

Ash

Hi, thanks so much for this overview. Would you mind telling us a little more about your cover letter? I am mainly interested in whether you highlighted IT competency in your cover letter? And did they test this during your interviews/assessments?

charlord

I didn't do a cover letter for Accenture, I just applied via the Graduate application page. I attached a CV that was all.
I wouldn't worry about I.T compentency either. I was a History Graduate. Though, I forgot to mention, that they will ask about about your interest in I.T in the first interview. I was asked about where I thought key areas for growth were.

Redsuperted

This is great Char, thanks very much! ..one question - which Accenture graduate scheme were you applying for? I'll add this to our wiki as you've given us some really useful information :)

Ed

charlord

It was for the Analyst Consulting Group

Redsuperted

Wow! ..there's no such thing as too much information on WikiJob! Fabulous, thank you ab! Great work and well done on getting the job!

I'll have to accumulate this into the wiki... you've given me a lot of work!!

ab304
ab304
wycombe

Hey,

I applied to Accenture a couple of weeks ago but have heard nothing back.....when did everyone hear from them?

JonHo

I got an offer for an interview a day after I submitted my application.

It's in 10 days, so thanks a lot charlord for the insight!

ab304

I heard back within ten days. If you haven't heard you should give them a call. I always think that no news is good news anyway.

davkankawkas

I'm into aero=nautical engineering and the acoustics of change. This interview process seems pretty complex.

cool_zero

hey,
maybe anyone could help me in coming up with an example to demonstrate flexibility/adaptability? i have a 1st round interview at Accenture tomorrow.
Would studying in another country demonstrate your flexibility? or is it more connected with the change of circumstances and how you cope with them? i am trying hard but really can't think of any examples.

Thanks!

cool_zero

Just came back from the 1st round interview for ACG at Accenture. It was a very pleasant and friendly experience, packed with plenty of questions, but nothing to worry about if you are well prepared, esp. to the questions posted on wikijob.

 

The only person i didn't like at the office was the receptionist on the ground floor, who wasn't very polite, clearly unsatisfied with his life and expressing himself on people coming into QVS 60. It was completely different on the 3rd floor, to my relief. Very pleasant personnel and apparently a very nice interviewer.

After a brief chat about what i am doing atm, where did i come from and what are my impressions so far, i was treated to a tiny cubicle. He presented himself, told the whole process of the interview - competencies, mini-case and commercial awareness at the end. As far as i can remember i was asked the following questions:

 - Why this Uni/subject?
 - Why consulting?
 - Give me an example when you had to persuade someone/solve a numerical problem/be flexible
 - What IT skills do you want to develop at Accenture?
 - How do you think as an analyst you will use technology?
 - What will you be doing in the analyst role?
 - Name our main competitors
 - How Accenture is different from those firms?
 - Did you hear about any recent deals we have completed?

Mini-case: they have this small booklet (maybe A5 or even A6 in size) with probably 10 cases in total (wild guess, but not that important anyway), and i was given a case about some beauty products firm. As far as i can remember, the main points were that the firm shifted its focus from national and mass marketing to more indivicual and customer oriented marketing. The market size has diminished by 40% and expenses of the IT department rose significantly. I was asked to come up with 3 problems, 3 solutions (include some long and short term, because mine were all long term so i had to think of 2 more)

And that was it. Interesting enough, Accenture operates a policy not to give away business cards to potential candidates - bye bye thank you letter :) Overall, a great experience, very friendly interviewer, open but tight office space. Made a good impression on me, not what I hoped after reading quite a few posts, but of course this is very personal. Hope this helps someone, as many posts on Wikijob definitely helped me!

ferrari-red

Hi!
what a great post! wow im surprised how much input you have given.. its a big shame you did not get the job and yes it definately shows how competetive it is!
I just wanted to ask someone who has had a second round interview in the technology solutions.. what the day involves and whether it is as hardcore as the consulting one..
thanks in advance!

ab304

I would say that this is all very helpful. Having gone through the process, I would just like to add a couple of points which might or might not be helpful. Sorry if it's a bit long and probably too much...

