Executive Interview
If you’ve made it this far, congratulations are in order! You have clearly demonstrated that you have the fundamental skills to be successful in this job. The final step is designed to fill in the blanks and to determine how well you present yourself at the executive level. Every interview until now has been a phone interview.
This is the first interview where one or more executives will assess your professional demeanor in person and determine whether you can build trust and credibility quickly with a client. In this job, you will interact with executives all the time. You need to speak their language. You need to demonstrate that you are comfortable around them and can interact with them as a peer.
NOTE: A Senior Manager at Accenture is considered an executive level position. You will be leading multi-million dollar projects, you will lead an extended team of Accenture consultants and client team members and you will be interacting regularly with the client VP or CxO.
Your next promotion at Accenture is to the level of Managing Director (formerly “Senior Executive”, formerly “Partner”). If you leave consulting, most likely you will be interviewing for Director- or Vice President-level positions.
My executive interview topics ranged from the behavioral (talking about past experiences like how I managed large and diverse teams) to the functional (demonstrating on the white board how I would approach a storage migration assessment) to the tactical (explaining Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint advanced features) to the technical (map the seven layers of the OSI Model as it pertains to entering a URL on my browser} to the strategic (how will I position myself within Accenture as I develop my “personal brand”?).
Final Tips
Primarily, it is the Managing Director’s responsibility during this interview to render a final verdict on whether you can be successful in this role or not. Typically, they will communicate with your previous interviewers beforehand and determine whether there are any gaps in your portfolio. They will try their best to determine whether those gaps are real or perceived and whether you can overcome those deficiencies once you start doing the job.
In my case, Accenture flew me to New York City to meet with two Managing Directors in person. More recently, Accenture has been doing these final interviews via teleconference. If you live close to an Accenture office, you will be invited to the office and your interview will be via telepresence. If you’ve never experienced this technology, it is pretty interesting.
You will go into a conference room with a set of large HD monitors around the table. If done right, you will quickly forget that you are taking to a screen. It really feels like the other person is in the same room.
In my opinion, the worst case scenario is if you are unable to make it into an Accenture office. I don’t know how often this happens but you may have to do the final interview via Skype or another consumer-grade web-based video conferencing option.
This scenario is fraught with risks and I strongly encourage you to avoid this option if at all possible. Skype is great for video chatting with friends or overseas relatives but it is horrible for making a strong first impression during a job interview.
If you have no other choice, please read the links at the end of this post for some basic tips and watch the video to make the best of a bad situation.
And there you have it. Three phone interviews. one in-person or telepresence interview (again, please avoid Skype) and you should have a decision. My recruiter called me within an hour of leaving my Executive interview to make me an offer. I learned recently that sometimes it can take much longer due to external factors and based on the immediate need of the business that you are applying for…but I guess that should be expected.
Good luck to you and feel free to reach out to me if you want to chat further or if you have questions. I have had quite a few readers contact me recently as they were preparing to go through the interview process. From what I know, most of them made it through. What a bunch of smarties!
FURTHER READING:
Navy Seals (1000 apply. About 220 make it through the training and become SEALs)
Harvard Medical School (5435 applied. 4.1% were accepted last year)
Impossible Microsoft Interview Questions
The Vaporware Blog 
Hi Asif,
One month back I cleared 2 rounds in Accenture,I have uploaded all the documents as instructed now the status am seeing in portal is awaiting document from candidate.Could you please let me know what is the next stage ?
Naresh, I’m not in HR so I cannot give you advice on what to do next. But as I wrote in this post, Accenture gets millions of applications and they hire based on specific budget and staffing needs. I know people who waited months and then suddenly they got called. Others moved through the process very quickly. Your timing is good because at the start of the year, new projects get funded so they usually start hiring aggressively in the first few months of the year. Good luck and keep us posted.
Asalamualaykum Asif,
Based on the Hierarchical title/position:
Analyst>Consultant> Mgr> Sr Mgr > Director.
My friend is trying to give a try for an the entry level – analyst, do you think they would hire a person with 3-4 years of related experience maybe as a high end Analyst?
If so, what would be the range based on your past experience? Also how long does it take to get promoted to Consultant?
Between the Analyst to the next one- Consultant, what is the gap in salarywise.
Syukriya Boss Asif, keep on blogging…
CareerBlogReader, Analyst is usually an entry level position. They tend to hire directly out of university. However, I knew of several analysts who were hired with 3-5 years experience. They joined as analysts and were promoted within a year or two. If you are good at your job, promotions tend to happen every 2-3 years. Once you get to Manager, it could take longer to get to Sr Mgr. And once you get to Sr Mgr, well, some people just stay at that level for the rest of their careers because it is a very good role. I met Sr Mgrs who had no desire to get promoted to Managing Director because they liked managing projects. An MD is primarily responsible for selling new projects. Bottom Line: yes, someone with 3-5 years experience can be hired as a Sr Analyst and can move into the Consultant role pretty quickly if they prove themselves. Good luck and Shukriya!
Thank you so much for the reply.
Do you know by any chance their salary structure between the Senior level to the next up in the ladder? I mean their gap before being promoted to the next level.
Shukriya in advance Asif the very responsive career blogger!
I don’t know the salary structure because it depends on a lot of factors. I recommend you check out Glassdoor.com. their estimates are pretty accurate. You can look up based on job title, geography and other variables. Good luck
Hi Asif, awesome blog. I’m in the process of interviewing for a Manager role in Consulting and I’m done with the recruiter and senior manager interviews. I’m now scheduled for a 1 hour situational/behavioral interview over the phone. Any guidance on the kind of questions i can expect would be truly appreciated. Cheers!
Berniecrat, it has been several years since I had my situational interview but I suspect it probably hasn’t changed much. They ask you questions like “name a time when you faced a really difficult situation and how did you solve it? What did you learn from it? How did it help you avoid it in the future? The point here is that they ask you a basic question. You must give a thoughtful, detailed answer and expect follow ups to make sure you are not just making up stories. I’m sure others here can provide more recent updates and more details. Good luck.
Thank you! A quick clarification. The behavioral interview is being schedule with a member of the interview team that is not related to the practice area. So is there an expectation to ask questions to the interviewer even if they are not related to the specific role that I’m interviewing for? Thanks again for all your help
Yes that is the same way my behavioral interview was done. Someone with no knowledge of my domain asked very generic questions about handling tough issues. You do not need to demonstrate domain expertise. It is specifically geared toward general management experience.
Thanks for all the help. I made it past my situational interview and I’m now scheduled for a 1 hour in person interview with the Managing Director. It doesn’t look like I’ll have a case interview. Any thoughts on what I can expect at this stage? As always, thanks in advance for the guidance and for this amazing blog. Cheers
Check out my other posts. I go into the interview process in detail.
Hi Asif,
Came across your page while browsing for information on the interview process. I am interviewing for an SAP consultant position and my next step is the telepresence interview. Could you please provide more information on this type of interview or tips that will be helpful in completing this successfully? The thought of interviewing with a managing director sounds intimidating but with proper preparation, I know I will succeed.
Hi I’m traveling this week so I can’t write a detailed response. But I’m pretty sure this question was asked before. If you read through the comments on a few of the more popular posts, you will see my detailed tips.
Hi Asif,
Firstly I just want to thank you for what is by far and away the most helpful material on Accenture’s process. You comments and willingness to answer everyone’s questions have made me feel much better. My experience so far has also been spot on with what you described, with the HR, Situational, Skills, etc.
I’m currently in the recruiting process as an experienced IT consultant, and have passed the HR screening and Situational interview after having been referred by a friend. The position itself is for a SaaS I have no experience in, however I was told my experience with implementation would keep me in the running. The recruiter has been very responsive and professional throughout the process, and has even responded that he was trying to set up the Skills for next week (though it’s now been a couple days past when he said he would have a date).
