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BY THE STAFF OF VAULT

© 2003 Vault Inc.

EMPLOPROFIL

VAULT EMPLOYER PROFILE:

ACCENTURE

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Copyright © 2003 by Vault Inc. All rights reserved.

All information in this book is subject to change without notice. Vault makes no claims as to

the accuracy and reliability of the information contained within and disclaims all warranties.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,

electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Vault

Inc.

Vault, the Vault logo, and “the most trusted name in career informationTM” are trademarks of

Vault Inc.

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, contact Vault Inc.,

150 W22nd Street, New York, New York 10011, (212) 366-4212.

Library of Congress CIP Data is available.

ISBN 1–58131–280-6

Printed in the United States of America

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INTRODUCTION 1

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Accenture at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

THE SCOOP 5

History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

ORGANIZATION 15

Service Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Practice Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Alliances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Key Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

VAULT NEWSWIRE 21

Select Recent Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

OUR SURVEY SAYS 27

GETTING HIRED 33

Addresses to Apply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Hiring Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Questions to Expect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Table of Contents

Accenture

Visit the Vault.Consulting Career Channel at http://consulting.vault.com — with

insider firm profiles, message boards, the Vault Consulting Job Board and iii R E E R

L I R R Y

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ON THE JOB 39

Day in a Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

FINAL ANALASYS 45

Final Analasys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

RECOMMENDED READING 47

Recommended Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

© 2003 Vault Inc.iv C R E E R

L I R R Y

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OverviewAccenture, known until January 1, 2001, as Andersen Consulting, is one of

the world's largest consulting firms, second only to IBM Global Services in

terms of total revenue. According to Consulting News, it has the largest U.S.

market share (at 9 percent, it has more than double that of Deloitte

Consulting, the next largest) and the second largest global market share (8

percent, behind IBM's 9 percent). With more than 75,000 employees in 47

countries, Accenture draws from a vast array of industrial and technical

expertise: Consultants in its its eight service lines, divided between theBusiness Consulting Capability Group and Technology Outsourcing

Capability Group, work together to design and deliver strategies and

solutions for 89 of the Fortune Global 100 and more than half of the Fortune

Global 500 - not to mention several hundred startups and spin-offs. The

firm's huge staff and wide range of experience enables it to bring both focus

and massive manpower to any consulting task. Accenture, which works with

more than 2,500 client organizations worldwide, earned revenues topping the

$11 billion mark in fiscal 2002.

As an independent firm, Accenture is a relative newcomer, but its roots as a

part of Arthur Andersen go back to the first days of the consulting industry.

Accenture began its long road to independence in December 1997, when it

petitioned Andersen Worldwide, its parent firm, to allow it to break away

from Arthur Andersen, the accounting giant and its sibling firm. After a

lengthy arbitration process, the International Court of Arbitration in Paris

finally granted independence to the consulting firm in August 2000.

When you're as big as Accenture is, the United States alone won't provide all

the revenue and opportunities you need to thrive. Indeed, Accenture is

committed to maintaining a global presence - nearly half of all revenue is

derived from clients outside the Americas - and to furthering its status as a

technology leader. The firm garnered nearly $3.2 billion in 2002 revenue

from its Communications & High Tech operating group, a gain of 15 percent

over the previous year. The unit accounted for 27.5 percent of Accenture's

total revenue for the year, the most of any of the firm's divisions. While the

backbone of its business is the installation and integration of complex IT

systems, Accenture is looking to leverage this long-established expertise to

garner a share of the traditional management consulting business of such

Boston-based stalwarts as McKinsey & Co., Boston Consulting Group and

Bain & Co. With an estimated 70 percent of the U.S. consulting market

Accenture


insider firm profiles, message boards, the Vault Consulting Job Board and more. 1 R E E R

L I R R Y

Introduction

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Accenture

Introduction

expected to be connected to IT services in 2004, up from 57 percent in 2000,

Accenture may be on the cusp of a promising future, despite flat growth and

ongoing staff cuts caused by difficult economic conditions.

© 2003 Vault Inc.2 C R E E R

L I R R Y

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THE BUZZWHAT EMPLOYEES AT OTHER FIRMS ARE SAYING

Visit the Vault Consulting Career Channel at http://consulting.vault.com — with


L I R R Y

1345 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10105

(917) 452-4400www.accenture.com

THE STATS

Employer Type: Public Company

Stock Symbol: ACN

Stock Exchange: NYSE

Employees: 75,000 (2002)

2002 Revenues: $11.57 billion

SERVICE LINES

Customer Relationship Management

Finance & Performance

Management

Human Performance

Solutions Engineering

Solutions Operations (Outsourcing)

Strategy & Business Architecture

Supply Chain Management

Technology Research & Innovation

PRACTICE AREAS

Communications & High Tech

Electronics & High Tech

Media & Entertainment

Financial Services (Banking; Health

Services; Insurance)

Government

Products

Resources

UPPERS

• Smart, results-oriented consultants

• Very competitive salaries

• Growing outsourcing operations

DOWNERS

• Long, demanding projects

• Interaction with partners can be

limited

• Shrinking consulting operations

• "The Big Dawg"

• "Arrogant"

• "Generalists in a specialist world"

• "Strong firm, dumb name"

• "Technically inclined"

• "Sweatshop"

• "Too big, too broad"

• "Our role models"

• "High prestige among peers"

• "McConsulting"

• "Pays well"

• "Cutting edge"

• "Best of the IT shops"

THE BUZZWHAT EMPLOYEES AT OTHER FIRMS ARE SAYING

Accenture at a Glance

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Has your job offer been delayed – or rescinded? Are you tryingto get into the consulting job market or trying to move toanother firm? Then you know it’s tough – and that you needevery advantage you can get.

For more information go tohttp://consulting.vault.com

“I have rewritten this resume

12 times and in one review

you got to the essence of

what I wanted to say!”

– S.G., Junior Consultant,

Atlanta, GA

“I was skeptical at first, but you

proved me wrong! The critique

zeroed in on where I had

weaknesses in the resume.”

– S.S., Consultant, San Diego

“You made coaching fun!

Thank you.”

– H.C., Consultant, Toronto,

Canada

We know the consulting industry. We’ve got

experts and practicing consultants ready to

review your resume and give you the

competitive advantage you need.

Consulting Resume Writingand Resume Reviews

• Have your resume written from scratch or

reviewed by an expert that knows the

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Our experts will write a first draft, and deliver

a final draft after feedback and discussion.

• For resume reviews, get an in-depth critique

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Consulting Career Coaching

• Want to know what it takes to get intoconsulting from school or another career?

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you’re looking to see how elseyour consulting skills can be put

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Accenture



L I R R Y

The Scoop

History

The tale of Arthur

Despite its newfound independence, Accenture's history is and always will be

entangled with that of Arthur Andersen and his eponymous firm. The son of

Norwegian immigrants, Andersen became at the age of 23 the youngest

certified public accountant in the state of Illinois. After four years serving as

the senior accountant for Price Waterhouse in Chicago and a stint as

controller at Schlitz Brewing, Andersen formed a public accounting company

with his friend Clarence DeLany in 1913. Andersen, DeLany & Co. enjoyed

early success, opening a second office in Milwaukee in 1915 to be near

Schlitz, which had become one of the firm's largest clients. In that same year,

Andersen, DeLany & Co. became the first accounting company to formally

recruit college graduates.

