Accenture opened the doors for me after a career break

What drew you to Accenture?

When my son started school this year, I decided I was ready to return to the workforce after being on a career break since 2017, when my husband and I relocated to Australia from Pakistan. I was keen for a career in IT, so I was looking for short courses to quickly upskill and came across Generation Australia. After going through their application and screening process, I enrolled in the Salesforce Developer Certification, as well as Salesforce Administration.

As part of that program, Generation Australia held events with sponsors, which included Accenture. I had only heard good things about Accenture, but what really confirmed for me that I wanted to apply was seeing the Accenture values shine through. Accenture does what it says it’s going to do, with the stewardship and integrity they showed towards the bootcamp participants shining through, supporting us right through the process.

As a Pakistani woman with no Australian experience, and as a mum returning from a career break, Accenture made it clear that these points were no barrier. All through the process, Accenture communicated that they were purely looking for talent, and if you were capable and had a skillset that suited, they were ready to take you, which was a pleasant contrast to some other companies I spoke with.

What was the interview process like?

The first step in my Accenture recruitment journey was a technical assessment. Accenture made it clear that this was purely to measure how technical we were so they could find the area of the business where we’d best fit. This was followed by a 15-minute interview with a representative from HR.

After being shortlisted, the next step was a group assessment day, where we were assigned to teams and evaluated on aspects like our ability to collaborate and be a team player. Candidates who were selected from this day then went on to have a detailed 30-minute interview with a member of the Accenture leadership team.

If you’re thinking about applying, I’d encourage you to go for it. The great thing about a career in IT, and especially at Accenture, is that there’s so many areas you can go. Accenture is so accessible and welcomes everyone, so go through the process and don’t be afraid to be yourself. The one thing you can bring is your own personality and that uniqueness will be valued.

What can I expect when I first join?

I’m less than three months in, but so far the experience has been incredible. I’ve been hired as a Digital Tech Developer Analyst in Accenture Song, with my first few weeks focused on learning about the company, procedures and processes, with plenty of internal training. I’ve then moved into shadowing other team members, learning how to work as a project team member, as well as ways of collaborating and engaging with clients.

My current project is working with a big client, and we’re reimagining their digital experience. Each day starts with a team standup, going through everyone’s responsibilities for the day, what’s been completed, and designing the roadmap for the future of the project.

What’s the culture like?

Accenture has such a strong support system for new joiners. You’ll get assigned a buddy, which is usually someone who joined 1-2 years ago who you can go to for help. On the professional development side, you also get a people lead who can help to mentor you and provide guidance on how to navigate performance reviews, training and where to go for support. I’ve also been impressed at how easy it is to access people, no matter how busy they are everyone is responsive to any questions or concerns.

Socially, there’s so many office events, as well as volunteering activities. I’ve found the volunteering events to be a great way to get to know people from right across Accenture, outside of my own project team.

It’s also an environment that’s very supportive of people’s individual needs. Returning to the workforce after a career break, I’ve found Accenture to be accommodating of any logistics I need to manage around my son, for example school pick up and drop off times.

What career progress can I expect?

The goal as an analyst is to become promoted to a consultant, and Accenture provides so many resources to support that progression. With my previous professional experience, I feel confident that I can accelerate my career with Accenture and continue to grow.