Working at Accenture gives me so many possible pathways

Ally Reade joined Accenture in May 2022 as an Application Development Analyst. With a Bachelor of Mathematics majoring in Data Science, she’s found a natural home in our Technology team, while also exploring the other pathways available at Accenture.

Why did you choose to work at Accenture?
I always loved maths and after encouragement from one of my teachers, ended up studying a Bachelor of Mathematics majoring in Data Science at University of South Australia. I didn’t know what a job in mathematics would look like (I knew I wasn’t keen on teaching, which is the most obvious choice) and thought consulting might be interesting, particularly drawing on the data science and analytics part of my studies.

It was at a career introduction session at university that I first met one of the recruiters from Accenture and got talking. We ended up running into each other at more events including an event for Girls in STEM and another careers fair, and the more we chatted, the more I was sold on Accenture.

What was the application and interview process like?
After meeting with the recruiter at events, I went through the online application process for the Early Careers intake. This was followed up by some online tests and assessments, before a short phone interview.

The next stage of the process is the Assessment Centre, where you work in a group of four to assess a problem and present your approach to some of the managers from Accenture. This was then followed by another phone interview with someone from Sydney, and a few days after that, I had a job offer.

What is the best thing about working at Accenture?
The culture is my favourite thing. In the Adelaide office, where I am based, most of us are in the Technology stream and there’s lots of people of a similar age with the same interest in technology. We have regular social events, for example an ice cream day and weekly pancakes. These events are a great chance to get to know people and unwind from work in a relaxed and carefree environment. Working in Adelaide also means there’s plenty of opportunity to develop relationships with the leadership team, who come to all of the events.

Through my project with Department of Defence, I’ve also had the opportunity to work with team members across Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney. Recently, I’ve travelled to both Canberra and Melbourne to meet with the team and clients. It’s exciting to have had the opportunity as a new joiner to travel so soon, and going to Defence sites was a real ‘pinch me’ moment.

I’m also involved internally in our engagement and corporate citizenship teams, helping to organise social events and volunteering opportunities. For example, with the corporate citizenship team, I’ve recently been involved in an event with Solar Buddy, building solar powered lights for families experiencing energy poverty. The leadership team was all in Adelaide for this, so it was a great opportunity to engage with our senior leaders.

In August, I organised 4 groups across our project in both Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney to participate in The Big Issue Challenge, where we spent the morning selling The Big Issue magazine alongside the vendors in the streets of each cities CBD. This was a great opportunity to engage with our fellow project team members and work closely with such a large organisation that helps change the lives of many homeless Australians.

Finally, Accenture provides so many opportunities to do what you want and follow your interests. For example, I studied mathematics, but I also have a strong interest in design, so I love that I’m able to explore my creative side here too. There’s also the possibility to move to different areas of the business; so many possible pathways keep me feeling excited about my future at Accenture.

What kind of learning and training can I expect?
Accenture provides so many avenues to keep growing your skills professionally. When I first started, I did a cloud certification, which is highly encouraged for all analysts. I chose to get my certification in Microsoft Azure, which has come in particularly useful on my current project.

I’ve also taken advantage of the shorter tutorials and virtual workshops that are available through Accenture learning, for example on project management skills and Excel. Recently, I’ve started a PowerBI course, which maps well with my data science background – I just need to find time in a busy schedule to get it done! And of course, there’s a big focus on learning on the job too, with lots of ongoing support from managers to coach you in relevant skills.

What sort of perks are available?
Accenture provides a flexible work environment, with options to work from home and to adjust hours to suit your other life commitments. Personally, I prefer coming into the office, as I like the social aspects. When it comes to hours, my current project is working on a roster system as we approach critical deadlines, so there’s options to start earlier or later, which can be great to suit different lifestyles or for managing appointments.

In addition, Accenture has this great app called Smart Spending, that has a range of discounts available for different organisations. These regularly change, but for example I was recently able to use the Ticketek discount to get tickets to the Royal Adelaide Show. There’s also been discounts for Myer, Booking.com and RM Williams. One of my friends used the app to get a discounted new mobile phone!

If you want to get notified once our applications open, register your interest here.