I was a bit anxious over a couple things, and hoping to get your feedback. Firstly, how flexible would you recommend I be in scheduling interviews? In my current role, I had to travel very suddenly and unpredictably to client site with meetings, and can’t use the “doctor’s office” excuse to schedule. I’m afraid that having one unpredictable week schedule-wise in my current role would push out my interview schedule too far, causing them to move onto someone else. Would you imagine HR being more flexible here than I’m imagining they are?
Also, the way you and some others have described the Skills interview has made me feel like it’s extremely difficult to prepare for. The Situational for me was very straight forward, but I’d be concerned of being docked for not being able to, for example, know Linux. Do you have any tips on how to prepare, should this or another future campaign get me to that point?
Thank you so much, again, for all of your responses here!
Hi Asif
I got a call from Accenture and asked me my current CTC , total exp , expected CTC and notice period.
After answering these questions I have no update at all.
What should I do next?
Is it a clear rejection or still am I considered.
This call happened two days back.
Can I expect them to call me for interview?
There is also one thing I have to ask. After the call I forgot the name of the person who had called. How can I get the details regarding this.
How to contact the HR?
THANK YOU
Hi, I’m sorry I missed this question earlier. Do you still need input on the interview process?
Hi,
Very nice blog, Recently i was referred by my friend for a consultant position in Ireland, Till now i have faced 4 rounds, 1st with a senior manager over the phone it was mostly on my skillset, the 2nd round was a MD interview case interview over a web based video conferencing client know as Hirevue & on the same day i spoke to the HR, & she spoke to me regarding the compensation & she also discussed weather Accenture would pay me relocation & work-permit charges as I am from India, they told me you have to speak to one more senior executive from ireland, i spoke to the head of digital, ireland & it’s been a week & i am still waiting to hear from them. I dont know weather to consider it as positive or negative.
Please suggest, does accenture reply back to give me my feedback? Weather it is a Yes or No. I am quite curious now.
Harsh, congratulations on getting this far. It is usually a very good sign. Sometimes, the process just slows down because of budgets or other internal issues. Have you reached out to the HR recruiter? They can usually give you an update. Your situation sounds complicated so I’m sure it will take them a little longer to work out the details. Having said all that, I’m not familiar with the situation you describe (getting hired in Ireland, applying for work permit, etc). Also, I have not worked for Accenture in almost 3 years. So hopefully, one of our readers will be able to give a more accurate update for you. It is a very helpful and active group of readers. I wish you well.
Asif,
Thanks for the quick reply. I have not reached out to the HR recruiter yet. I will probably wait for them to reply till this week, will mail her after that. I guess i have reached this far just because i have a niche (in demand) skillset in Analytics. And yes as you say my situation seems complicated as I am from India & i would require a work-permit if i have to join. Lets see what happens. All the best for you. Thank you once again.
Hi Asif,
First, thank you for the valuable info on your blog! I completed by behavioral and case office interviews at the NYC office mid-december for the entry level consulting analyst position. It’s been a few weeks now and I haven’t heard anything yet!
I get that the holidays and new years may get in the way because managers and recruiters go on vacation, but it’s been a while since then. I’m wondering if it has anything to do with how their budgets or hiring works, due to the end of the year, that might slow down the process or make them wait to respond to me?
Also, how are chances once you’ve made it to the final round? My interviewers were nice, and one of the final ones replied with “let me know if you receive and accept an offer” when I sent him my thank you. Is this a good sign?
Hi Asif
I appreciate such blogs , i am kind in the same situation as Pat done with all interview in Dec and got the back ground check done , Got the project interviewer
also done , I got the confirmation on the role on a telephone conversation , The Hr says he is still to get approvals to release an offer, what does that mean , its taking long time i fell.
Hi Asif,
I’m currently interviewing with Accenture for a senior manager role. It’s been about 3 weeks. I met with 4 people, then “final round” with a senior person 6 days ago. I was told this was the final stage just to make sure I’m a good cultural fit.
I spoke with recruiter the day after and she said they all really liked me and that things were looking really good for me. She said I’d get a final update last Thursday, then on Friday, she said no update, but hoped to have one on Monday, today. But alas, no update.
Question, is it likely they had multiple people in this final round and that they already made someone else an offer and are just keeping me in the wings in case the offer doesn’t work out with another person? Would the recruiter really butter me up like that? She called me right after my final interview and was asking about salary and offer details (I don’t provide my salary) but she also asked about bonus and stuff that made me think they were ready to send me an offer.
Or, do you think they only had me as the finalist and are just having internal delays before giving me an offer? How long would they wait to provide me an offer?
First of all, congratulations on getting to the final round. Unfortunately, the right answer could be any of the above. Remember, it is employment at will. They don’t have to make you an offer and you don’t have to accept. Having said that, believe that Accenture’s recruiting operations are among the best I’ve dealt with so I don’t think they would string you along. There could be any of a number of reasons why there is no update yet. Several people have commented on this forum about their experience with delays in getting an offer. I think most did get their offers eventually.
I’m sorry I don’t have any further insight for you. I was not a part of the recruiting organization so I don’t have any special insight about what goes on behind the scenes. I wish you luck. Keep us posted.
Just an update here. I received an offer from Accenture yesterday and I have now accepted! Thanks again.
You rock! Congrtaulations!
Hi Justin,
First, congrats on your offer! I have my final round of interview in Atlanta for a manager’s position this Friday, Jan 15th. I’m based in San Jose, btw. Since you successfully navigated through the final round, would you kindly send me some of your reflections and recommendations?
Many thanks in advance!
David
Hi David,
Congrats on making the final round! I’ve just finished my first month at Accenture and all is well.
While the final round is not a ‘shoe in’ it certainly means you are at the top of a very short list, in my case, I was one of two finalists. So chances are good.
From my understanding, the final interview, typically by an MD or senior leader, is more about cultural fit than skill set. The MD I spoke with had been there for 20 plus years. She wanted to make sure I’d fit in well and that I would stay for a while.
They obviously like your skills to have brought you this far, so don’t talk too much shop unless they ask. Focus on culture, ask what “success” looks like for this role, ask about what you can do help the broader team win.
Good luck and drop a post to let us know how it goes.
Hi Great Article!
I just finished 4 rounds of interviews at Accenture and the recruiter replied saying that they have to put the hiring process on hold and that they are very interested in me and would like to talk in 3-4 weeks about an offer. Is this common ?
Yup. Happens all the time. They try not to bring people on board when there are too many people on the bench. As soon as the bench clears, they resume hiring. Good luck.
Hi Asif, thanks for this article, it has been very insightful for me! I have completed all 4 stages of interview with Accenture; my first interview started 5 weeks ago and my last interview with the executive was a week ago. I’m in the process of waiting for an offer to be made. Typically, how long does it take Accenture to make an offer after the last interview?
Missy
Did you get a response back, I too am in the same position, completed my confirming interview last week with MD, but still awaiting final outcome.
Hi Asif,
After finally getting an offer and completing the background check, I made a really stupid mistake and didn’t check and assumed the end date for one of my jobs. Accenture HR came back and asked about the gap in employment as I put an end date of 08/2013 instead of 03/2013 and my next job after that was on 11/2013. I explained I was unemployed at that time and that I made an honest mistake on the end date. Everything else on my background check is good. I’m really nervous now and hope they don’t rescind the offer…
Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks!
Talk to your recruiter and let them know right away. Remember that hiring you is a mutually beneficial transaction. They will not try to disqualify you for an honest mistake. Be open. Be upfront. Be proactive.
