Hi all,I've got about 8 years experience in FS technology consulting and Systems Integration and worked in diverse management and technical roles during this time. Just completed the interviews process with Accenture and they're looking to offer me top end senior consultant grade (yet to confirm salary/ grade c3 or above etc) . I wanted to go in for Manager considering my experience level. They do seem really keen to pursue but I'm just wondering is this a bit of a low-ball technique? The role is definitely interesting but seeing that manager grade would be 1 to 2 years away would this be a step back?Any inputs much appreciated.Thanks

Make sure you go for Manager, you have the experience for it. A good graduate can make Manager in around 6 year at accenture so you should be aiming for that .Also they might spin you the line that you can get promoted in the next cycle etc, don't listen to them it normally takes 2 years for a promotion.If they aren't buding whatr I have seen before is ppl go in at C3 level but put a clause in there contract to be automatically be promoted to Manaager grade in a years time or the next promotion cycle, whatever is latest

[quote]Hi all,I've got about 8 years experience in FS technology consulting and Systems Integration and worked in diverse management and technical roles during this time. Just completed the interviews process with Accenture and they're looking to offer me top end senior consultant grade (yet to confirm salary/ grade c3 or above etc) . I wanted to go in for Manager considering my experience level. They do seem really keen to pursue but I'm just wondering is this a bit of a low-ball technique? The role is definitely interesting but seeing that manager grade would be 1 to 2 years away would this be a step back?Any inputs much appreciated.Thanks[/quote]Judging from how you describe your experience, you should be aiming to enter at manager level. I've heard before of people with similar experience who got an offer to start at C3 level. Some accepted, others negotiated to enter at manager level and succeeded.Consulting firms often halve the experience of candidates, claiming 2 years outside of their firm are worth about a single year within the firm. Which doesn't make sense if you come from a comparable consulting environment.

What salary are you on currently roughly? After 8 yrs I would guess you are above the C3 band...

Thanks Monks123, noctilucus that's really useful to know. My experience is similar to the work Accenture do in their non-strategy practices so they shouldn't just cut down number of years like that.@arthuranderson, I'm currently getting 50k . I know exp hires can't always expect to come in at comparable levels to someone who starts their career with the firm but is this just too much of a compromise?Thanks

I am with the others. 8 years experience you should be going for Manager, if you go in as a C3 it will be another 2 before you get to Manager. You may be an experienced hire, but in consulting so it is comparable....

I'm with the others, if you come in at C3 then it will take 2 years to be promoted to Manager. Remember you'll be up against a bunch of people with 6 years ACN experience who will know and be able to play the system better than you. If they write into your contract that you'll be promoted in x months then that's possibly fair, however I would push back with "why bring me in now at C3 if you're willing to guarantee a promotion in 6/9 months time?"Don't tell ACN you're on £50k by the way. Mid point for a Manager is about £65k. HR will grab onto how that is 30% above what you're on now.

Thanks Frio, arthuranderson.Looks like its def worth pushing for Manager grade but maybe compromise on the starting figure. I know 50 to 65 is a big jump. Anyone aware of what increments have been like past couple of years? I'm kind of at that stage at the moment where role and nature of the job are more important to me than the jump in pay (not that it would be a bad thing to get both!).

Well, to Frio's point who is to know it's a big jump except you :) My advice is:1) Don't reveal your salary2) Push for Manager level given your experience in consulting for 8 years (more than enough time to get to Manager level3) If you swing Point 2) then a salary of 65 ish k is the starting base for an M1 so should not be an issue as an M1 offer would be aligned to salary scale...To me, there is a jump in responsibility from Consultant to Manager so accompanying pay rise should be a jump too. Good luck with your decision and let us know how you get on...

Thanks so much for all your help guys. I will let you all know how it went but things have been progressing at a snails pace. Seems like a trend.

My experience with Accenture HR from organising my first interview, to accepting the job, to resigning 5 years later was extremely poor.

HiI am exactly in same position - i am offered C3 position (Snr consultant) and promised a promotion within 1 year time. The offer was verbal and i have firmly said NO.I have total 11 years of experience in financial service industry with 3 years consulting experience with CapG.I am on 60k with 15% annual bonus along with some equities.My current role is project manager and i have worked with most of the banks within UK and middle east. I was shocked to see Accenture was offering me a salary of 61k with zero sign on bonus.It wasn't amusing as i have wasted almost 3 months entertaining these guys. My agency said this is the best offer Accenture can made and it may go off the table if i don't take a quick decision. I told them there is nothing for me in this offer and its an easy decision to pick.I don't want to undersell myself and quite disappointed that HR/Recruitment agency dont want to address any of my concern. Looking at my experience i don't want to compromise on my level and salary. I atleast expect a small hike and assurance on career growth. Appreciate any advise or direction i can get to dilute the situation. Atleast i would like to know if i haven't made any wrong decision by declining the offer.Even now i am in ambivalent situation as recruitment agency is expecting me to revisit my decision and as per them this is an ideal opportunity to accelerate my career.I have to give them an answer by monday EOD (30-Mar)I cant believe i am so eager to host a parasite on a lower salary and lower grade. I am losing my mind.ThanksAgneee

It should be an easy decision reject the offer from Accenture, why would you leave for less money? If you accept £60k with Accenture, your bonus will not be anywhere near 15%. If you join, and get promoted your new salary will be between £65k and £70k with potential of up to 15% - more likely 5%. So you still won't be better off. What's the bottom number you would accept? Communicate that to Accenture with some justification and if they can't get there then walk away.

