We sat down with Ravi in a break from finishing his Electrical Engineering degree at Imperial College London to hear about his experiences applying to top consultancy firm Accenture. Read on to learn more and hear his advice for other candidates.
How did you decide on Accenture?
I actually met Accenture for the first time at Bright Network Technology Top 150. Before I went I had no idea what consulting was, I knew they helped businesses but that was it.
It really opened my eyes; I knew I liked solving problems but here was a way I could use that to design solutions and help companies. Even though you can meet employers at university careers fairs, it’s not the same. They just send representatives but at Bright Network Technology Top 150 you can meet the people who do the work you’d be doing.
The software development graduate scheme actually appealed because of the huge amount of varied opportunities available. Not only that, I have a friend who works there and I have heard that it’s a very balanced work environment, with lots of scope for further training.
How did you find the whole process?
It wasn’t too bad – certainly nothing unusual. The first stage was submitting your CV and cover letter online followed by a competency-based telephone interview.
If you’re successful at that stage you move onto a video interview and then from there it’s off to an assessment centre. A highlight for me was the opportunity to speak to the current crop of graduates during the breaks.
I carried out a lot of research in preparation – particularly on the latest developments within the technology industry and this was crucial. However, if you do omit certain things, it’s better to just admit it.
Perhaps the best thing I came to realise was that it’s best to just be yourself. Don’t try and fake an attitude just because you think it will help you fit in. If you don’t fit it’s probably a sign you shouldn’t work there.