The majority of this is also general interview preparation tips that I have been given from many different sources, websites, friends, recruitment profs etc...

Application form:

Accenture is primarily a technology firm. Their strategy division is very small.

I think that it is important to make sure that when you fill the application form you show that you know this. In particular the question where you are asked about how Accenture helps its clients.

1st Round interview:

This was much more laid back than I had anticipated. As far as the competency questions go I prepared 8 or so answers which could be adapted to cover almost any question. As a result of this I only had one question which I had not prepared an answer.

I prepared answers to answer the following questions which I have grouped into competencies:

Describe a time when you were a member of a team and witnessed a conflict within the team. What did you do? What were the results? What could you have done better? How do you motivate team members to do something they decide they do not want to do? Describe a situation where you were successful in getting people to work together effectively. [TEAMWORK]

When have I had to make a tough decision? When have you made a bad decision? [DECISIVENESS- this is important to Accenture and one of the things you are assessed on at the 2nd round interview]

When have you shown leadership? Name a situation that has helped you improve? Describe a time when you had to lead a group to achieve an objective. [LEADERSHIP]

Tell me about a time when you had to explain an issue or process to a colleague (or colleagues) at work/Tell me about a time when you taught someone else something. [EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION]

Give an example of how you dealt with a difficult or sensitive situation that required extensive communication/Give me an example of how you dealt with a difficult customer at work/Tell me about a time you provided excellent customer service. [PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION]

Tell me about a time when you were responsible for something. Name a situation that has helped you improve? [RESPONSIBILITY]

When have you had to be flexible? When have you had to quickly change your plans? [FLEXIBILITY/ADAPTABILITY]

I wasn't asked about all of these but I felt by preparing one scenario for each that could be slightly adapted based on the specific question I would get any surprises and luckily I was right!

When researching what Accenture do I would advise looking on their main website rather than the careers section as it goes into far more detail. I found this particularly helpful when researching the case studies as I was convinced that the interviewer would have heard about the 8 or so case studies on the careers section through and through and so would probably know more about them than me (and also probably didn't want to be bored by the same old case studies!).
I thought that by finding a different case study on the website it would put me at an advantage as there are simply so many the interviewer might not have even known about the work Accenture had done! I would also say that it really allows you to show which are of the business you might be interested in and to show that you have done more than simply to look on their careers section. I chose to learn two 'case studies' that Accenture had worked on in detail, but then also learnt in very brief detail about 5 or 6 others.
What I mean by this is for example Accenture worked with M&S to improve their customer complaints procedure. I would also say at this point that you could slip in some of the companies that Accenture has alliances with, such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft etc... they're all listed on their website.

Finally the Case Study. This was fairly straightforward. As said above they ask for the three most important problems, possible solutions. I thought I had mucked this section up as I gave the interviewer three problems, but then changed my mind and asked if I could swap one of the problems. This just goes to show that you don't have to be absolutely perfect but confidence and conviction will get you a long way. The case study is only about 100 words long so don't worry too much about it. I also found that the 3 problems were even spread out, but they are not the only problems with the company. I think they are looking for you to decide which are the most important.

I would say the most important piece of advice I was given for this stage by an Accenture employee, was to over prepare, learn exactly what you will be doing, what Accenture does (Technology, Outsourcing, Consulting), finally and probably most importantly, be friendly, try to build a rapport and most of all be CONFIDENT, even if you're not naturally, fake it!

2nd Round.

This was a real mix of some periods which were extremely intense and others which were quite laid back.

For this round I would say that there isn't as much preparation as the first round that you can do as it is more about how you perform on the day. Accenture will send you though an email in advance which will detail exactly what they are looking for.

