I have an assessment day with accenture in a couple of weeks but i'm not sure whether the job is right for me. I'm struggling to find out much information about them to help me decide so if anyone could help that would be great.What are the working hours like in accenture?I'm more interested in management/strategic consulting rather than technology - will i get much of this with accenture?I also have an offer for BDO. Accountancy doesn't interest me a lot but at least after 3 years i will have my professional exams and will have a lot of options with my career outside of accountancy. How would my prospects compare after a few years with accenture?Thanks in advance for any advice!

Accenture like IBM go to the ends of the earth for their employees, and generally find them there.If you like low wages, short hours and no career progression for the next 2-3 years (Concern in Acc and IBM is on screwing existing customers due to credit crunch) then choose Accenture/IBM.Id go for the accountancy option, it has a future.

There are three options you need to choose between:1) IT Consulting (ACN)2) Management Consulting (what you say you're interested in)3) Accounting (potentially the easiest to get into these days)

i agree with taxman, but acn hours are not short- they, like ibm, work you to death. aften 10hr++ days, all for below market wages and no progression in job and certainly no variety in your job either.The only reason to join is you are a graduate- the brand name will open many doors in the future.

the brand name will open many doors in the future, true in the field of IT and SI, but not in management consulting, gotta be frank.

lol @ below market wages.lol @ generalising all projects as being long hours death marches.

I've been at ACN for more than 2 years and my experience is the following:1) 6 different projects of different natures in 2 years2) wage is not below market 3) hours are reasonable.. 9 to 6. Crunch times 9 to 22 (about 5% of the time). It really depends on the project. I've worked about 5 weekends in more than 2 years.4) Career progression is 2-4 years at level, about 60% depends on you.. the other 40% depends on business need and networking.

Not bad... not bad at all. With a competitive package like that, it is not surprising that so many graduates want to join this top-rated Management Consultancy.

Can people start talking with facts. What do you consider low and high after all? I would consider high a close to 40k starting grad salary (excluding bonus). That will be the ceiling and you could only get it in companies such as MBB and Lek consulting (as good as MBB and recruits people with real value ie high numerical-analytical skills).Acn is 32k but the low can be really low (as far as 24k). So acn is pretty much in the middle, working hours not longer than others but not less than others.

10 hour days? Luxury. When I were a lad...

Fred,Grads in consulting in Acn are all on 31k+6k sign on first year, no-one's on 24k in consulting. Not bad for fresh out of uni, not great either as the work is mostly stinking.