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Graduate case studies

Graduate case studies
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Polina - 
Analyst

Even though many of our graduates will have progressed in their careers since completing a case study, they are still of interest to students who wish to gain an understanding of the world of work.

About the job

Main responsibilities

My responsibilities on this job can vary dramatically from project to project. It can be the administrative help, taking notes on calls and creating PowerPoint presentations or it can be the management of the teams and day-to-day meetings with client's C-suite! This versatility is one of the things I love about my work.

Typical day

I would often travel for work, so every Monday morning I would catch a train or even a plane to go to the city where the client site is located. It can be in UK or even abroad (I know people who traveled to Geneva, Barcelona and even Hong-Kong on a weekly basis!). After arriving at the client site I would check my emails (unless I did that on a train) and make sure that I am aware of all of my meetings for the day. And from there, my "typical" day can become anything! I've had days of working on a single presentation or report and taking minutes for the senior calls, and I've also had days of attending client workshops the whole day, where your idea can change the way this client works.

If it was a Friday I would be working from home, taking calls and doing my day-to-day work from the comfort of my own bed :)

What do I enjoy about my job?

I love the work ethic at Accenture, this company puts so much effort into the well-being of its workforce that it's hard not to like. Traveling for work and staying at nice hotels is also a nice perk! But I think that people are the best part - everyone is so open-minded, creative, ambitious and intelligent.

Challenging aspects

Travelling can be seen both ways - for some people being away from home can be challenging, but even that comes with its benefits!

Why did this area of work appeal to me?

Consulting was always an area of interest for me because you get to use your critical and creative thinking to solve real-life problems. And in many cases, you can see the results of your work!

Skills/qualifications I use in my job?

Communication skills to a great extent, be it for communication with your colleagues, clients or external organizations. Critical thinking and innovative thinking, design thinking are some other ones. You also need to be very good (but you learn that on the job) in Excel and PowerPoint.


Career information

Brief history since leaving University

I have just joined Accenture this year, but I did do a year placement here between my 2nd and 3rd year at University.

Where do I see myself in the future?

At the moment my biggest goal is to not only be promoted to the Consultant but to become an integrated part of Accenture's community. To bring value to my company and the client. And in the long run, I would love to become a Managing Director.


Advice to students

My piece of advice to students

Develop your technical skills, i.e. Excel, but also work a lot on your thinking. Always try to think "outside the box", come up with solutions for the problems you face.

Other comments

Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn if you are considering Accenture and I would be happy to help you with that or even refer you if I feel like you are the right candidate for our company.


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Last updated: 01 Nov 2018