Asif if I had phone screen Monday and screener said would be setting up situational interview how long should I wait before contacting screener if I haven’t heard anything? I talked to screener Monday morning, am I being impatient as it is close of buainess Tuesday and I haven’t heard anything.
Shilesh, I would recommend you send a thank you letter the same day or latest the next day. Then follow up with a note expressing interest a few days later. It keeps your name on top of the stack and shows your enthusiasm. It has always worked for me.
My experience so far with Accenture been very poor compare to pwc and deloitte. O
dd things where recruiters are rude and disrespectful and seem not to understand that my goal is to find a position. Why should they be rude because I applied to multiple jobs? Tell me I cannot be candidate for more than one job which is great but why hold against me if I apply for several? Not impressed with recruiting at all.
Recruiting is not an exact science. Everybody has a bad day. I’m sorry to hear your experience was unsatisfactory. I always believed that getting a job offer is like finding the perfect spouse. More than anything, success or failure has to do with chemistry and timing.
Hi Asif, thank you for sharing this great blog! It’s very helpful. I have a concern I’m hoping to get advice. I completed the interview process and received an offer I accepted for a Sr Mgr role. My current employer required me to exit same day since same industry. Accenture is helping me relocate and excited about me joining. I just completed background check and noticed a consumer report was ordered which showed a bankruptcy. There are no other concerns with background. I’m concerned Accenture will tell me they are taking back the offer because of the bankruptcy. If they do I am then unemployed since my current employer required me to exit since I accepted the Accenture offer. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Andres
How did this turn out? Was it an issue?
Andres, as a general rule, a bankruptcy should not disqualify you for a job. Of course, the rules may be much different if you are applying in the financial industry. What employers are generally looking for is a pattern of intentionally irresponsible or illegal behavior. That said, an employer can decide to rescind an offer for any reason as long as it doesn’t get them into legal trouble. Similarly, you can decide to rescind your acceptance for any reason. Remember, it’s employment at will.
Most prospective employers will tell you that you should not give notice at your current job until the background check is complete. I think that is a very good policy to follow. However, please note that I’m not an HR expert so you should definitely talk to the recruiter about this. Best of luck.
Hello Asif,
Thanks for the great blog, and I used your blog to prepare my interview for manager position in Singapore.
Today I had the 1st interview over skype with the MD. The interview went well and the MD emphasize that he and his boss is very much interested.
I am also having an offer from their regional competitor, and I told about it clearly.
I hope to have a response from the recruiter soon, and will keep you updated
Good luck to you!
Here to update.
Informed by the recruiter that first round went well. They will be arranging back back 2nd and 3rd round soon
Wish me luck -)
Had my back to back behavioral interview and interview with MD last week. Today I recieve an email with subject “”Please do not forward: Don’t forget to stay in touch with Accenture!””
Does that mean I am not successful?
How did this go? Any update
?
Update? How did things turn out?
Hello:
I am interviewing for Account Exec – Business Development (Technology Services) position at Accenture. Went through the recruiter and a round of (phone) interview with MD. Got invited to “assessment day”. I am currently scheduled to meet with 2 MDs : 45 minutes each.
Wondering what to expect in those interviews and what will be the steps after that. Any suggestions ?
Joe, I’m not familiar with the interview process for the AE position. I have worked closely with people in that group so I know it’s a great job. But sorry, no input on the interview process.
Asif,
Can you provide perspective on the IT Team Lead role? Where does the role fall positionally? Is it the same as a manager or senior manager?
Also should add that I have 16 years of industry exp and have managed teams of up to 60. Should I be aiming forba higher level role? I have very little consulting exp.
Asif,
Great blog. I was recently interviewed but told by the recruiter that the budget year for Accenture begins in August and that there will be roles opening at that time. Is this your experience? Typically is there a lot of hiring in August/September?
Brenden, that makes sense. Aug/Sep is when they determine how many promotion spots are available, what the annual bonuses will be so it stands to reason that this would be a good time to fill headcount as needed. Good luck.
Hi Asif
This has been my experience thus far. I applied online, and got a call back last week. The recruiter said they were meeting on Monday (this week), and if selected she would be in touch. She mentioned that there would be an interview by her, and then another one and then a video conference or call with a partner or managing director. Monday came, and she contacted me to see if I was available the very next day (Tuesday) for a phone interview with the Managing Director. I was a bit shocked as I thought that to be the last process. The recruiter said that it was the only day the MD was available and he wanted to go through right away, and she would then proceed the following week or so.
Despite such a short notice, I totally prepared for the interview. Problem is, when the interview came, the MD did not ask any questions. He told me about his journey, and then discussed what the role was and asked me about digital and client service experience. And that was it. I felt like he had not even read my resume. The interview lasted the hour as we were chatting about the role, and what the challenges would be, and my experience and value that I bring as a consultant.
At the end of the interview, I closed, and he said I have an impressive background and they need to make a decision quickly. Based on that response, I felt that I likely performed poorly or they were simply looking for external candidate to interview so they can check the box to make way for an internal hire. He just seemed like he was going through the motion.
That same day, I sent email to recruiter and attached my thank you note and asked that she pass along to MD. She replied and said she would pass along my note and be in contact with me about next steps.
Because of the vagueness in the recruiter’s response, can I assume at this point that I will likely not hear back at all? It’s only been 3 days but I guess because of how fast the last contact was made, I am not sure what to expect.
Thank you,
Vivian
Vivian, the first thing you need to know is that most interviewers are terrible at doing interviews. They are busy and don’t have time to prepare. The second thing is that you can never predict how an interview will go or what the results will be. The MD may have been super-impressed but didn’t communicate it to you. Third is that the interview process is always unpredictable. You can never know why things turned out the way they did. But just believe that whatever happened, it was meant to be. As a wise man once said, “the universe unfolds as it should.” Actually, I think that was a line from Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle…but still, it’s a great line. Good luck!
Vivian,
Did you finally get any answer? I am same boat as yours and wondering whether I should send an email to HR?
Hi T Chowdhury,
After waiting more than a week, I decided to pick up the phone and call. I wanted to know — good or bad. It turns out, and I’m not sure this is true or not, but I was told that the entire project was moved to another team and division. The Managing Director wanted to move forward but since the project was canceled under him, my process came to a stop. The recruiter let me know that she would pass along my resume to the other recruiting team and that I should not be surprised to hear from someone other than her. That’s all I know. I was disappointed but at least I know.
Vivian, sorry to hear things didn’t work out as planned but trust me when I say this. EVERYTHING happens for a reason. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had an unexpected setback only to re-emerge in a much better situation. Getting a job offer is like finding a perfect mate. You never know the reasons why it didn’t happen but when it does, it is obvious that it was meant to be. Stick with it!
Asif what is your opinion of the digital group? Are they on the same level as the strategy consulting area? Do they travel as much? Are typically flexible with office location or do need to be closely located to the assigned office? If applied strategy consulting role but did not get offer will digital know and follow up with the group of interviewers? I was “near” offer with strategy but could not resolve office location, now digital group requesting a interview. Any advice on how to handle the previous process? For the digital role I was referred by a current employee but they created a new profile for me because they could not refer me on the old one as I was already in the system. Will this be a problem?
AjayP, the digital marketing group is separate from the consulting groups. You are usually assigned to an office location and work on product development. As such, there isn’t much (if any) travel associated as far as flying to meet clients. It is a different structure than traditional consulting so you will have to check with them to see how they are structured. If you interviewed with another group, a new group may or may not know about it. It’s a large organization with lots of recruiters. If I were you, I would let them know that you interviewed elsewhere and did not get an offer and explain the circumstances. There is a lot of credibility in just being able to get to the interview stage so it will probably work in your favor.