I won't go into too much detail about the format of the day as that has been covered by the previous posters, the only thing I would say about the group exercises, and this is by no means definitive as everyone is different, but I would avoid being scribe or time keeper. I believe it is a poisoned chalice and the potential to screw it up completely outweighs the potential gains. It is my opinion that trying to be scribe will distract you from the groups aims. In my group the person who volunteered to be scribe did a terrible job and spent most of the exercise with their back to us. Similarly with the time keeper, they forgot what time we'd started the exercise...

I would say that even if you are not scribe you can still take a leading role, and you can still keep time. In these group exercises it's key to take notes yourself and try to involve everyone. Most importantly, make sure you thoroughly read the brief and possibly on your notes, at the top write a quick note to yourself to remind you EXACTLY what you are being asked to do. This is particularly important in the 2nd group exercise, as you are under quite a lot of pressure to come up with a unique idea, and also under a lot of time pressure, so it is quite easy to become side tracked or forget exactly what you are supposed to be doing. As well as this I would try to stay clear of answers that the interviewers will have heard over and over, for the Underground one I would avoid anything to do with the congestion charge, sponsorship, or computer controlled trains as they are really obvious and not really innovative (apologies charlord I don't mean to offend!). I didn't get this case study, but what about removing all of the seats on the trains to get more people in, or an alternative scheme like the free bikes available in Paris, or timed tickets that can only be used at a certain time.

The final interview, is even more laid back than the first and to me felt like it was over in about 20 minutes. The interview mainly focussed on the day. I was however, at the end asked a couple of questions. These were interestingly the ones that I felt at the 1st interview I hadn't answered very well... not sure if this always happens but is something to consider.

Hope this helps. I've probably given far too much information. One more thing I would say is that after you are told you are successful at the 1st round you will be assigned a buddy. I was very surprised when I arrived at the 2nd round stage to find some of the other candidates had not used their buddy! They are there to help and are not a member of the HR team, so ask them as much as you can, you've got nothing to lose by trying to find out about the process and the company in as much detail as possible.

This is for the ACG

ferrari-red

thanks for all the information, I do indeed appreciate it.
I havent read it fully so will take time and read it fully and thoroughly.
At the end you mentioned this is for ACG.. I was wondering if anyone knew about the Technology Solutions and not so much the consulting one.
I hope the technology solutions one isnt so much hardcore! - the interviews and group interviews!

thanks once more

velvetpigeon

Thank you cool-zero my interview had the same case study as yours. people reading please as well as short term and long term think internal and external. The IT prob obvi internal - and market prob mixture of the two. make sure you think outside the box, Bain and co have good practice for these things.

Did anyone have the question:
Tell me of a time when you have made a wrong decision?

This was my first question, i feel the interview went downhill from there i got nervous and could think straight.

Good luck alll and Happy xmas.

colouringin

I had my AC for the ACG a few weeks ago and although I got rejected (this was because I failed in one area, I would like to say a few things).

The case study - you have 20 minutes which is just about enough time to read the brief cover to cover, try to summerise the 3 main problems and solutions and any key facts.

Group exercise - I was scribe (I don't believe this role is cursed if you do it properly) I was praised for doing very well in this exercise as I kept the conversation moving and had some good problem solving ideas. As long as you still be part of the group and keep eye contact after everytime you write then you should be fine. You don't even need to write that much, just list the points, it's only for the groups reference and everyone has notes anyway.

Interview - They will ask for 3 problems and 3 solutions in a structured way. They will also ask what Accenture would do (so talk through the consulting process). Again I was praised for having good problem solving skills and good Accenture awareness. It says it should be an informal conversation, but mine was with a HR person and it was very structured. She even stopped me midway through an answer when she had written enough enough to satisfy that area on her mark from. Look for things like, IT needs to improve, integrate IT systems, train customer service staff, aquire competitors. Our case study was about a travel agent who had a really bad online booking system and customer service. It wasn't hard to pick out the main ideas.

Document review - It's kind of hard. Read through it all quickly and look for lots of mistakes. There are lots of formatting errors as well. The factual ones are even harder to find. Try and do the practice one on the website - very similar to the real one.