The firm grew rapidly, shedding Clarence DeLany's name (and DeLany

himself) in 1918 and opening an office in Washington, D.C., in 1921.

Andersen also opened branches in New York City, Kansas City and Los

Angeles, all during the 1920s. Oddly, even the Great Depression presented

Arthur Andersen with opportunity - when a major utilities conglomerate, the

Insull Companies, collapsed, the firm was appointed the bankers'

representative. The firm guarded and reorganized the Insull holdings during

the refinancing, gaining the trust of banks and other financial institutions.

Continued growthArthur Andersen continued to grow during the 1940s and 1950s. In 1942 a

new practice area was created, which Andersen called its administrative

accounting division at the time, and which later became known as

management information consulting. By 1943 the firm was hiring only

college graduates for its accounting staff and had opened four new offices

across the U.S. When Arthur Andersen himself passed on to the great big

ledger in the sky in 1947, he left behind a strong and innovative firm - one

whose consulting arm would, in 1952, revolutionize business by using thenewfangled "computer" to store the payroll of a General Electric plant.

Building on this early success, Arthur Andersen founded the first information

technology consulting practice in 1954 with a mere three consultants.

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The 1960s and 1970s saw massive international expansion at Arthur

Andersen. By 1970 it had 25 overseas offices. On the consulting side it

began to offer strategic services, systems integration services, software

application products and other technological services. The firm continued toinnovate as well, becoming the first of the major services firms to publish an

annual report (in 1973) and opening its posh training and education center,

"Andersen University," in St. Charles, Ill. Andersen's consulting business

made up 21 percent of its revenues by 1979. It was also during this period that

Arthur Andersen came under pressure from the Securities and Exchange

Commission regarding possible conflicts between its auditing and consulting

practices, prompting then-chairman Harvey Kapnick to suggest that the

consulting arm be spun off as a separate company. Instead, it was Kapnick

who split from the company, ousted by the auditing partners, who insisted on

maintaining complete control over the firm.

Arthur Andersen continued to expand its consulting practice (which made up

40 percent of revenues by 1988), causing friction between consultants and

accountants and ultimately bringing about a restructuring of the firm in 1989.

The plan legally separated Accenture - then known as Andersen Consulting -

and Arthur Andersen (which was later simply known as Andersen and

eventually dissolved in 2002 because of Enron-related fallout), with bothresting under an umbrella company called Andersen Worldwide. "We needed

to draw a clear distinction in the marketplace between a traditional 'Big Eight'

accounting and tax firm and a firm capable of challenging IBM or EDS," said

Jon Conahan, a global managing partner who has been responsible for

Accenture's market strategy since its formation. (The "Big Eight," of course,

has since dwindled to the "Big Four.") As part of the 1989 agreement,

disputes between the auditing and consulting businesses were to be settled by

the arbitration court of the International Chamber of Commerce, based in

Paris. The arbitrator was to be chosen from a nation in which neither party did

business, leaving a pool of just eight countries from which to choose,

including Colombia, Iraq, Somalia and Sudan.

.Overlapping interests

In 1994 Andersen set up its own business consulting practice on the theory

that it would pursue the small and mid-sized engagements that were not large

enough for Andersen Consulting. This sounded good, but it didn't work sowell in practice. Tension between the two arms of Andersen Worldwide

mounted as the two firms began to compete for the same business

opportunities.

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Yet the Andersen Worldwide structure required the more profitable Andersen

Consulting to transfer some of its revenues to Andersen - which in 1997

worked out to about $150,000 per Andersen partner. This angered Andersen

Consulting partners, who felt that they were being forced to subsidize thedevelopment of a competitor. At the same time, though it soon outstripped

Arthur Andersen in terms of revenue, Andersen Consulting had a minority

representation on the board. ACers even complained about paying for

insurance to protect auditors from liability claims. "We have no problem with

competition, or with an independent and mutually complementary set of

firms which are passing money across to subsidize the less profitable,"

Andersen Consulting managing partner for Europe Vernon Ellis told

Management Consultant International, "but you can't have both. It's not

equitable and we don't feel comfortable about it."

A shot rang out

The tension erupted into outright warfare in December 1997 when Andersen

Consulting turned to the International Chamber of Commerce, asking that it

act as an arbitrator in what would essentially be divorce proceedings.

However, a longstanding poison pill in the Andersen Worldwide partnership

agreement kept the firm together: Any partner wishing to leave was required

to pay remaining partners 12 times his or her annual revenue. (By 2000 this

would have involved a penalty of over $13 billion for Accenture.) In March

1998, Andersen Consulting and Andersen mutually agreed to cease speaking

to the press about their rift, an agreement that both sides upheld throughout

the arbitration period.

The divorce is official

In August 2000, the International Court of Arbitration in Paris handed down

the decision that would sever Andersen Consulting from Andersen

Worldwide; the Colombian arbitrator, Guillermo Gamba, stated that the

parent company had not fulfilled its obligations in running the organization.

As a result, Andersen Consulting would surrender its name and pay about $1

billion (held in escrow since arbitration had begun) to partners at Andersen.

The consulting firm would also have to give back some technology jointly

held by the firms. Andersen Consulting thus avoided a potential $13 billion

payment to the accounting firm. Andersen CEO Jim Wadia resigned on the

same day the court announced the decision.

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What's in a name?

Given until December 31, 2000, to relinquish the Andersen name, Andersen

Consulting hired Landor Associates, a Young & Rubicam unit, to help coin a

new moniker for the business. (Arthur Andersen, in the meantime, made

noises about appropriating the Andersen Consulting name for itself, a further

reflection of the bitterness that had developed between the two companies.)

In the end, the chosen name came from one of 2,700 employee suggestions.

"Accenture" is meant to connote "accent on the future," as well as a spirit of

adventure, but was generally panned by those in the business of naming new

products and companies. The Wall Street Journal reported the opinion of

Edward Saenz, founder of San Francisco's Gravity Branding: "It's difficult to

spell. I don't believe it's compelling. It doesn't lead us to ask more. It's so

confusing that you just stop thinking about it and you shut down." A short

time after the new name was unveiled Accenture's first advertising campaign

was launched with a coveted spot on the Super Bowl telecast. The

commercial, according to Crain's New York Business, "was such a bust that

viewers had no idea what the new company was or did. USA Today, which

ranks Super Bowl ads based on consumer opinion, found the Accenture

commercials among the least interesting. Advertising Age critic Bob Garfield

called the campaign a 'very expensive exercise in vanity and cluelessness.'"Following the disaster that fell upon Arthur Andersen in the wake of the

Enron scandal, Accenture was actually well served by its dismal Super Bowl

reviews. "If its campaign had been a rousing success at raising its profile with

the masses," wrote Crain's, "the press would have rushed to link Accenture

with its former partner."

