Summer Vacation Scheme

Ellie
2019 Summer Intern Consulting Analyst

As a summer intern at Accenture, you are fully-immersed in the community.

A feature that makes Accenture so special is the extraordinary number of extra-curricular activities available. Ranging from sports clubs, wine societies and a diverse array of interest groups such as the Latin American and Iberian Society or the Photography Club.

At the start of the internship, I did have flashbacks to Freshers’ Week at University, signing up for every club that took my fancy. In reality, it wasn’t entirely feasible that I would be able to juggle learning how to speak Italian, dance the salsa and learn the basics of technology consulting in ten weeks...

Despite this, there have been a few ‘extra-curriculars’ that I have stuck with. These ‘extra-curriculars’ have really contributed to my fantastic experience at Accenture - the Accenture Netball Club’s weekly ‘Whitechapel Wednesday’ netball matches being an example. ‘Whitechapel Wednesdays’ have become a weekly occurrence for me, allowing me to feel a part of a team outside of my project, forming both connections and friends.

I have also had the amazing opportunity to venture up to Fenchurch Street’s iconic Sky Garden to see the sunrise over London as part of the Accenture Yoga Club’s ‘Sunrise Yoga’ (not that many people can say they’ve seen the sun rise over London whilst in downward dog position…).

Most memorable, however, has been my work as a Mental Health Ally at Accenture. The Mental Health Allies initiative acts as a cornerstone to the Accenture community. A trained group of ambassadors who act both as sign-posts and direct lines of communication for Accenture employees struggling with their mental health and / or stress. The initiative promotes both a culture of openness and support and truly represents the Accenture community. I am so grateful that as a summer intern I have had the opportunity to be such an active part of the Accenture community.

Katy
2019 Summer Intern Consulting Analyst

My time at Accenture has been filled with surprises.

On my first day on the project I walked into the maze that is FCS (aka Fenchurch Street, our London office). As a keen intern, I had booked myself my own meeting room - without knowing these are exclusively reserved for senior managers. My line manager was having an absolute field day watching the intern wandering around finding their own room (it didn’t take too long to learn I had made a bit of a hiccup). From fumbling around on my first morning to seven weeks in, my internship has simply gone from strength to strength (so much so, that I have seen myself excited to go back to work on a Sunday evening).

At Accenture, people are our greatest assets and you can never underestimate the importance of building strong relationships outside and most importantly within your team. I boil my experience down to both luck and a desire to connect with my colleagues, attending every team drinks or dinner and socialising within the office.

I am so incredibly grateful for the exposure my line manager and the whole team has offered me throughout my short time at Accenture. Towards the beginning of the project I saw myself experiencing HIE (Headaches Induced from Excel) however, once I plucked up the courage to ask for help, I was dumbfounded by how many people were willing to offer their time. I experienced a ‘pinch yourself’ moment after initiating and organising an ‘all hands’ meeting for a project. With the help of another analyst, we were able to successfully coordinate over 100 team members from across the globe.

To flourish at Accenture, you are never expected to enter with an encyclopaedic knowledge of Excel, computers or sector-related knowledge. A willingness to learn and a genuine passion for people is simply the greatest asset at Accenture. It is so important to understand that someone has trod exactly where you have been, and someone will go there after you’ve left.

I have made some fantastic friends and met incredibly inspiring people in my summer at Accenture and I was genuinely sad when the internship came to an end.

Sarah
2019 Summer Intern Consulting Analyst

Ever heard of Malmesbury? Neither had I, however, this quintessentially English town has transformed into my (midweek) home this summer. Every Tuesday morning, suitcases in hand, the team travels to the Cotswolds for three days on client site – and what an experience it has been.

I have been fortunate to have gained exposure to a plethora of projects, from marketing to finance, and everything in between. This has enabled me to acquire a comprehensive insight into the various workstreams Accenture are involved in, develop deep-industry knowledge and most importantly, perfect the art of creating PowerPoint slides (a skill not to be underestimated!).

Accenture’s collaborative working environment has defined my experience; although there are periods of independent work, the team continually assembles to share ideas, feedback and problem solve and as such, I have developed relationships with my colleagues that I am confident will endure my career.

Moreover, comments and recommendations are always welcomed, whether you’re working alongside a fellow Analyst or a Managing Director; and I can confidently say there hasn’t been one request to make a cup of coffee throughout the past ten weeks.

It’s not all hard work and no play; as long as you ensure you’re collaborating on booking the same hotels, the social side of working away is equally positive; we’ve had regular team dinners, trips to the pub and the summer party was definitely a highlight.

Working away also makes Fridays in the London office a fantastic end to the week, an opportunity to catch up with fellow analysts on differing projects, attend events and workshops related to other interests and of course, Friday-night drinks at the Sky Garden are not to be missed.