As far as being referred, I believe an associate’s referral is tied to you and not the job you ultimately choose. If that application has been deleted, make sure that the right associate gets credit. The referral bonus is very generous and if an associate has helped you, you should thank them and make sure that they get the referral bonus.
Hey Asif,
Great blog and insight on Accenture. Is it possible for us to exchange emails/chat via phone? I have a few questions regarding being rehired that would really help me out.
Thanks,
JB
Asif, curious…are you still in consulting? I am in a similar family situation (2 young children ages 4 and 6) and am worried about the travel. Accenture, Deloitte, and PWC are throwing big salaries and bonus targets at me and frankly I am being swayed by the money. I have over 20 years industry experience (no prior consulting)and have offers for local roles here in florida but paying nearly 100k less than the consulting roles… Any advice? How tough was the travel? At this point in my career is consulting worth it?
Vikas, that’s a great question and a tough decision for you. $100K premium would sway me very easily. Here’s the thing. Even if you get into consulting for a short time like I did (2.5 years), it will greatly enhance your resume. Consulting is not a job, it’s a lifestyle. I started when my son was 3 and had to quit when he was 6. It was too hard on him.
I’m very family oriented so I wanted something where my travel would be very limited. I was also offered some very tempting postiions at the other consulting firms (unsolicited calls from recruiters) but I made a decision to get out of consulting. I loved the job but the travel was too much for me. Depending on where you live, you will be traveling most of the time…but on the other hand, you get 6 weeks of vacation so it really just depends on how you prioritize your values. For me, it was a choice between Work/Life Balance vs Work/Life Integration.
Balance means I work a lot of hours and I travel but I took some great vacations with the family. Between vacation and bench time, it can be done. Integration means that I work from home. Sometimes I have to get a report done and stay up until 2am but other times, I will take an afternoon off to go see my son play tennis…with the full support of my manager and coworkers.
I prefer integration to balance but since you haven’t been in consulting, and since they are offering you a lot of cash, it may be worthwhile for you to pursue it for a couple of years and then decide if you want to stick with it.
Good luck and I know you will make the right decision.
Asif, thanks for the quick reply. To clarify the 100k is the all in…meaning the difference in base pay is more like 60k and the outsized (by industry standards) bonuses that the consulting firms offer make up the rest. Also concerned that, not having consulting experience and being an “experienced” hire I might not fit it. I am in my 40s and targeted roles are senior manager and director…my gut is that most senior managers and directors are in their 30s and a little concerned about coming in too low positionally based on my 20 years exp. Am I off base with this or are there plenty of senior managers and directors in my range? I don’t want to make a decision based on this but it is a concern…I have this vision of everyone being late 20s or early 30s with a lot of attitude…
Vikas, your worries are misplaced. Maybe I’m naive or just very lucky. I worked with fantastic, supportive, intelligent, interesting people. Accenture is a very efficient meritocracy. If you are not great at what you do and if you don’t get along well with others, you will quickly be filtered out.
The Sr Mgr role is probably the biggest population at Accenture. I came in at the same level as you. I referred a friend who was a few years older with 20+ years experience and a VP of IT at a major publicly held company (he was offered a job but decided not to take it). So there is a huge range of ages, skill levels, expertise and experiences among the Sr Mgr community. You will be in great company. Don’t worry!
One piece of advice…take the outsized signing bonus and amortize it over 3 years. So if they offer you $60K in signing bonus, assume it is $20K/Yr. That is the vesting period of the stock anyway.
It sounds like a great financial package compared to your other options. Just don’t forget the travel. Remember that compensation is a science. You don’t get paid more for no reason. Travel deserves a pay premium…esp if you have a family. I won’t lie. I took maximum advantage of my hotel/airline/rental car rewards and status and took the family on some fabulous vacations. Try it. You will enjoy the experience.
Let us know what you decide.
HI Asif,
Great blog.
I just completed whole hiring process within last few weeks including background check and got verbal offer and joining date and also salary negotiation initially. However later on recruiter reach to out to me and told me to wait for few weeks until next quarter. Now she is telling me that there is no demand right now, however situation might change next quarter, i was really expecting to receive a offer letter at this point, because I already had a verbal offer , background check and salary negotiation.
Do you think it is worth while to wait for next three months? is it a possibility that they release offer letter during this time? or I have to go through the whole process again?
This happens at Accenture. They don’t want to bring new headcount on board if there are too many consultants on the bench at any given time. Interestingly, I have seen this happen at other companies recently. They take a LONG time to hire.
But Accenture has a legitimate reason for delaying hiring. Like any company, they will only hire when they need someone and have the budget to hire. I’m afraid this is the new normal and you can expect this to happen more frequently. Good luck to you!
Hi Asif,
Great blog by the way.
I am an Accenture alumni, worked there for 2 years then had to leave due to family health issues, which are all resolved now. During my tenure, I did very well at the firm and almost made Manager in 2 years. After I left I was recruited back as a contractor via Accenture. Recently I applied back to Accenture through a referral by a senior manager. The SE at the client I contracted for wanted me back on their project and so the recruiter set me up for a skills interview. Unfortunately, it didn’t go to well and was more technical than expected. The SE, SM who referred me and my old career counselor are in talks with the recruiter and hiring manager to vouch for my skills. So I’m currently in limbo and unsure if I’ll get back into Accenture.
Have you ever come across this crazy situation?
thanks,
littlerock24
littlerock24, I’ve sat on both sides of the interview desk many times before, during and after Accenture. One conclusion I have come to is that too many people have no idea how to conduct an interview. They don’t review the candidate’s background prior to the interview, they don’t know what they need to assess during the interview and they don’t know how to measure whether that person will be the right fit for the job. Of course, a hiring manager (your referring SE, SM or career counselor in this case) would have cut through the noise right away but unfortunately, the process doesn’t usually work like that. You have to cut through several filters to get to the person who can actually make those assessments.
I’ve referred people to Accenture who would have been GREAT at the job but couldn’t get past the first filter because they didn’t complete their college degree. A silly filter these days, if you ask me.
I’ve been through many technical interviews where I thought it was just a waste of time (why do I need to know Linux commands for a Sr Mgr position??). It sounds like you have internal resources that are trying to rectify the situation. So you are in a better position than most. You should be able to overcome this. Accenture is usually very good at recruiting so they will likely course-correct if your sponsors can make a good case for you. Let me know how it goes.
Just wanted to provide an update!
After some calls from the SE’s to the recruiter, I was able to get another technical interview. This time I aced it and did great on the final interview as well. We negotiated for a week over salary and they finally met me in the middle. Got the offer today and will accept. It’s been a 2 and 1/2 month roller coaster and I’m finally glad its over!
thanks!
You are destined for greatness! Congratulations!
Hello,
I appreciate the details of your blog, great advice and comments!
I am an Accenture alum who, within the last week, completed final interviews for a manager role with Accenture. My HR contact has stated that I have been recommended for approval by the MD of the practice area and that I should hear more definitive information by the end of the week. As an alumI was not required to complete the behaviorial interviews.
Although I discussed salary early on in the process, it really has not been mentioned since. Also, during my last conversation there was little discussion on additional details of the potential offer. I am a little nervous about this process, it is totally different from my first hiring process with Accenture – I remember interviewing with a partner and at the conclusion of the interview he reached behind him and gave me my offer letter!
In your past experience, how has the rehire process been different? I was concerned that the MD that I interviewed with was not impressed but the feedback that I received was the opposite – very positive. Is it common for MDs to be very nonchalant during the interview process – perhaps to throw a candidate off of their square?