Idea generation - This is where I, and a lot of other people seem to fall down. We had to solve the overcrowding and underfunding of the tube. Be seriously creative here rather than realistic. They aren't interested in commercial sponsorship, they want things like first class trains, monorails, electric cycles anything different! So the reason I was rejected is because my ideas were not creative enough.

good luck!

Franzipan

Anyone been to one of the new style assessment centers? Was wondering what the in tray exercise was like?

seyoc007

Thanks for all the great information. Just wondering if anyone has applied this year? I have 1st round interview coming up soon.

Ribena, how did yours go back in August? any tips?

cappon09

Fantastic post, really helpful

raistlin533

Thanks very much, I believe these are very helpful!

ribena

*************

archi

hi charlord,

I am as well going to attend the 1st round of interview for ACG on 25th Oct. Can you please suggest me some way or website through which I can study a little bit about the Case Studies and practice about it and that the sort of what I would get for the assessment.

Please reply as it would be really helpful.

Thanks

Regards

Archi

hswoo.lse

Awesome post. I have a telephone interview on the 25th of November (Thanksgiving morning for me so Happy Holidays)!! Any suggestion to people who had interview for ACG??

cy_011988

I attended an assessment centre 2 weeks ago for ACG and the recruitment team told me it would take them at most 10 days to get back to us.
I still haven't heard anything from them even i tried calling the 0500 number, I would love to know the result even its an rejection. Has anyone heard back from them yet??

NazyKat

Hey I had my AC in the end of November, it was on a Tuesday and I found out on the Friday that I'd got the job. I was told that theyl send me an email that i have to confirm within 10 days of receipt and I would receive it in the next week. In actual fact I only got it on Friday, I phoned the recruiter who called me with my offer mid-week to receiving it and she said that theyd been snowed under with applicants and offer making so things have been taking a little bit longer than they'd expected. Hope that helps you cy! x

thewallstreetmonkey

Hi NazyKat..I have just received an offer for Feb 2012 start..when are you starting?

NazyKat

im doing the intern so Summer =]
x

abbie_alli

hi Naykat

I have my AC tomorrow for a summer internship, is the format the same as with the graduate joiners? Do u have any tips?

sundance_kid

Hi guys,
I applied for the Feb 2011 ACG start, and my application was received on Dec 17th. They emailed me on Dec 21st to say "You have passed the initial screening and your details are now with our recruitment specialists who will contact you in the next few days to confirm the outcome of the screening stage".

Well, 'the next few days' has turned out to be almost 2 weeks with no reply. I have called the 0500 number twice, and inquired. They said that the recruitment team are still dealing with my application and will get back to me once a decision is made.
Just wanted to ask how long I should expect to be waiting, especially if I intend to start in Feb?!?!

I was referred by a current employee, if this makes any difference.
Thanks!

marr_M

I applied for the placement scheme to start in 2011 online and after around 1-2 weeks recieved an email saying "Congratulations, we would like to invite you to attend our second round assessment for a position within Accenture"

I was just wondering if anthing similar happened with any one else as I thought a first round interview was required, Ive booked the interview for the 15th of feb

NazyKat

Yeah they do that from time to time, I skipped the first round because Im abroad this year.. makes your life a lot easier =] x

eoewllen

hi,Everyone

I'm going to attend the 1st round interview next monday. I'm wondering if anyone here could provide me some advices? For example, what questions you have been asked? Also, about the knowing the company, do you need to know almost every department of Accenture?

123spink123

Hi everyone,
I have my first round interview with ACG on the 30th of March. I was hoping if anyone would know anything about how to practice for the case studies? you help will be much appreciated
Thank you x

Sweet tooth

Hi all,

Does anyone know what references/certificates you need to provide if you get an offer?

Thanks!

sasicign

it is very similar to the examples given on Accenture's website.

Cecmode

Hi Everyone,

I received an offer from Accenture for a role in their Analyst Consulting Group.
I have also been successful in the interview process at KPMG, PWC, Ernst and Young.