Shaheen says adieu

Andersen Consulting's efforts to divorce itself from Andersen Worldwide

were directed by its CEO, George Shaheen. But as the arbitration court

approached a resolution, Shaheen resigned from AC in Septemeber 1999 to

become the CEO at Webvan, an online grocery delivery service. Initially,

Shaheen had intended to retire (from Andersen Consulting, anyway)

sometime in 2000, but the Webvan position required that he depart earlier.

Then, in a widely reported twist of bad luck, Webvan struggled to stay afloat

during Shaheen's tenure, leaving the value of his generous options package in

ruins. While Shaheen is credited with Andersen Consulting's massive success

in the late 1990s, his decision to join Webvan just a year before the firm

completed an IPO cost him tens of millions in lost profit. But there's no need

to cry for Shaheen. Weeks after leaving Webvan, news of his severance

package began to leak, revealing that Shaheen would make $375,000 a year

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for life. How long did it take for Shaheen to earn a compensation package

most can only dream of? Eight months of work. (Of course, collecting from

the now-bankrupt Webvan will be no easy feat.)

Going public

In a widely anticipated move in July 2001 - following what most analysts

believe was a successful IPO by competitor KPMG Consulting - Accenture

raised about $1.7 billion through its own public offering. The stock offered

for public sale amounted to no more than 12 percent of the undiluted

company. On the initial day of trading, the firm saw its stock rise 5 percent -

not impressive compared to the moonshots of 1999, but extremely

respectable for the current IPO market. Accenture sold 115 million shares,

leaving partners with control of more than 80 percent of the company.

Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley served as the lead underwriters.

Through another offering completed in May 2002, Accenture sold

approximately $93 million worth of its shares.

Taking leave

Like most of its competitors, Accenture underwent layoffs in 2001. In June2001, 600 support personnel were cut, followed by an additional 1,500

staffers in August (1,000 of whom were consultants). All told, about 2 percent

of the workforce received pink slips. The firm, however, primarily has

attempted to reduce its payroll costs through its "FlexLeave" program. In this

program, consultants voluntary may take sabbaticals of six to 12 months at 20

percent of their current pay and continued benefits, and their job at Accenture

is guaranteed when their time off is finished. About 2,400 consultants had

taken FlexLeave as of December 2001; the program has also been extendedto Europe and Asia.

The slow economy continued to hound Accenture in 2002, with revenue

increasing by just $43 million over 2001. Some clients cut back on

Accenture's services or put off work, while others simply went bankrupt.

Only cost-management programs instituted by management helped to

preserve operating margins.

Forehand comes to the forefront

In November 1999, Joe W. Forehand succeeded George Shaheen as CEO and

managing partner. Although not considered as dynamic a leader as Shaheen

and portrayed as a kinder, gentler CEO, Forehand moved quickly to shake up

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the top ranks of management, ousting Shaheen loyalists while adding a

number of international partners to the executive committee as a way to

reflect the company's global presence and ambitions. Altogether 13 of the 20

members of the executive committee were replaced. Less than two years intohis tenure, Forehand was named the No.-1 "Most Influential Consultant" by

Consulting Magazine. (The managing partner for Accenture's retail operating

group, Angela Selden, ranked No. 15 on the June 2001 list.) Forehand also

made Information Week's list of the 15 most influential people in the IT

industry.

And it's not just Forehand who's been racking up accolades. The firm has

received its share of recognition as well. The firm was given the Catalyst

Award in January 2003 by Catalyst, a non-profit group that tracks the

progress of in corporate America. The firm was given the award because of

its commitment to retaining and promoting women. In 2001, Red Herring

named Accenture to its list of the 100 companies Most Likely to Change the

World.

Students, it seems, also think mighty highly of Accenture. The firm ranked

fourth in the 2002 Universum European survey of the most desired employers

by European graduates and third among all employers in terms of diversity in

Universum's survey of U.S. undergrads. The company ranked 15th on

Universum's 2002 diversity survey. The survey polled minority

undergraduate and MBA students at 53 universities on the companies they

would most like to work for. Universum ranked the 50 most popular

organizations and published the results in the October 2002 issue of The

Black Collegian magazine. The same issue featured an interview with

Accenture partner Andrew Jackson in which he describes a variety of the

firm's diversity initiatives and discusses some general issues that students of

all backgrounds can expect when starting out at the firm.

Training days

Accenture proudly boasts that it spent $717 million in fiscal 2001 to train and

develop its workforce. Newly hired analysts typically spend two to three

weeks at Accenture's main training facility in St. Charles, Ill., developing

team-building and management skills. The training program enables

Accenture to offer standardized solutions and encourage consultants fromdisparate offices and backgrounds to work well together (important for a firm

with more than 80,000 employees). After their time at St. Charles, Accenture

professionals can access the company's more than 4,000 classroom,

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computer-based and web-enabled training programs via a web-based learning

portal.

Out of the VC game

Alas and alack - it seems that Accenture's venture capital ambitions will not

come to pass. The firm had originally planned to sink as much as $500

million in emerging Internet businesses through its Accenture Technology

Ventures unit, but reversed field when many of its investments yielded losses.

(The firm tells us what actually happened was "the VC exit window

lengthened and volatility began to impact corporate earnings.") In March

2002, Accenture announced that it would sell all of its minority stakes in such

companies. Accenture's current plan calls for the firm to consolidate its

holdings into one subsidiary, which will then be sold. Accenture would

maintain a small piece of the subsidiary, should such a sale occur.

Thinking 'bout the government

Accenture's government operating group earned just over $1 billion globally

in 2001 and continues to pick up new engagements. In May 2001, web

surfers got their first look at Accenture's redesign of NYC.gov, a portaloffering government services for New York City residents. The site, which

served as an important communications channel after the Sept. 11th terrorist

attacks, has been recognized as "Best of the Web" by Government

Technology, and received global recognition from the World Information

Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) for exceptional use of

technology. August 2001 saw the firm sign a five-year deal worth a potential

$33.6 million to redesign the Internal Revenue Service's web site. And in

December of that year, Accenture inked two deals with the U.S. Departmentof Education reportedly valued at up to a combined $234 million in a share-

in-savings deal.

The move offshore

While it claims to have to no corporate headquarters, in February 2001

Accenture became the first professional services firm to register its official

residence in Bermuda. The scenic island has no income or capital gains tax,

and has a number of other favorable business rules and regulations (or, more

to the point, a relative lack thereof). The firm's Bermuda location brought it

under Congressional scrutiny in July 2002, as lawmakers became

increasingly critical of firms that used such loopholes to avoid U.S. taxes.

Accenture has responded with a brace of lobbyists, including a number of

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former Congressmen, who argue that because the firm was never previously

incorporated in the United States, it shouldn't be grouped with such

companies as Tyco, which moved its headquarters offshore from Exeter, N.H.

And with more than half of its 2,500 partners non-U.S. citizens, Accentureargues that as a cultural matter it chose the neutral location of Bermuda - after

considering a variety of options - for its post-IPO parent company.

Meanwhile, Accenture also purports to own an operating company in

Luxembourg, another tax haven.