Hello Alumna first off congratulations on getting as far as you did!
Unfortunately I just have another question to pose and not an answer. I have been interviewing with Accenture for the past few weeks and currently have two back to back senior management interviews coming up. Passed the skills and behavioral interviews with no issues. What is the likelihood I will be presented an offer assuming all goes well?
Thank you in advance!
If all goes well, you should expect an offer assuming that an opening is still available. Usually, if you make it this far, your chances are good. But don’t assume it will definitely happen. The MD (partner) interview is like your final exam. It may be just a formality and they may have already decided to hire you. Or they may challenge you to see how good you really are under pressure. I wrote about my final interview experience. It was tough!
Unfortunately, another reason they may not extend an offer (at least right away) is if utilization rates are low (too many consultants are on the bench at a given time). So you may have done everything right but if there are too many people on the bench, they may not extend an offer. Your recruiter will usually let you know that they have to postpone until utilization picks up.
Hopefully, you will have made a good impression on them and they will realize that they want you on board and will make an exception if this is the case. I’m sure you will do fine. Good luck!
You’re right. You never know what the interviewer is thinking. They may decide to throw you off to see how good you are. Just be confident and you will do great. The process can vary. It just really depends on the interviewer…every interview is different.
I’ve sat on both sides of the interview desk many, many times. You never know how it will go. Best to just be yourself and show grace under pressure if things get tough. That’s what they look for, above all else.
Hi,
I have given three rounds of interview in Accenture for a consultant position. My current status shows “awaiting document from candidate”, but I have not received any calls or email yet.
can you please let me know what does that mean?
UPDATE – Received my offer letter, very relieved and excited about rejoining Accenture!
Congratulations!
Hi Asif,
First of all, kudos to you for this wonderful blog and for helping everyone through your posts! 🙂
I have successfully interviewed with ACN Management Consulting for their Financial Services practice and am on the verge of receiving an offer (ACN recruiting called me last week and confirmed that they shall making me an offer sometime this week). While they did ask me on my current salary, they didn’t ask me on my expectations. Is this normally usual? Would you know what would their strategy be in such a case?
Also, I wanted to understand if there is sufficient room for negotiation with them (considering that they either offer at my current levels or maybe a little below my current levels).
Do you also feel I should state my expectations once I receive the offer from them?
cheers,
Kaizen
Kaizen, first of all, congratulations on getting to the offer stage. My recommendation to you is not specific to Accenture. It is a good practice in general when discussing salary. When a recruiter asks “how much do you make currently?” Your response should be “I would require a salary of [fill in desired salary] to make a move…” In other words, never reveal what you are currently making, just state what you want/need in order to accept an offer.
Traditionally, employers used your current salary as a base point and added 10% +/- to entice you to accept the offer. More popular now is for employers to match your current/stated salary and provide other longer term incentives to get you to stay with the firm longer. This assumes the salary being discussed falls into the range of the position you are applying for.
Based on my experience, Accenture definitely follows the latter practice. Let’s say your current/stated salary is $100K. Your offer will probably be something like $100K plus $25K signing bonus and $20K in restricted stock (usually with a 3 year vest). This way, it works out to be $115K spread over the first 3 years (not counting bonuses, merit increases or promotions). After 3 years, you will either get a promotion or you can negotiate another stock award.
With that as your starting point, you can start your negotiations. When I got my offer, it was very generous and the recruiter told me that he asked for the maximum he could give me. I couldn’t really negotiate much more. If they recognize your talents, hopefully, they will do the same to you and you won’t have to waste time going back and forth for a few thousand dollars.
Please use this information as a general guideline. I am basing this on anecdotal evidence. I’m not a recruiter. Your mileage may vary. Good luck!
Hi Asif
I finished my closing interview last week and the recruiter called me today and said that while I cleared all of my interviews and the feedback was great, I might not get an offer (or at least not till June) because all the needs are filled. Is that typical?
Adam, unfortunately that is pretty common. HR may have approved job reqs when budget was available but then projects complete and consultants are back on the bench so they have to postpone hiring until utilization is back up again. Traditionally, the first three months are very slow because lots of projects complete at year end. Utilization picks up again by April or May so they are probably waiting until utilization is higher before they can hire again. Hang in there.
Asif, I have been approached to do “contracting” work by accenture us. I guess there is need where I have some experience. Any idea how that works? Good idea bad idea? How is it compensated?
You would get an hourly rate. Your compensation will be higher than an Accenture salary BUT…. No benefits. No pay while on the bench. And it is probably temporary.
Whether its good or bad depends on your priorities. Are you interested in the max earnings with none of the perks? Or are you looking to build your consulting career?
I have worked with contractors before. Sometimes they are kept on payroll for over a year but they tend to get stuck getting paid to do what they currently do. Its hard to branch out and expand your knowledge.
You need to decide if it makes sense for you. Good luck and keep us posted.
Hi
Asif,
completed the interview process with Accenture in USA and BG also completed after few days, my recruiter informed me that she received positive feedback from Manager to move forward with an offer.but No offer letter yet and its been 2 weeks after my final interview with manager .how many days it will take to roll out my offer letter
Swathi, Asif, do accenture perform a credit check as part of background screen? Can bad credit score eliminate you if everything else is satisfactory?
for me they did only employment and education verification..
Honestly, I don’t remember if they did a credit check when I applied. I know they did a background check of the past 10 years. I also know that most companies used to do credit checks about a decade ago but that practice lost most of its value after the Great Recession because so many people ruined their credit after that debacle.
I once asked a (non-Accenture) recruiter what they look for when they do a credit check. She replied: “We just want to make sure you don’t have multiple bankruptcies or multiple judgments and liens against you. We are hiring you to manage large budgets and if you are poor at managing your personal finances, you may not be the best qualified for this type of role.”
Sounds reasonable but there are many reasons why someone could have bad credit (failed business, bad real estate investment, medical debt, etc) that have nothing to do with your ability to do the job. Anyway, the point is that bad credit will not disqualify you but you may want to explain your situation if you think it might affect the final decision (assuming they do a credit check in the first place).
Swathi can you post when you receive offer? Would you mind posting position level you are working towards?
Asif, I had a first round interview last week…interviewer stated that I did great and wanted setup two more interviews (smngr, and a behavioral) I provided a bunch of availability. She said she would get them scheduled…it has now been seven days since that conversation and I have had no communication. Is this typical? Should I be concerned? At what point would it be acceptable to reach back out to the interviewer for an update…or is that a bad idea? Great blog BTW!!!
Finally got through to recruiter…said hiring mngrs are still deciding. Said concern is that I have 17 years in industry but no consulting. Asked me if I am oIk with travel…all things I was already asked and answered. Said They would escalate for a decision but was recommending I be brought in for behavioral and partner interview…just seemed weird like maybe nothing had been done on my app…is this unusual? I know you have moved past this blog but hoping you might provide some insight.
Coder, I haven’t moved on from the blog. I have just been enjoying life and haven’t had time to write new posts :-). But I will again one day soon…
Anyway, it does sound to me like someone dropped the ball. It seems a bit unusual because in all my career, I thought Accenture recruiting was the most professional and efficient recruiting org that I had ever dealt with. I’m curious why they are concerned that you have no consulting background. Most people don’t have a consulting background. If you bring operational, functional, technical, etc skills to the table, that is what they should be looking for.
Re behavioral and partner interview, that has traditionally been a mandatory step. I did my behavioral over the phone and was flown to NYC for the partner interview. It was tough! These days, they tend to do most partner interviews over Skype or Tele-Presence in your local Accenture office. If given the choice, choose the latter.
