Here are that many comments on how bad Accenture is. It seems that they pay far below average, treat their employers pretty bad and are just doing IT related projects misusing their business consulting service line as door opener for large IT implementation work. So, I am wondering if ACN is really that bad. I mean, almost 120.000 people can not be wrong especially in time when almost all consultancies are looking for new staff.cheers

I agree - there seems to be so many people giving them bad write ups. But I have friends who work/worked there and they are/wer quite happy. Those who joined as grads got 30K plus 10K sign on -not too shabby (bloody good really) for a new grad and those still there after the 2 year training scheme are no earning 60K - again not too bad (really quite good) for 2 years experience. They work hard, but holiday where they want and 2 of they (now) a couple have a UK flat in essex and holiday flat in france for snowboarding. They consider the hard work worth it and will move on once they have the right offer.

OK here goes. Don't believe the hype. Accenture is a big organisation and as such has its good points and bad points. (1)A good chunk of our work is IT related and that is not true for everyone. I think alot of the people who complain about Accenture do so because they fail to appreciate the technology aspect to the firm before they apply. However that does not mean that we are all technology consultants or even that if you are doing tech work that you will be doing techy things like writing code. (2) Business consulting does do alot of work that is an opener for bigger deals but it also does alot that is stand alone. However it is wrong to think that they only exist to feed the wider firm or that their work is compromised. What you will not get is McK-or-BCG-like strat work. (3) How the firm treats you depends vastly on what bit of it you are in. If you are in Business and Systems Integration, yes you are a bit anonymous and are likely to get lost. In the Business Consulting capability groups this situation is certainly not true. Even in the large market units these groups are small (30-50 people). (4) Finally the pay is not bad - it is pretty good. Better than PA, Deloite or CG at comperable levels - sure, it's not as good as the Strat firms - but if your good enough apply there in the first place do it and don't moan. In short - it is not perfect and there are both people who don't like it and some things about the firm which are not great, but in the main I have enjoyed my time here and enjoy my work.

Tell you, nobody earns 60k after two years (more likely 45-50k incl. bonus), except maybe some highly networked guys who brings projects from his private network .. and the 10k sign on is distributed over three years (to be read in this forum). Reg. work/ culture: would be interested how they can evaluate other options when they work their arse off assuming they don't know outside ACN (couple!) or had no change so far???120.000 people mean 75% people in outsourcing or pure technology. Are we in on top-consultant.com or what we are talking about...guys leverage your information!!!

That´s more or less what I have heard about ACN from friends still working there and friends who already left the company to join other consultancies. Most of them who were working in Business Consulting (most in Strategy or F&PM) were or are very happy with ACN. I agree that most of the negative points in this forum are from people who did not find what they were looling for or who were not able to set-up the right network which is pretty much important in a company which is that large.

There is no better source of information on a company than its employees. If the majority of ACN insiders give you a negative response, it's best to take heed. Accenture is not for everyone. Internally, the culture reeks of individualism. Externally, the company thrives on deceptive PR, especially as regards recruitment. The company pays above average but many people soon realise that this doesn't compensate for the hours and the stress. Others are happy to stay on.It is important to be clear about your objectives. If what you want is a few years earning a good salary and getting a good name on your CV despite the stress, travel and hassle, then go for it. However, if you want to develop some specific consulting or IT skills, then this is a risky option.

Hi exACN, so what option do you have in mind. Isn´t it true that consulting generally means lots of travel, long hours and a more stressful life especially compared to industry? Is Capgemini, BearingPoint, IBM BCS etc. really an option in the terms mentioned by you. cheers, SAK

I can only speak for Accenture because I worked there. I don't know much about the others but it's unlikely that the experience would differ much. The most important aspect of your decision-making should be your understanding of the company's core business. This should give you an insight into what to expect, particularly from a career development perspective. For example, if the consulting firm focuses on large IT projects, then employee profiles will mainly fall into two categories: "IT experts" and "client-facing support staff". Much of the work will involve systems development, systems testing, documentation and change management. You are unlikely to gain core skills in finance, strategy, marketing, business development etc... catch my drift?

once again...if you read the threat completely you may realize that there is a difference. Actually a former ACN manager joined us and after only three months she realizes a significant difference in the way how (a) people are treated by colleagues and superiors, (b) the way to work WITH clients and finally (c) development opportunities (this is maybe a little forward after three months)Better believe those with long experience, contacts to people who work for both or even better people who experienced both!