Making votes count

Following the debacle of the Florida recount in the 2000 presidential election,

Accenture created an elections practice, which was formalized in 2003 as

Accenture eDemocracy Services. Meg T. McLaughlin, a partner with two

decades of experience with the firm, was named chief executive. As global

managing partner of the firm's prior elections practice she was involved in a

number of initiatives with state and national governments, including voter

registration as well as voting and election management services. A strategic

partner in most of this work was election.com (which Accenture also acquired

in 2003). Together the two parties had been involved in implementing

election systems management software in over 170 U.S. counties and a

number of states. They also completed projects in both the United Kingdom

and France. Election.com was instrumental in creating a system that allowed

French expatriates to vote in the first legally binding public Internet elections

in France. Accenture eDemocracy will continue to work in France, assisting

the country in developing its e-voting technology. In the U.K. the practice

will continue its efforts to implement new election solutions that not only

include the Internet but also phone and public access kiosk voting, smart

cards for voter ID, and real-time, online voter registration rolls. When similar initiatives are introduced in the United States, Accenture eDemocracy should

be well positioned to land a major share of the business.

New clients and allies

Accenture has been busy creating new affiliates to better position itself in the

e-business marketplace. In March 2000, Accenture announced that it was

teaming up with Microsoft to form Avanade, a jointly owned firm that focuses

on large-scale technology integration surrounding Microsoft's enterprise

platform. Initially valued at more than $1 billion, Avanade reportedly was

launched in response to the growing dominance of IBM Global Services,

which executives said was often the choice-by-default for many Fortune 500

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companies. The venture has thrived, and now has more than 300 customers

and over 1,200 employees in 17 cities in 11 countries. In 2002 Accenture

boosted its holdings to 78 percent of the company. (As for the remaining

interest, 20 percent is held by Microsoft, with the other 2 percent in the handsof Avanade employees.)

Elsewhere, Accenture entered the e-learning market in March 2001 with the

formation of Indeliq, a company that provides simulation-based e-learning

solutions to help companies improve workforce performance. And in

October of that year the firm joined Merck-Medco and UnitedHealth Group

to launch Xceleron Health LLC, a venture designed to provide business

services to the health care industry.

Accenture hooked up with software provider Comptel in April 2003 to

provide consulting services to telecommunications companies. Accenture

also acquired a 30-person consulting group run by Comptel and based in

Finland at that time. In August 2003, Accenture announced a major contract

from the California State Automobile Association. In the first stage of the

project, Accenture to work with software developer PeopleSoft to upgrade

CSAA's HR and financial management systems. That upgrade is expected to

be completed in the fall of 2003. According to the terms of the agreement,

Accenture will then provide maintenance and support services to CSAA for

the next 10 years. In New York City, Accenture has teamed up with the

municipality to provide a new Citizen Service Center that can be accessed by

dialing 311 from a telephone. Offering non-emergency services and

information through the new service frees up the 911 system to better handle

emergency calls. The 311 Citizen Service Center was up and running a mere

seven months after Accenture was awarded the contract. Already with a five-

year $2.6 billion deal with AT&T in hand (to provide technology and training

to its consumer long-distance sales division and customer-care unit),Accenture was also awarded in 2003 a five-year, $500 million contract to help

the telecom giant in its efforts to expand in the local services market.

A Microsoft future?

In April 2003 Accenture continued its efforts to "reshape" its work force,

terminating roughly 750 employees, or about 1 percent of its work force.

Primarily affected were midlevel to high-level employees in the U.S. and theU.K. Nevertheless, the company has continued to hire new employees in the

lower ranks. Those cuts probably also fueled speculation during 2003 that

Accenture was holding discussions with Microsoft about acquiring the

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consultancy. Microsoft is rumored to be interested in acquiring Accenture to

bolster its growing services unit.

Those merger rumors have yet to bear any fruit, but Accenture has been busy

making good on its relationship with Microsoft through their Avanade

partnership. In February 2003, Accenture announced the release of the

Accenture Web Services Platform, a program designed to help clients develop

and manage web-based applications more efficiently. The new product was

developed by Avanade. Three months after the web services release,

Accenture announced the release of an update to its claim management

software for insurers, also developed with input from Microsoft.

Accenture isn't known for being in the gadget business, but it is developing anew product that's intriguing to say the least. In February 2003, The New

York Times reported that two Accenture researchers in Palo Alto, Calif., are

at work on a portable device that could aid human memory. The device will

feature speech-recognition technology and an earpiece through which the

user can be prompted with information (a forgotten name, for instance) and

witty comments that the user can use in conversation.

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Organization

Service lines:Accenture divides its service lines into two divisions: Business Consulting

and Technology and Outsourcing. Both, in turn, are organized into service

offerings, as well as alliances and long-term projects with other firms.

Business Consulting

Customer Relationship Management: Relies on both tools and strategies,

emphasizing the strong relationship between CRM software andorganizational structure in order to maintain efficiency of order-taking,

delivery and follow-through. Accenture also offers a wide array of research

capabilities to help customize solutions.

Finance and Performance Management: Back-office solutions aimed at

improving clients' financial efficiency, including tax and accounting

consulting, e-business suites and shared services solutions.

Human Performance: Helps firms measure and improve employee performance. This line involves more than 5,500 people and focuses on

providing a strategic perspective on HR questions, as well as learning and

training programs.

Strategy & Business Architecture: Accenture's classic strategy arm, with an

obligatory IT bend. This line offers a full range of strategy-related approaches

to increasing value, including mergers and acquisitions work, marketing and

IT integration.

Supply Chain Management: Covers the range of SCM issues, including

procurement; B2B solutions; and supply chain design, management and

transformation.

Technology and Outsourcing

Outsourcing: Accenture's fastest-growing service line, with more than 15,000

staffers and 350 clients. More than just IT, this line offers a wide range of

back-office (i.e., accounting, payroll and HR) outsourcing solutions.

Solutions Engineering: Assists clients in integrating IT and other solutions

into their overall business processes. This line relies heavily on Accenture's

multi-faceted relationship with Microsoft, utilizing the latter's licensed

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software in developing customized client solutions. Solutions Engineering

also works closely with software developer Avanade, itself a joint venture

between Accenture and Microsoft.

Technology Research and Innovation: Accenture's eye on the latest in

business technology. This line includes the firm's three technology labs

(located in Chicago, Palo Alto and Sophia Antipolis, France), research and

development teams and a brace of publications and yearly conferences.

Practice Areas

Communications & High Tech

Consists of the communications, electronics and high tech, and media and

entertainment industry groups. The communications group serves 24 of the

top 25 wireline (i.e., cable-based communications), wireless, cable and

satellite companies; one of the firm's premier units, it further subdivides into

five management teams: 1) operating units, 2) market offering suites, 3)

business process management and enterprises, 4) competencies and 5) market

unit business practices. The electronics and high tech group, a major assetduring the dot-com boom and a key player in the development of e-commerce

capabilities, has dragged the firm down over the last few years, though thanks

to cost-cutting and a new emphasis on outsourcing services, it is far from

being dead weight. The Media and Entertainment group includes industries

from publishing to sports, and focuses on customer relationship management

and digital content solutions. The communications and high tech operating

group also runs the annual Accenture Global Convergence Forum.