If I were you, I would persist with the recruiter. I know how busy they can get so just keep in touch and try to move the ball forward. Hope this helps.
Asif…thx for the reply! Glad you will continue to update blog. Heard from recruiter again…and now have a skills interview with a managing director next week. No mention of behavioral or other interviews…interview is on the phone. Normal to skip straight to the MD? The position is for manager/senior manager. Not sure if this indicates a good level of interest or if it really doesnt indicate anything.
Going straight to the MD interview is a very good sign. You are destined for greatness! Good luck to you!!
Asif…also noticed it used my other handle…I have several across different adds for privacy. ..in this case arun == coder 🙂
Asif, Swathi, how long after behavioral interview did it take before you were contacted about next steps? What is normal time? Can you fail based on this interview if all other were good?
Arun, unfortunately, it is absolutely possible to fail at any step along the way. My situation may not apply to yours but my process was very quick. I wrote about it in detail in the post titled WORKING AT ACCENTURE: A DAY IN THE LIFE. The short version: from first call to written offer was about two weeks. But I think I got lucky. Most people I talked to didn’t get a response that quickly.
Hey Asif, thank you for your blog. I’m also currently preparing for an Accenture interview and since I applied for a management consulting position I have to practice case studies, which is a pain in the a**. I do it with http://www.preplounge.com, which I recommend to anyone who has to practice case interviews.
Great tip…and cool site. I just checked it out. Thank you Jude.
How did the interview go? I had a first round last week after which the interviewer said I did great and asked for times to schedule two more interviews. I provided the times but it has now been 7 days and I have heard nothing from them. Is this typical or should I be concerned?
How did your interview go?
Hi Asif. Thank you for the quick reply.
I read your “What do Senior Managers Make” blog as you suggested. When you say that they will match your current salary, are they simply matching your base dollar for dollar, or are they matching all sources of compensation that you provided to them? Lets say you make 100K base, 15K performance bonus, 15K RSU – Are they making your new salary 130K then adding the signing and equity bonuses on top of that? Or are they simply matching the 100K that you already earn?
Thanks again for your insight!
PAF, In your example, they should match your total comp of $115K. In my case, when they notified me that they were going to make me an offer, they asked me to take a few days and compile my total compensation (base, bonus, commission, stock, etc). They matched my total comp and then gave me a cash+stock signing bonus that was about 20% of my total annual comp for the first 3 years (ie a bonus amount equal to 60% of my first year pay). I have no idea if that is good or bad. Maybe you can do better. Your mileage may vary. Best of luck and check back in and let us know how you did 😉
Asif,
Great blog. Recently completed the interview process for a Manager role. Within a few days, my recruiter informed me that she received approval to move forward with an offer. However, she threw me off when she asked what my salary expectations for this role was without making an initial offer – a very different experience than I’ve had before.
Also, my role is in SI&T. I just recently completed my MBA from a Top 10 school. Do you think that they will acknowledge this when considering compensation since I will not be entering a strategy role? I ask because I will be looking for a material signing bonus to repay my tuition obligations.
Thanks in advance!
Also, how flexible are they regarding start date? Thanks again!
Flexibility depends on the organization and the immediate needs. Tell them when you are available and they should accommodate any reasonable requests. When I got my offer, they asked me to move up my start date and I foolishly agreed. So I left my previous job on a Friday and started with Accenture on Monday (actually Sunday because I had to fly out to Seattle for orientation Monday). After two days of orientation, I sat on the bench for two months
So be firm on when you can reasonably start. Take a break between school and work. You’ve earned it!
paf, congratulations on the offer. Yeah, that’s a tricky one. Usually, if you are coming from another company, Accenture will typically match your current salary and then offer you a signing bonus and a stock grant which, when depreciated over 3 years equates to a 20% increase over your previous compensation.
Since you are a recent graduate, you need to make a case for what you want your salary to be. Do you have prior work experience from which you can extrapolate? Do you have average starting salaries for other graduates? Read my post on “How Much Does a Senior Manager Make?” to get an idea of where your compensation should be. You can also check out glassdoor.com.
Re SI&T vs Strategy, I wouldn’t worry too much about that. Once you are in, you can always move around. Strategy is a relatively small practice and it’s much easier to get into that practice once you join the firm. Good luck to you!
Hi Asif. Thank you for the quick reply. I read your “What do Senior Managers Make” blog as you suggested. When you say that they will match your current salary, are they simply matching your base dollar for dollar, or are they matching all sources of compensation that you provided to them? Lets say you make 100K base, 15K performance bonus, are they making your salary 115K then adding the signing and equity bonuses on top of that? Or are they simply matching the 100K?
Thanks again for your insight!
Hi Asif. I just wanted to thank you for the great job that you are doing. I have been reading your blog since my first interview at Accenture and because of you I just found out today that I got the offer. The salary is not really what I expected (almost exactly the same as my current salary), but after applying there for the last several years, I am glad I finally got an offer. I have the next few days to negotiate and decide, and having a young family I am still weary of the whole work/life balance. But since consulting for Accenture is what I have wanted for a long time, I will probably take it. Although you might not work there any more, keep up the great help and assistance you offer to so many of us.
ndumisok, congratulations on the offer! I was in the same position as you when i was offered a job at Accenture. I was very concerned about spending time away from the family. I committed to my wife that I would do it for two years because I thought it would be great for my career. And it most definitely was. Even though I left so I could spend more time with my family, the time I spent there was totally worth it. You will enjoy it!
Cheers.
Asif Khan
On Thu, Sep 25, 2014 at 1:27 PM, The Vaporware Blog wrote:
>
Update since my last year post on this blog, See my last year post by name – Abhi
I interviewed with Accenture last year. Started the process in June 2013. Completed all loop and my background check was also done last year in August. However I was never given any offer – verbal or written. Every 2-3 weeks I was getting standard reply from my recruiter telling me ; they are working on it and due to less demand in consulting it’s taking more time. I declined several full time offers last year due to answer waiting on Accenture. Well, I moved on and started working for small boutique consulting firm. Never heard from Accenture again.
Then last month, got email from sourcing agent that demand is picking up again in consulting and he is checking with me if I’m still interested in working for Accenture. I replied to him – Absolutely. In 2-3 days, talked to recruiter about the role, position etc.
It was same Manager position in consulting. I jokingly asked, so when do I start since my whole process was completed last year including background check. I was told since everyone has to go through, I still have to do all those steps I did last year. I said to myself – why not. So talked to practice lead and Managing Director again and within 1 week recruiter called me with an offer. This time it was REAL!!
started background check again with Hire Right. Hire Right took close to 2 weeks to complete the process.
Well, I started with firm this week. Already completed my new joiner orientation and currently going through training etc.
I’m very excited that I finally made it to Accenture exactly after 1 year. My first mail with sourcing agent was in June 2013.
Best wishes and good luck to all !!
Abhi, that’s great news! Congratulations! Accenture is getting smarter about its hiring practices. I knew people who were hired and waited 4+ months to get placed into their first engagement. I hope you get on a project quickly and start demonstrating your greatness! Keep us posted!!
Cheers.
Asif Khan
On Sat, May 17, 2014 at 12:06 AM, The Vaporware Blog wrote:
>
Asif,
Like many others I’d like to thank you for the excellent blog and sharing your thoughts and experience. This is truly valuable as I stumbled upon your blog while researching and preparing for my final interview next week. I do have a question that I hope you don’t mind commenting, if you’re familiar with the accenture structure.
The job title I’m interviewing for is an Associate Manager. How does this title fit within the ranks of Analysts and Consultants?
Thank you in advance, and also thank you to all of you who have shared your questions and experience on Asif’s blog.