If you need any help I am willing to give advice and help. The reason I am doing this is that WikiJob provided me with the information I used to prepare myself for the job interviews and assessment centres, it is only right that I help others that were in my position before.

C

Cecmode

.

hamruz

Hi Cecmode,
Congratulations with offer for ACG,
I have had 1st round interview 2 days ago, and waiting for results
How long did it take you to get an email about 2nd round AC after 1st round interview?
BTW did anyone tell you about date of commencement of the work?
Thanks in advance for your reply
Kind regards
H

Trinity

Hi Cecmode,
congratulations
I have my first round interview coming up this week and appreciate it if you can share your experience. Especially the case study..
thanks

Cecmode

@hamruz
I got my results from the assessment centre within 4 working days.
I start in August, however you should expect to start in March 2012 if you are offered a position.

@Trinity
I found that it was a very predictable interview. Competencies, What do you know About Accenture, About Competitors, about the role. So long as you have these covered you will find the interview very enjoyable. Also when you talk about the role make sure you show the interviewer that you really want it eg. "i can't see myself in a more enjoyable role", "After reading around, nothing would suit me better than this role", make a little story to make it seem that you were born to be a Management Consultant. I personally used my interest in technology and my desire to be business orientated. I backed these up with examples and I said these with enthusiasm.

The case study is all about your ability to think and see through Accenture's eyes.
The company that is in the case study has problems with their business process, their IT systems and their call center. Accenture has 3 Growth Platforms. Strategic Consulting, Technology Consulting and Outsourcing. In your answer to solve the issues that the company has, make sure you refer to each growth platform. Tell them how the business process can be streamlined and how certain processes should be gotten rid of. Tell them how you can use cloud computing, GPS handheld devices and the WI-Fi to solve their tech issues. Tell them about how their call centre can be outsourced to India. They will be very impressed. I think if you struggle on this task, then perhaps Accenture is not the right fit, because this is all that Accenture is about.

Make sure you show your logical thought, and communicate clearly, even if you have to go slow. SMILE, give a strong handshake. These interviewers will be asked the question "do you see yourself enjoying working with the candidate as a fellow colleague". Treat them like a colleague and not a boss.

business edge

Hi guys,

Can you please help me with this? I gave my first round of ACG interview on last friday and havent heard from ACN yet. I understand that the waiting period is 5-10 days. However, this friend of mine gave the first interview same time and he has got an email that he's been successful. Does this mean I havent been successful? :-/

selinavann

The application form appears to be very simple. I am concerned as to whether I've got enough detail.

Does anyone have any tips on how they answered approached the form, in particular:

1 In what ways does Accenture use technology to help its clients improve their business?
2. Describe what your day to day tasks and activities might be as an Analyst on a
project. Please provide a concise bullet point list of the key activities.

thanks

Selina

Ruby89

Hi C

I am awaiting my date for the AC for the analyst role for Accenture. I would appreciate it if you could tell me some more about your experience and any advice and tips you have, especially in regards to the case study and idea generation sections!

Thanks loads!
Ruby89

nguyenthuthuy31

Hi Cemode,
I am struggling with the Pwc Online Tests, especially the situational judgement test and personality questionnaire. Could you please give me some advice on those ? Do you have any idea about what Pwc looks for candidates from those two tests ?
Thanks a lot !

mycanal

hi, do you have any e-book that you can email me for personailty questionnaire tests or situational judgement tests please. or if you can recomment any book that i can buy from a book store or amazon for such interview and online questionair preparation. please
mycanal@yahoo.com
Thank you in advance.
Saj

mycanal

hi, do you have any e-book that you can email me for personailty questionnaire tests or situational judgement tests please. or if you can recomment any book that i can buy from a book store or amazon for such interview and online questionair preparation. please
mycanal@yahoo.com
Thank you in advance.
Saj

ServiceDesk

Hi, is there anybody going for the 22nd September Assessment Centre in Manchester??

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