Financial Services

This group consists of the banking, health services and insurance industry

groups. Accenture's financial service offerings emphasize the need to adapt to

the fast-paced changes going on in all three industries, particularly as a result

of globalization and deregulation. Offerings include supply-chain

management, human performance management and strategic and business

architecture. Services for all three groups are offered through Accenture's

nine global "delivery centres," each of which is strategically located within a

major market but which also specializes in a particular set of capabilities - for

example, Atlanta's specialties include CRM and web architecture, while

Paris's include life insurance and application maintenance. Accenture also

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maintains three technology labs that develop software for use by financial

service industry clients.

Government

The government group focuses on applying the tools used in the private

sector - CRM, supply-chain management and outsourcing, for example - to

the needs of federal, state and local governments, both in the United States

and abroad.

Products

Consists of Accenture's automotive, consumer goods and services, industrial

equipment, pharmaceutical and medical products, retail, and travel and

transportation industry teams. The products group focuses on helping

manufacturers recognize the fundamental changes occurring in the sector,

particularly the end stages of the shift from industrial to "virtual" economies.

The group sees the current economic decline as an indicator of just such a

change, and helps its clients respond with a long-term perspective in mind.

Offerings include value management, which identifies the shifting demands

of investors, and e-commerce, both between businesses and their customersand between businesses themselves.

Resources

Consists of the chemicals, energy, forest products, metals and mining and

utilities industry teams. The resources group emphasizes the importance of

cutting-edge strategic delivery capabilities, and to that end, it offers a wide

variety of supply-chain management and mobile commerce services to clients

across its industry profile.

Alliances

Accenture has established approximately 150 corporate alliances, primarily

with technology providers, in order to enhance its service offerings and

expand its geographic reach. Many are with major firms, such as Sun

Microsystems, Siebel and BEA. Others, such as human performancesolutions firm Indeliq, are independent companies spun off from Accenture;

still others, such as the aforementioned Avanade, are joint ventures with other

firms (in Avanade's case, Microsoft).

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Key Officers

CEO: Joe W. ForehandA true lifer, Forehand has been with the firm since 1972, fresh out of Purdue

University, where he earned an M.S. in industrial relations. Raised in

Alabama, he also earned an industrial engineering degree from Auburn

University in 1971. Forehand became CEO and chairman on November 1,

1999, after making partner in 1982 and leading 11 of the firm's 18 industry

groups. As CEO he has overseen Accenture's successful IPO as well as the

formation of numerous joint ventures and satellite companies, a goal he

emphasized when he took the helm.

He is also committed to creating an entrepreneurial culture. In a June 2002

interview in Chief Executive, he details his approach: "First, we focus on

leadership development, with the belief that inspirational leaders can actively

coach their teams to think and act like entrepreneurs. Good leaders can

articulate the passion and vision of a corporation and build teams that perform

at levels well above their individual abilities. Second, we encourage

entrepreneurial thinking in all our people. We recently doubled the size of our

partnership, which I believe extends decision-making authority to more of our people and rewards bold and innovative thinking earlier in a person's

career. We also have dedicated centers of innovation, like the Accenture

Technology Labs and the Accenture Institute for Strategic Change, which

conduct original research into business issues. Third, we work hard at being

what I call 'big and small' by balancing resource- and knowledge-sharing

across the global organization with the market responsiveness and agility of

a small company. So, when it comes to driving innovation from within, we

will continue to move to a more entrepreneurial culture. And we arecommitted to providing our people with what they have identified as

important: inspiring leadership, interesting work, a diverse work force,

competitive rewards, flexibility and new opportunities for continuous

learning."

Forehand has won a number of industry accolades - in 2001 InformationWeek

named him one of the 15 "most inspirational figures" in IT, and later that year

Consulting Magazine named him the most influential consultant of the year.

He was also chosen by CRN magazine as one of the top 25 executives of 2001. His tasks include chairing the firm's management committee, the

executive committee and the global leadership council.

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Chief Strategy Officer: R. Timothy S. Breene

Group Chief Executive, Financial Services Operating Group: Karl-Heinz

Flöther

Chief Operating Officer-Client Services: William D. Green

Chief Operating Officer-Capabilities: Stephan A. James

Chief Risk Officer: Michael G. McGrath

Chief Leadership Officer: Gill Rider

Corporate Development Officer: Mary A. Tolan

Chief Financial Officer: Harry L. You

Offices

Accenture has over 110 offices in 47 countries around the world. Its

executive offices are in Chicago (although the firm is incorporated in

Bermuda).

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July 2003: We're doing better, but…

Accenture announces positive third quarter results, but also discloses that its

Middle East operation may have violated the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices

Act, which forbids companies from bribing government officials and political

parties in companies in which they operate. The company pledges to

cooperate with the appropriate authorities.

July 2003: Voting on the future

Accenture announces that it will develop a Windows- and web-based voting

system for the Defense Department to be used by military personnel, their

dependents and other United States citizens living abroad. The system is

expected to be operational in time for the 2004 elections. Accenture's

elections practice grew out of the contentious 2000 presidential results and is

considered an area for ongoing growth.

March 2003: Further job cutsAccenture continues to reshape its work force, eliminating 1 percent of its

work force, roughly 760 employees. Rumors about the cuts result in a 13

percent drop in the price of Accenture stock.

January 2003: Leading indicators

Signaling a possible turnaround in the IT consulting market, Accenture

announces a 55 percent increase in net income for its first fiscal quarter. The

firm posts $126.9 million, over $81.7 million from the first quarter of last

year.

January 2003: Tops up top

Accenture is one of the best 50 firms to work for in Canada, according to

Report on Business Magazine. The company has approximately 2,300

employees working in Toronto and other cities across the country.

November 2002: Book it

Accenture released its latest book, The Ultimate CRM Handbook: Strategies

and Concepts for Building Enduring Customer Loyalty and Profitability. The

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book, edited by CRM managing partner John Freeland, outlines principles

firms can use to approach and resolve customer-relationship-management

issues.

September 2002: The art of consulting

Accenture announces its sponsorship of one of New York's blockbuster art

exhibits in 2003. The exhibit, "Manet/Velázquez: The French Taste for

Spanish Painting," will run at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the spring.

September 2002: That's the idea

As part of Accenture's $70 million branding campaign, Young & Rubicam

debuts two new television commercials. One of the spots in the "idea"

campaign features a patient having his head X-rayed, revealing a Post-it note

labeled "idea," which a doctor warns will grow to the size of a file cabinet if

not promptly acted upon.

August 2002: Accenture sells venture and

investment portfolio

The investment banking arm of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

announces the acquisition of Accenture's venture and investment portfolio, a

collection of approximately 80 technology firms, for an undisclosed amount.

Accenture will retain a 5 percent holding in the portfolio. CIBC also agrees

to allow Accenture to continue building relationships with the firms in

exchange for access to Accenture's technology sector expertise.

July 2002: Accenture to cut management staffby 1,000

In a concession to the need for further cost reduction, Accenture announces it

will cut 1,000 management-level consultants by the end of August.

February 2002: Accenture launches new

marketing and branding campaign

Accenture begins a new advertising and branding campaign built around theslogan "I am your idea - use me!" The ads, which appeared in both print and

television, are part of a $70 million international marketing effort tp establish

the Accenture name (at least with senior corporate executives).