Regards,
Cheng
Cheng, thank you for the nice compliments. Without knowing what country or which division you are interviewing for, I can’t tell you for sure what rank Associate Manager is. Services has a different hierarchy than Consulting (ranging from Level E to Level A). Services Level E is equivalent to Analyst in Consulting. Level A is Senior Manager in Consulting. The Services organization uses titles like Associate Manager and other similar titles. Please confirm with your recruiter whether you are interviewing for Consulting or Services. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. Also, ask them what level you are interviewing for. Consulting, as far as I know, only uses the titles Analyst, Consultant, Manager and Senior Manager (other than Managing Director, that is). Good luck.
Cheers.
Asif Khan
On Sun, Mar 30, 2014 at 5:34 AM, The Vaporware Blog wrote:
>
Hi Asif,
I have finished Salary discussion and notice period details with HR on Jan 22. Till now i have’nt heard any thing form you people regarding Offer letter.
Can i expect Offer letter of i have to loose my hopes. My status is showing as “Awaiting for the documents from Candidate”.
Please let me know what to be done.
Thanks,
Srav’s
Srav, I’m not sure how to respond to this. Your comment says “I haven’t heard anything from *you people* regarding offer letter…” I’m not in HR so I can’t really help you with this. One of the hardest things about trying to get any job offer is the timing. I cannot tell you if they are just taking longer than usual in getting the offer to you or if they have decided not to move forward. You will need to have that conversation with the recruiter. I wish you luck.
Cheers.
Asif Khan
On Thu, Feb 13, 2014 at 1:30 AM, The Vaporware Blog wrote:
>
Hi Asif,
I got confirmation from accenture and then a verbal offer explaing my package, joining date etc, but I dint get any formal offer letter yet and its been 1 week I am waiting for my offer letter. No getting any response from HR also. Is that means that I should not expect for offer letter and move on.
Karuna, don’t give up unless you have another offer you are considering! The recruiters are very much overworked and can sometimes get buried in paperwork. I used to refer friends to the recruiter for my practice and sometimes it would take him a few weeks just to respond to my message. If they gave you a verbal, I’m confident that you will get a written offer. It just takes time, unfortunately. If you get another offer, then you need to decide what’s best for your personal situation. Good luck!
Cheers.
Asif Khan
Really appreciate your quick response Asif and that was a great relief for me, as I really want to be part of this organization and looking forward to work with Accenture.
Good luck. I’m sure you’ll do great!
Cheers.
Asif Khan
Hi Karuna ,
Did you finally get the offer letter. I am actually going through the same phase as you were in…
Please reply bro….
Hi Asif
Excellent blog and thank you for sharing your exp. with everyone. Final stages of Sr. Manager role (all interviews are done)…..offer imminent.
Is there a way for us to may be have a chat for about 10 minutes? I would like to ask some questions regarding sales expectations at that level and little more on lifestyle. Thanks in advance,
Regards,
MM.
MM,
It was great speaking with you. Good luck and keep me posted!
Cheers.
Asif Khan
Hi Asif,
Great blog and really helpful for Accenture job aspirants. I recently finished the final interview with Accenture(done through video conference) and it went very well. The Sr Manager basically said he was going to recommend that I be hired.
The recruiter contacts me next and tells me that the group is very much interested in moving forward. We discuss salary expectations and she thought that my asking salary was at the very high end for the consultant position.
She said she discussed with the managing director and they wanted me to do another PFI(situational) interview since it is different for manager level positions.
I never heard of a second situational interview. Is this common? If the second situational interview does not go well, does it affect my chances of getting hired as a consultant? I’m very much interested in joining ACN but not sure what to make of this latest development.
I must point out that its tough to find qualified professionals with my skill set(read niche :)).
Raj
Raj, they are re-evaluating you for a Manager position. I don’t think this will impact your chances of getting an offer. It sounds like you made a good impression and they are trying to justify bringing you in as a manager. I had a friend who was in a similar situation. She was eventually hired as a consultant but she proved herself and, within a year, was promoted to manager.
Something to consider: if you don’t get the manager role (or if they can’t match your salary), ask for a signing bonus. They are usually very forthcoming about presenting you with a very fair offer without much need for negotiation. The emphasis is to get you to accept quickly. So they will probably give you a nice signing bonus and/or stock. Good times! Let us know what you decide to do.
Cheers.
Asif Khan
Hi Asif,
The interview(second PFI) went very well and the recruiter mentioned that she is in the process of putting together an offer.
The second situational interview focused more on my interaction with project managers and decision makers. It was not very very different from the first one but you could notice the subtle changes in the questions.
Your blog has been really helpful. Thanks for the all the information.
Regards
Raj
Hello Asif,
I was browsing for some Accenture’s information, and I came up with your website, indeed with rich content regarding the Accenture’s environment.
Actually, I always admired and still admire Accenture and I would be proud to be part of their team, got an interview recently (both) behavioral interview and with hiring manager on the same day, also completed their language skills and the position is for working at BPO as Spot Buy with Portuguese Language. I confessed that was nervous and was quite surprised when I heard from HR and Hire Manager made good impression. After that day, I received a call from HR saying that was accepted and invited to work for them, they requested me some references, perhaps to check my background, I did, sent and wait. They actually contacted my references, but still waiting for their job offer, so I had to call and asked about this offer. The HR told me that maybe they wouldn’t be able to do this today, but waiting definitely sucks, I am so anxious to work for them. So how long time would I need to wait for their job offer? Do they do a background check or hire another 3rd company to do it on their behalf? I am working currently in Slovakia, Bratislava.
First of all congratulations on making it this far. Accenture really is a great company to work for. I think you will learn a lot and have fun along the way! Re the delay in getting a job offer, it varies greatly. In my case, it happened very quickly. I have heard of others having to wait a few weeks. The problem is that they hire a 3rd party to do background checks.
In my experience, these companies make the minimum effort to get information. If they try to reach a former employer and the employer doesn’t call back, they will claim that the employer is “NOT VERIFIED” and that can delay the process. I recommend you keep following up with HR to make sure that things are moving forward and that they notify you if there are any questions. Please read some of the other comments on this (and other) posts, you will see that others have come across issues with their background checks.
Boa sorte para voc. Bom dia!
Cheers.
Asif Khan
Thank you for the quick reply. Actually I’m following the hr but I don’t want to sound annoying person or worse desperate. As I said they checked already my background means references and the start date is scheadule to 17th February 2014 but so far haven’t receive their job offer. The hr stated the job is mine. So I shouldn’t be worry. Anyway I will keep following your website and the comments. Yes. I have been knowing accenture in ages. Always admire them. Muito obrigada pela sua ajuda.
um prazer. Obrigado por ler meu blog.
Cheers.
Asif Khan
Hi Asif,
Great site you are running! I would like to reach out to you with some questions and would greatly appreciate your feedback so I can prepare the best I can for my screening interview and hopefully subsequent interviews.
I’ve applied from overseas for a research consultant (manager level) position at the Innovation Centre in Singapore. Do you have any tips for overseas applicants as I think they are disadvantaged due to extra hiring costs?
I’m also interested to find out how Accenture looks at candidates who do not disclose salary expectations (but only state to expect to receive salary that is fair against the responsibilities of the role) at the screening interview? I think my last earned salary may be too high and I don’t want to scare them off by price as I’m flexible as taxes in current country I live in are higher. From glassdoor the salary average is around $120k for manager level positions. Do you reckon that’s about right for someone with 12yrs work experience? Would you know what is included in a standard renumeration package for an overseas relocation?
Many thanks in advance!
