Hi, I have recently been offered a grad position with both Accenture (OG) and PA Consulting and can't decide which one to take. Im trying to decide whether I would be able to progress quicker and gain more responsibiity within PA due to its smaller size or whether my opportunities would be more limited becuase of this. Also, would the (as I have read previously) 'nicer culture' of PA mean more than the better training offered with Accenture. Any advice whatsoever is welcomed from anyone who has worked for either company, been in a similar situation or work for a competitor or has any insights about careers progression, opportunities, CV enhancements as im really stumped about what to do. Thanks

I work for a competitor of both Accenture and PA. I think you need to decide what is more important to you - if it's progression, ambition and prestige, then Accenture is probably the better place to go. PA's smaller size means that you will have more chances to get involved in a good breadth of projects, and culturally they are, as you say, considerably "nicer". I would pick PA over Accenture every time. As a recruiter, I am very wary of people coming from an Accenture background. They all seem to have been indoctrinated into the "cult of Accenture" and have limited ability to think for themselves and be creative in coming up with solutions to client problems. Good luck either way though...

Hi RecruitGal, thanks for your response, so you dont think PA being a smaller company will limit my opportunities if I decide to move somewhere else? Ive read a lot about the training at Acc being a lot better than PA, do you know if this is the case and would this limit my opportunities to move elsewhere? Thanks for your help

Would you pick Accenture over Unisys Corporation, based on your reply it appears that even though a candidate might have a solid background and is good at coming up with clients solutions that Accenture is not a good choice. Can you please ellaborate more on your opinion as I am considering a position with Accenture over the one I have at Unisys? Thanks.

Thanks for this helpful conversation string! I'm in a position similar to "Please Help". I'm interested in three criterion that might help me to decide between PA and Accenture. Can anyone offer their knowledge on these points?1. PA's starting SALARY is significantly lower that that offered at Accenture (is there room to negotiate salary at PA)?2. Accenture's obsession with IT could blind it to other possible client solutions - is this the case?3. What literature have you read comparing the TRAINING at Accenture and PA, "Please Help"? Should I be wary of the training offered at PA?

What's the graduate starting salary at PA then?