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February 2002: Accenture buys 50 percent of E-

Peopleserve

BT plc announces it will sell 50 percent of E-Peopleserve, a human resources

outsourcing firm, to Accenture for $70 million in cash and a five-year earn-out payment, which could be worth as much as $225 million.

January 2002: Accenture lands major telecom

contract

AT&T announces a five-year $2.6 billion deal with Accenture to provide

technology and training to its consumer long-distance sales division and

customer-care unit in an effort to cut costs and improve productivity. Over thecourse of the contract AT&T hopes to lower its sales and customer-service

costs by more than half.

January 2002: Accenture teams with Microsoft

to offer automotive solutions

Improving on their already strong relationship, Accenture and Microsoft

announce they have formed a partnership to offer a variety of solutions for the

automotive industry. The effort will draw on the newly formed AccentureServices Bureau for Automotive Telematics, as well as Microsoft software

specially adapted to the industry.

December 2001: Accenture refuels Indeliq

Citing the company's strong performance, Accenture announces it will pump

another $20 million into Indepliq, an Accenture affiliate and eLearning

solutions provider.

October 2001: Accenture opens two overseas

development facilities

Despite the weak market, Accenture opens two technology development

centers, one in Prague and the other in Mumbai(formerly Bombay), India.

The facilities complement the company's chain of more than 20 development

centers, allowing it to provide software and IT development services for the

Central European and Indian markets.

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August 2001: Accenture lays off 1,500

Accenture announces it will cut 2 percent of its staff as a cost-cutting effort

in response to a sluggish economy. Of the 1,500 laid off, roughly 1,000 will

be consultants, while the remainder will be support staff. "We are taking

these actions after our normal annual budget review and management plan to

ensure that our staffing levels are better balanced with client demand," CEO

Joe W. Forehand said.

July 2001: Accenture goes public

In a widely anticipated move - following what most analysts believe was a

successful IPO by competitor KPMG Consulting - Accenture raises $1.7 billion through a public offering. The firm sold 15 million shares, leaving

partners with over 80 percent control of the company. Goldman Sachs and

Morgan Stanley served as the lead underwriters.

June 2001: It's all about You

Accenture hires a new CFO - Harry You, formerly with Morgan Stanley, one

of the investments banks that co-managed the Accenture IPO. You has

experience with both the KPMG public offering and the upcoming

PricewaterhouseCoopers IPO.

May 2001: Partners with Hewlett-Packard

Accenture inks a partnership with technology giant Hewlett-Packard.

Hewlett-Packard had previously sought to purchase the consulting arm of

PricewaterhouseCoopers before the merger was called off due to

PricewaterhouseCoopers' declining value. It is expected that Accenture willhandle the higher-end design and strategy, while HP will tackle the

implementation. Hewlett-Packard's merger with Compaq, proposed in

September 2001, should not affect this deal, as Compaq has little consulting

expertise.

October 2000: "Renamed, Redefined, Reborn"

Andersen Consulting, announces its new moniker to be effective starting

January 1, 2001. In a webcast to all employees from London, Managing

Partner and CEO Joe Forehand reveals the new name: Accenture. This name,

one of 2,700 employee suggestions out of the 5,000 contenders, was coined

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by Kim Petersen, a senior manager working for Accenture in Oslo, Norway.

In reward, Petersen and his wife received a trip to Australia.

August 2000: The divorce is finalized

The International Court of Arbitration in Paris hands down the decision to

split up accounting firm Andersen from the former AC consultants. Arbitrator

Guillermo Gamba states that parent company Andersen Worldwide had not

fulfilled it obligations in running the organization. As a result, Accenture was

ordered to give up the Andersen name and pay about $1 billion (held in

escrow since arbitration began) to partners at Andersen. The consulting firm

also has to give back some technology jointly held by the firms. Accenture

avoided a potential $14 billion payment to the accounting firm and

considered the ruling a small price to pay for independence from Andersen

and parent company Andersen Worldwide. Andersen CEO Jim Wadia

resigned on the same day the court announced the decision.

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Make a mark in your market

The amount an Accenture consultant travels has to do with "what market unit

you're in - it's very regionalized." Another source concurs: "Those in

financial services rarely have to travel outside of the New York metro area;

those in communications or other industry groups travel more." Ultimately,

"unless you live in a market that has your industry group, you're traveling a

lot," yet another source emphasizes. However, "the staffing coordinators try

to take your preferences into account. And as you gain more marketable

skills, there are more choices." But if "you're right out of college, they tell

you where to go," insiders say. Another source concurs that for new hires, it's

really a roll of the dice as to the type of assignments they'll receive. But

another insider says it's just too difficult to say what new hires will experience

because the company is so big. "There are simply too many variables." A lot

depends on a consultant's practice, location and who she works for.

Travel notwithstanding, most respondents have good things to say about the

work/life balance at Accenture. Hours tend to be standard for the industry-50

to 70 per week-though the firm's many government projects usually involveshorter workweeks. As one consultant puts it, "On a government contract, the

hours are limited to about 40 per week because you can't bill the client for

more than that."

Compensation is on par with the rest of the industry, and one source

comments, "I think [the compensation] is more than fair, especially when I

think of the little extras that make work/life balance better: flexible vacation

time and overtime for those under manager level, etc." And "individual

projects sometimes have their own perks, renting out clubs for private parties,PDAs for all on the project and vacations." For those interested in community

work, Accenture may be the perfect place-we hear that volunteer work is a

"very important aspect of life at Accenture," with organized projects

including Habitat for Humanity and AIDS Walks. It's so important, in fact,

that its performance evaluations "are based not just on work, but other

activities in support of the company and the community."

Our sources on outsourcing

While most Accenturites understand and even agree with Forehand's plan to

shift the company toward outsourcing, it's not a decision that the firm takes

without reservation. An increasing number of traditional consultants are

Our Survey Says

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being reassigned to outsourcing-focused projects, usually locally based and

with much less client interaction. One consultant characterizes the move as

"replacing people who've worked hard with cheap labor," adding that while

"it makes good business sense, and if I were at the helm I would do the same, but still-if they want a league of technical drones, this is how to do it."

Another Accenturite puts it this way: "It's very difficult on the workforce. You

have a bunch of consultants who've been traveling around for two to three

years, and now you tell them they'll be on local projects doing work they

think belongs with the bastard stepchild of the company." "Overall,"

according to one respondent, "it looks like the organization that built the

company, the consulting practice, is being shortchanged and left to wither."

Getting on, getting off

Staffing at Accenture has gone through several changes over the last few

years, mostly in response to the need to rein in costs and the decline in the

number of new projects. In the past, the company maintained a corps of HR

managers, approximately one per every 50 consultants. "Now there's one at

each large client site. When you are near finishing a project, you contact this

person," as one consultant puts it. In general, we hear, staffing is "very

dependent on the economy. If there's a lot of work, you can pick and choose,"

but in light of the sluggish economy, "now you keep your ear to the ground."

Another insider maintains that since the downturn in the economy,

"Promotions and salary increases have become nearly impossible."

