Simone Wamsteker, Head of Recruiting for Germany, Austria and Switzerland at Accenture, will tell you how to make the leap into the consulting business.
Why is Accenture the ideal first employer?
From our point of view, e.g. What differs from pure strategy consulting, for example, is “end to end” consulting, i.e. the larger range of services, including technology consulting and IT operation. What is interesting is that we not only advise customers strategically, but also implement our recommendations, including the operation of entire platforms and systems.
It's never just about sub-areas, but always about the big picture: consultants deal with connections and interactions in companies and markets. You optimize process and value chains, work on strategies or develop completely new business models - for changing clients, in different industries and countries.
“Consultants work around the clock and have a poor work-life balance” is a common cliché. What do you say about such prejudices?
We have always offered flexible working time models. In recent years we have increasingly noticed that these are also being accepted. For example, it is possible to take a longer vacation between two projects or to take a break, for example. B. to take care of relatives - at every career level. Incidentally, almost as many men as women at Accenture take parental leave. It is important to us to make it easy for people to return to work.
Students and graduates in which disciplines are you looking for?
We are primarily looking for graduates in computer science, business information systems, economics, engineering and natural sciences, but also other courses. Ultimately, the decisive factor is technical interest - we also have theologians and doctoral physicists working for us. This is not a coincidence, but actually helpful for our work, because complex questions require different approaches and methods.
When is the best time to get started? After your bachelor's or after your master's?
We are increasingly looking for Bachelor graduates, for example for technology consulting. However, we are observing that more and more students are directly pursuing a master's degree after their bachelor's degree. Our assumption: Students believe that they have to complete a master's degree in order to be successful in their careers. We want to move away from dividing the different career levels according to university degree.
An internship during your studies is a good opportunity to gain practical experience. But there are also other options: In the “Accenture Campus Innovation Challenge” case study competition, students have the opportunity to expand on the knowledge they acquired at the university and put it into practice in a specific project. Through the competition, participants gain valuable insights into the everyday life of a consultant and also develop a feeling for the challenges of an IT or management consultant. In addition, many lecturers use the competition as the basis for a seminar, so that students not only benefit from the project experience, but can also receive credit points for their participation. In addition to support from professors, the student teams are supported by Accenture employees during all phases of the competition through intensive coaching.
What does the selection process consist of? What tasks do applicants have to face?
After the application and a telephone call with a recruiter, you will be invited to the selection day. The advantage over a further interview is that the candidate learns more about the company than in a normal job interview. We organize a program including a tour, discussions with employees at different career levels and exercises. These include a case exercise, a classic interview and a short presentation in which, for example, a term is explained. We want to put the applicant in situations that await him later. For this reason, not only recruiters but also employees from the customer teams take part in the selection day. At the end of the day, the applicant receives direct feedback - and if he or she is a good fit for the company, he or she also receives a contract offer.
What qualities and skills should a young applicant have? What impresses you?
In addition to technical interest, soft skills are also important, such as strong communication skills, flexibility and team spirit - no customer project is implemented alone, but always in a team. Another very important skill: listening. When consultants sit with clients, they need to listen very carefully and understand what the real problem or challenge is. Is it actually what the customer himself says or recognizes? Being able to listen and understand nuances – all of this is very relevant.
How many new employees do you hire per year?
In total, we want to hire more than 1,200 new employees in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in the 2016 financial year, starting in September. We are primarily looking for employees for the Accenture Digital division, as well as strategy and technology consulting for customers from various industries. Internships are a very good way to draw candidates’ attention to us at an early stage. That's why we're offering a variety of internship positions again next year.
How quickly do career starters work independently? How do you get support at the beginning?
Beginners in the technical field usually complete an eight-week training program. With the so-called “Jump Start”, new employees are prepared for their future project assignments in practical training. The work in the project takes place in teams,
Since no two projects are the same, it is important to be able to quickly familiarize yourself with new and complex issues. This is associated with a high degree of variety - the first few years in particular are associated with a steep learning curve. We often hear from new employees how important it is for them to take on responsibility from day one - often in direct interaction with clients.
Younger employees in particular have come to learn socially, i.e. from others, with others, in personal dialogue, networked and interactively. They enjoy working with more experienced colleagues and taking on managers as mentors in order to benefit from their expertise and knowledge.
There is also a whole range of training and education: The internal training portal offers 25,000 online courses, virtual training and other educational resources in practically all areas. The further training courses are individually tailored to the respective previous knowledge of the employees.
What does a consultant’s day-to-day work look like?
There is no such thing as a typical working day - especially not given the range of different jobs we have. Consultants spend one day in meetings with colleagues and customers, the next day sitting at the laptop analyzing system codes or various use cases.
And of course all the possible combinations that result from it.
Consultants must be able to speak competently to different people in different companies: At the interface between the customer's specialist department and programmers, the classic skills of a consultant are also required: listening and translating. The biggest challenge, especially for IT consultants, is to technically implement the customer's technical wishes. It is important to understand and solve the problems of both sides.
What advice would you like to give to students and graduates?
My advice is aimed primarily at women. Be confident and courageous! Send an application even if you do not meet 100 percent of the required qualifications. Have the courage to accept the gap and apply even if there is only a 75 percent match with the advertisement.
Simone Wamsteker, Head of Recruiting for Germany, Austria and Switzerland at Accenture, will tell you how to make the leap into the consulting business.