Suzie
Suzie, your comment is not clear on what you are trying to do. Are you saying you are currently in another country but applying for a position in Singapore? If so, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to discuss expected salary (in lieu of salary history) during the interview. Save the salary history for your HR interview or offer stage. However, when you fill out your job application (which your interviewer usually doesn’t see prior to interview), you need to provide salary history. Don’t be shy about posting your actual salary. My experience is that Accenture recruiters are well versed in international differences. They deal with this all the time.
When I was negotiating my offer, they offered me a base salary slightly lower than what I was currently making. However, they were able to provide a signing bonus and a recurring stock grant that more than made up for that deficit for the next 3 years. Don’t undersell yourself!
Finally, regarding relocation expense reimbursement, that is part of your offer phase. Don’t discuss it during the interviews unless asked. Express your interest in moving to Singapore (for business reasons, not personal). I have no personal experience in international relocation but I did relocate within the US last year. I was offered a couple of different options. Both were extremely fair. I was very happy with my options.
If you want to discuss further, I’ll reach out to you with my contact info. Good luck and thanks for reading the blog!
Cheers.
Asif Khan
Asif,
Can you help me better understand the role differences between an analyst, mgr and Sr. mgr? I’m interviewing for a Sr. mgr position but my back ground is in business development and technical sales not implementation. Is a mgr/sr. mgr just a consultant/analyst with a team of direct reports? Is his job to hunt down projects to keep utilization high or is he actually managing people?
Ecomguru, I have a post about half-written that addresses this exact topic. I am trying to get it done but you know, work gets in the way. The short version is that Sr Mgr is responsible for business development (basically sales), business operations (managing large projects) and people development (managing resources on projects and being a career counselor to analysts, consultants and/or managers).
In addition, you will have responsibility for writing PoVs (Points of View are similar to white papers) and other activities to help build the business. A Sr Mgr is considered an executive role so you are essentially managing the business, whatever it takes. Hope this helps. I will have a more detailed post in the near future.
Stay tuned…hope this helps.
Cheers.
Asif Khan
Does Accenture have any positions for people with non IT related degrees? I am currently a senior in college looking for work before I graduate . My major is a B.A. New Media Arts with some knowledge in web design.
Joshua, yes there are definitely positions that don’t require IT degrees. In fact, the IT positions don’t require IT degrees. If you have a liberal arts degree but have IT knowledge through internships or college jobs or whatever, you just need to demonstrate your expertise. If you don’t want an IT-related job, there are those available as well (management consulting being the most prominent but there are many financial, marketing, etc roles). It’s just that Accenture hires a lot of college grads for IT jobs because there is so much business there.
Cheers.
Asif Khan
Hi Asif,
Just came across your blog after searching “Accenture interview result” keyword on google 🙂
So I did my final confirming interview in local Accenture office over Cisco telepresence last Friday. Recruiter called me Monday (yesterday 08/05) morning to tell me that its good news and they will be moving to offer stage. He told me that he has to get approval on offer letter from Sr. partner (head of practice in my domain -Information Security) and will reach out to me in 1-2 days. Recruiter also explained me the background process that outside company will reach out to me directly.
My question is usually how much time it will take to get offer approved and presented to candidate?
Btw this is Manager position and my interview experience is exactly you described on this blog.
Thanks
Abhi
Congratulations Abhi! As far as how long it takes to get offer in hand, it really depends on the availability of the approving Managing Director. From people I’ve spoken with, it shouldn’t take more than a week. Also, the background check takes a week after you accept the offer. It is performed by a 3rd party. Thanks for reading!
Cheers.
Asif Khan
Hi Asif,
Hope you are doing great! have you started at MSFT yet?
It’s ~one month since I had my confirming interview. Recruiter has been in touch with me every week. He called me end of the week to give me update which is no new update e.g. fiscal year is ending and we will have start date and offer pretty soon 🙂
Is it normal? He told me that due to fiscal year practice has to see whr to place me or find projects etc.
I have declined other big offers in Microsoft and getting nervous now.
Pls. advice!
Thanks
Abhi
btw background check already started last week and is in progress.
I was contacted by an Accenture WP&T recruiter, but more closely align with DC&Cloud. Are you amenable to an brief pertinent offline (address in email field, mayhaps) discussion? Would really appreciate it.
Asif – love the post, Insightful as always, what you do is provide a complimentary dimension to the information in Glassdoor.
I had a slightly different experience with the process: ( for other readers this was for a Manager level)
HR Interview – I was amazed at how well informed and on-the-ball the recruiter was, almost felt like a skills interview, they really knew their stuff and definitely have the chops to do an effective screening. I can imagine they can weed out a ton of folks not “consulting” ready!
Next came the:
SKILLS Interview – this was very thorough, but at some point it became a bit relaxed towards the end like a conversation and not a Q&A; there were 2 questions I didn’t have a clue about and I honestly said I never had the opportunity to work with it. On a side note once i got hired, I connected with my skills interviewer on Lync and he became sort of a mentor and go-to guy for assets, metrics and a lot of great advice.
SIT Interview – this was a bit of a surprise to me, I felt grilled and drained. The questions were to the tune of what Asif describes and I had to really think thru my answers and measure my words, especially the hypotheticals. But there was one answer were the interviewer said “nailed it, that’s what I was lookin for” which greatly helped lessen my internal doom and gloom. I still thought I blew it, and was actually a bit surprised when I got a call back from the recruiter that I had passed this stage as well, which got me to the:
Final confirming interview – this was just anticlimactic – the MD(Sr Exec then) said a sentence or 2 into the interview “you passed, you’re in”. I was a bit taken aback and suddenly from the sell mode it became more a casual chat and he started to tell me about the 3+1s (BTW for readers – these are the 3 performance areas you get measured on: Business Operator, Value Creator & People Developer) and how he came to Accenture, his journey and so on. And this was on the webcam at home.
My recruiter pinged me shortly after, we worked out the background check process which was uneventful, then came the initial verbal offer, a wee bit of negotiating (not a whole lot unfortunately!) and finally a written offer, I asked for a join date 5 weeks ahead (vacation, reset, etc) – that was a complete non-issue. All the in-between logistical processes were done via HR folks out of offices in India and the Philippines and the recruiter kept me informed of what was coming next and how I did. The process works well, like a really well oiled machine.
Jay,
Thanks for the informative comments. These are great details that you provided. You should write a blog yourself!
Cheers.
Asif Khan
Did you mean if a Sr Manager left Accenture it would probably be for a director/VP position or a managing director?
What type of bonus structure besides base pay exists at the senior manager level?
Jake, It largely depends on the size of the organization an ex-consultant is interviewing at. Judging from the recruiters that call me regularly, I was being targeted for various Sr Manager and Director positions. Some of my Sr Mgr colleagues who have more seniority get calls for Dir and VP roles. A recruiter called me recently for a CIO role with a startup with about 400 employees. Last year, I was the interim Executive Director (Accenture role) with 125 direct reports for a company with 165,000 employees.
The key is that it is not about the title but the type of job you do. Consulting allows you to gain valuable experience in a very short amount of time that employers find valuable. I hope this helps. Re compensation, A Sr Mgr can expect a 10-15% bonus above base pay. This does not include Restricted Stock Grants. I’m working on a post on Sr Mgr compensation. Stay tuned…
Cheers.
Asif Khan
Wow Really? What sort of compensation does restricted stock grants equal out too?
Jake, to what are you responding to with “wow really?” RSUs (Restricted Stock Units) are grants with an extended vesting period. You get to keep all of it if you stick around long enough. In my case, my RSUs had a 3 year vesting period. I got to cash out 1/3 of the total every 12 months (including stock appreciation and reinvested dividends).
Cheers.
Asif Khan