For consultants, staffing for their next project is a matter of negotiation with

that manager, but for outsourcing staffers the situation is more a matter of

going where their specialties are needed, with much less room for personal

preference. In either case, we hear, the one thing no one wants is to be left

without a project: "On the beach is a pretty scary place right now because you

don't know when layoffs will come." One respondent says "if your current

project is coming to an end, it's almost like your job is coming to an end. You

could easily be fired if more than a few weeks go by between assignments. .

.You are always at risk if there is a recruit who is ready to join the firm at a

lower salary than you."

The slant of the ladderEmployees at Accenture have varying opinions regarding how partners treat

junior employees. One insider complains that partners "usually have no time

to talk to anybody who isn't a client." "Until you are at their level, you don't

get the same respect," another source explains. "Most of the time you are

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fairly invisible, but this is good and bad," adds a third respondent. "While

very few are ogres, [partners] are not easily accessible. Don't expect to make

mentors easily." Another insider takes a harsher view, claiming that "instead

of the highly motivated, hard-working, fairly compensated culture we used tohave, it is now 'us vs. them,' non-execs and junior execs versus senior execs"

type of environment. Other insiders disagree, however. One consultant

shares, "Executives seem genuinely interested in my ideas and sometimes

fascinated by my different experiences."

One area where we hear executives are very responsive is training. While the

emphasis has shifted from upfront, new-hire training to continued learning,

the opportunities to gain consulting skills or more knowledge of a particular

industry are many. "You can even leave in the middle of a project to get

training if it will help you in your role better," notes one source. Another

respondent says, "Accenture has an excellent in-house training program and

it definitely does not look bad to have them listed on your resume." One

insider on the consulting side insists, however, that training has fallen off

significantly since the Arthur Andersen days, claiming that the company "has

little, if any training. What little formal (i.e. classroom) training that remains

is basically 'how to-look-good-in-front-of-the-client' type of training or

Accenture methodology . . . training that is of little use outside of thecompany." Another blames the economy for the decline in training, noting

that time spent on training is time that can't be billed to clients. But a different

colleague offers yet another perspective on training. She observes that some

consultants feel a bit relunctant to commit to training between projects for

fear that they'll be busy when a choice assignment is handed out.

Some insiders say that with the advent of difficult economic conditions

advancement in the company has become harder. Says one, "You can't be

afraid to toot your own horn every once and a while." According to oneconsultant, "The seemingly never-ending waves of layoffs have demoralized

many employees, as everyone has lost friends and quality peers. This has also

created somewhat of a competitive culture within the company as people try

to come out on top of the laddering process so they won't be flagged for the

next round of layoffs." But this same respondent believes "leadership is

realizing that there is a culture problem that they need to address, and they

have taken steps in the right direction." In recent months, according to one

employee, the company's culture which had once been "'work hard, play hard'now seems to be just 'work hard.'" A former analyst who departed in the

spring of 2003 tells us morale is at "an all-time low." However, this source

conceeds that the recent reductions have been an attempt to align staff with

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the amount of work available; the firm hasn't engaged in mass layoffs just for

the sake of saving money.

Flexing it

One benefit respondents praise is Accenture's voluntary FlexLeave program,

which allows employees to take time off from their jobs and still retain 20

percent of their pay, as well as their benefits, laptops and office access. The

program is especially popular now, as it has enabled the firm to keep layoffs

and pay cuts down. "FlexLeave is a great option compared to being laid off,"

notes one source, though it still doesn't help some sleep at night. "A taste of

the outside world plus a feeling of job insecurity" could influence some who

take advantage of the program to eventually "jump ship." One source who

participated in the program is now back at her desk confides that there was

some resentment directed by those who didn't take the time off at those who

did. The initial impression, says this contact, is that those who took off did so

simply to "travel and have a good time." However, this source believes that

resentment faded as those who took off and those who stayed became

reacclimated to working together.

Coddled in a cube

Some consultants complain that Accenture offices are "too small for so many

people" with "small cubes" and "no privacy." Another source says that "the

offices are iffy," with a mix of nice amenities but often cramped working

quarters. "Sometimes you will have to walk around looking for a space,"

reports one insider. On the other hand, another employee reports that the

offices are "wonderful. My office building defines the city's skyline.

Executives have offices with immense windows and a great view of the city.Even the cubicles aren't bad." And while Accenturites work hard, the office

environments are said to be "very friendly and fairly youth-oriented with a

strong helping of life/work balance perks."

Dress the part

According to one insider, "Dress code tends to have 'business' casual' as a

base and if the client's environment that we often work in is a higher standard-

then so is the Accenture dress code." Another respondent says that "smart

casual attire is the norm."

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Taking diversity to task

Insiders report that Accenture handles diversity issues rather well. "There is

a diversity task force and activities for just about every minority group.

These are open to everyone in the firm, not just to members of the minority

group," says one employee. Another consultant adds, "We were taken to

lunch by our office's diversity task force during our first week to learn about

diversity at Accenture." Still another respondent notes, "There are lots of

programs, internal groups (communities), diversity initiatives and efforts to

promote these issues." Nevertheless, "I am not sure if it results in the actual

progress up the ranks for minorities, who are still small in number," says one

consultant. Another insider maintains, "There is an honest effort to improve

diversity and at least some of the senior executives are committed to helpingworkplace minorities (women, ethnic and racial minorities) gain valuable

experience and leadership opportunities."

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Accenture



L I R R Y

Addresses to ApplyIf applying online, begin the process by checking out

http://careersusa.accenture.com/. There you can search for available jobs and

submit a resume and cover letter; if recruiters like what they see, they'll

contact you for an initial interview. On campus, Accenture maintains resume

drops at numerous U.S. universities during the recruiting season; if they're on

your campus, stop by your career development office to find out more.

Hiring Process

Accenture recruits via on-campus events and the web at 125 U.S. universities

and colleges, as well as many international campuses. Prospective campus

hires are generally "required to submit their resumes [along with a personal

data form] through their career services offices" and resume drop systems. At

schools where there is no formal resume drop system, would-be applicants

can contact a recruiter from the local office nearest them. Candidates may

have up to two interviews on campus. The first is a screening interview,

while the second tends to be with Accenture employees (partners or

experienced managers, though usually also a peer). These interviews can

vary, according to a contact in the recruiting office: "In some cases these

interviews are behavioral, and in others they're case-based." The initial round

is often a brief "Can you communicate?" interview. Also, "questions

definitely depend on service line. Strategy gives case interviews while [other

service lines] give behavioral interviews." One insider reports that "at the

second round I was asked a lot of 'tell me about a time when' questions. One

was, 'Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone you didn't

know.'" Another was, "Tell about a time you were on a team and didn't get

along with everyone." Interviewers, according to one insider, are also

"interested in knowing what I had done at a detail level." They were

"especially interested in projects related to what might be found on the job."

A typical question in this vein, in the words of another insider, is, "Why did

you get involved in these activities in college?"

After making it through these screening rounds, a chosen few candidates

spend a day at the nearest office. Insiders have reported minor variations in

the interview process at different offices and campuses; some candidates have

had a second round with three managers or partners at an Accenture office.

Getting Hired

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Employees say that "selectivity depends heavily on which service line you are

aligned with. Strategy is extremely difficult to enter even with excellent

credentials-process, technology and organization and human performance a

little less so." Insiders also say, "We tend to hire most of the people whomake it to the [round of interviews at the] office." While candidates do have

the option to fly out to visit their office of interest, "it isn't necessary to

interview where you want to work, except in the case of San Francisco," a

very popular office location. We hear that "offers are usually extended to

successful candidates shortly after the office visit."

Contacts say Accenture makes its big push "at sell weekend, which is very

structured." Reports one insider: "The first day is in the office and features a

series of meetings with the various industry groups. They provide much more

specific information than you get in the recruitment brochures. There is also

the opportunity to speak one-on-one with peers, and you go out to wining and

dining things and to a show."

The firm has identified several qualities that it believes make a successful

Accenture consultant. They include: a target GPA (which depends on the type

of degree), critical thinking, ability to be a self-starter, ability to juggle

multiple activities, problem-solving skills, being a team player, and a

willingness to travel. One recruiter tells us that "the type of person we look

for performed well academically and is well-rounded, a lifelong learner,

committed to developing a career, interested in and understands what we do."

The perfect candidate also has "strong written and oral communication

skills." This contact also informs us that "professionals who succeed at

[Accenture] embrace the clients' needs" and "are team- and results-oriented."

Insiders say that even the strongest candidates can improve their chances of

being hired by "reading through the [Accenture careers] web site" and"educating yourself on what [Accenture] does, how the company is structured

and what the various organizations and their respective career paths are."

Sources also suggest that candidates "be prepared to articulate which is the

best fit for you." Finally, "it's also tremendously helpful to have someone in

the firm to talk to, so you can get a better sense of what the many choices are."

"There's only so much you can glean from public sources of information,"

insiders conclude.

Questions to Expect

1. Walk me through this manufacturing scenario.

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Accenture management consulting isn't just pie-in-the-sky brainstorming.

Applicants are expected to have a concrete grasp of logistics and financial

matters. One strategy consultant candidate says: "Not only was I expected to

walk through a manufacturing utilization curve, but I had to value a cash flowas well." (This is an MBA-level question.)

2. You must supervise and direct a group of senior VPs. How would you

work with people who have much more seniority and experience than

you?

Some strat consulting interviewees say they've gotten "soft" cases that

combine elements of cases and behavioral interviews. This question or its

type, however, is much more common in change management.

3. Guesstimate: What are the revenues of the average pizza parlor?

Here you need to establish the size of the average pizza parlor, as well as

determine what time frame you're discussing. (Daily? Yearly?) Don't be

afraid to ask questions, such as what constitutes a pizza parlor or whether to

include take-out-only establishments.

4. Tell me about a time you faced a difficult challenge.

This is a rather typical question that tries to see how you evaluate obstacles -

do you see them as reasons to give up, or merely bumps in the road (or even

better, hidden opportunities)? Make sure to emphasize the lessons learned

from the challenge.

5. What do you like to do in your free time?

Accenture values sociability, so answering something to the effect of, "I like

to watch my Star Wars tapes over and over and draw pictures of Boba Fett"

won't win you any points. Better to cite some kind of sport or collaborative

social activity, especially if it involves volunteer work. This is also a great

place to emphasize leadership skills - if you not only play softball but

organize the league, make sure to say so.

6. How many oranges are sold in the United States each year?

Another guesstimate. Try to winnow the problem down to a set of concrete

variables (population, number of producers, etc.) by asking for details.

7. If you were a consultant, how would you advise McDonald's to

increase its revenues?

Creativity counts, but make sure you base your answer in reality. Again, don't

be afraid to ask questions in order to set up your response (for instance, you

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might ask how McDonald's has performed against its competitors over the

last five years, then consider why it has performed the way it has).

8. How would you save your university money?

Several undergraduates report getting this at their group interview.

9. American Express wants to introduce a new credit card. How would

you advise them?

Questions to Ask

1. What challenges do you see for Accenture in the coming year?

2. Please describe how Accenture evaluates performance and what the

criteria for promotion are at the firm.

Accenture has a very complex and frequent review structure, which your

interviewer may or may not be pleased to share with you. Nevertheless, it's

important to ask the question, thereby showing your interest in building a

future for yourself at the firm.

3. What most distinguishes Accenture from its competitors?

4. How would my learning curve develop?

Again, a good way to show your long-term interests in the firm, but also

important to know given the varieties of career development paths available

at Accenture.

5. How is Strategic Services, which is so different from the other service

lines, being successfully integrated into Accenture as a whole?

"They should definitely be able to give you a good answer on this," says a

former consultant, "as in my opinion, this is one of the issues facing"

Accenture.

Compensation

Salary

Analyst (1st year): $35,000-$60,000 (depending on practice, alma mater and

cost of living adjustment, with strategy consulting analyst offers at $60,000

and process at the low end of the range.)

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Senior Consultant (1st-year MBA): $100,000-$120,000 (plus signing bonus)

Manager: $140,000 ($110,000 + $30,000 signing bonus)

Summer (MBA) Consultant: $3,000/week

Perks

Travel per diem

• Laptop (for consultants)

• Lavish "training exercises"

• MBA tuition (for business analysts planning to return to Strategic Services)

• Flexible time

• "Landing spots"

• Compensation time (in Strategic Services)

• Overtime pay (until manager level, in all service lines but strategy)

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Day in the Life

Business Process Consultant

8:30 a.m.: I get to the client site and go directly into a team meeting. I've been

working exclusively at the client site for about six months; fortunately, it's

only 15 minutes from my apartment. We have team meetings about three

times a week, always with everyone on the Accenture team and usually with

people from the client side as well. The meetings can last anywhere from 30

to 45 minutes, and focus on what's going on for the rest of the day.

9:15 a.m.: I get to my desk and start going through my voicemails, e-mails

and octels (which is just a fancy name for an intra-office voicemail). I return

phone calls and log onto Instant Messenger, which I use to stay in constant

contact with various client team members throughout the day. I spend the rest

of my morning catching up.

12:00 p.m.: Lunchtime. My client site is enormous, and I can eat at the onsite

cafeteria, but I try to get outside at least once a day to breath some non-

recycled air.

1:00 p.m.: I get back to my desk, check my messages and start putting

together a PowerPoint for a presentation next week. Like most of my

colleagues, my afternoons are dedicated to writing - either presentations,

training guides or code.

4:00 p.m.: I've still got some work on the PowerPoint, but my messages have

built up over the last three hours, so I spend the rest of the day replying tothem.

6:00 p.m.: I'm outta here. Accenture doesn't stress working overtime,

especially in this economic climate where clients are very price-sensitive.

Fine with me - I meet some coworkers in the lobby and go for a drink, then

head home.

Technical Architect9:00 a.m.: I arrive at my client site. I'm involved in a multi-year government

contract building and supervising back-end architecture, so my days have

gotten to be pretty routine. Nevertheless, there are spikes when I find myself

coming in at 8 am for several weeks in a row.

On the J

Accenture 2004

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