61 for C3 is pretty amazing though?

True

Thanks FrioAgree it should be an easy decision . Somehow i am confused as the offer is quite enticing considering the career progression in Management consulting. I have worked with ACN managers and know their background,however my background and industry experience is quite strong.Moreover i work in a product based company and the demand of that product is quite high in the market.My Recruitment agency is in the middle so i cant talk to accenture directly. It may look unprofessional.There is a verbal promise to promote me to manager within an year, however i can see ACN guys with my profile are already senior manager in Accenture.They just want to see me performing at consultant level first but for that i dont think i need to under sell myself.

Infact its 61700 but without any sign on bonus. I dont know what additional benefits you get along with your base salary. My agency has asked me for a final decision on monday. Don't know if i should directly give a call to Accenture and explain my dilemma.I also have choices on location -london and manchester. I guess manchester will be much better considering i live in midlands.

There will be other consulting opportunities if that is the only reason why you're in doubt. And while there seems to be an increasing tendency to have people work 1 year as a consultant rather than hiring at manager level directly, there are limits - especially considering your years of experience and the fact that you've worked in consulting before.However to manage your expectations, there wouldn't be that many people with 3 years in consulting plus 8 years in the industry that would have made it to senior manager level already so a manager position would be fine.

@agneeeeDo no accept the offer. I made a mistake of accepting few years back. Accenture is a great company and I have enjoyed every bit of it, but after joining I realised that there were many less qualified, less experienced people already at manager position earning significantly higher salaries. Secondly, although they say 1 year, it would take minimum 2 years and sometimes 3 years to make it to manager even if you join at C3 level. Sometimes getting good ratings too does not mean you will be promoted as there are just too many like you in the queue along with their already established networks..Once you join, the hikes will not be great as they will depend on your ratings and generally fall within 0% (below) , 2% (consistent with) to max 7-8 % significantly above rating. Which means even after one year you will earn less than your current CG salary.Accenture is great firm to be in if you join at the right salary and level, else...forget it..!

Couldn't agree more with most of the feedbacks on here. Just adding my own two cents as well. I joined roughly a year ago after 6 years industry experience with a global telecoms industry leader. I interviewed for manager but i was offered consultant position which i accepted. I was told there are no rules that say you must spend x years at a role before being promoted so i thought to myself no biggie. I have always being a high flyer with a couple of awards to prove so from my previous company and if i work my ass off like a ninja, i can put myself in the running for promotion to bridge the gap both financially and career wise. On joining i asked the same question atleast two times more and was told same thing but soon as it was close to laddering the tone changed i.e. i need to spend atleast a year before i can be considered for promotion. There are some really good people at ACN but i quickly realised it had more to do with politics and "networking" as they would call it (which i call ass licking) to get bumped up and all. if it came down to know hows, no offence there are a lot of the so called managers who dont know half of what i do but have grown up in the company and learnt all the Accenture jargons et all. Fair play some might say and which i probably agree with but then at the same time i know i dont have to stick around as i can easily get what i want both from a financial and career perspective elsewhere (I actually had a higher offer from elsewhere while negotiating terms with accenture). The key reason i joined accenture was to get the consulting experience and tick off the box in my journey. After a year, i can say i have done that and i'm now seeking new opportunities ready to leave in a heartbeat.My advice in a nutshell? Dont let ACN or anyone else fool you or give you a reason to think you are worth less than you are actually worth. if you are convinced you should be at a particular level, stand your ground!Good luck :)

1 - NEVER join a company on the promise of a fast-track early promotion. Join them for what they can put black on white. 2 - The moment you join a Big4/ACN, you become a commodity valued at the average level for your grade. It doesn't matter if you have 10 MBAs and you have invented SAP, whatever experience and skills you have gained before will have to be confirmed on the field.3 - Yes, career progression at the junior grades is 50% networking/asskissing, 30% random, only 20% the actual work you do. I reckon it changes once you are measured on how much you sell&deliver, but there again there might be asimmetry in the access to clients, accounts etc.However, it works for them, so don't knock it. They are the partners, so they do what's good for them. Career progression tends to be a selection mechanism to single out the people most apt at doing the very first step of any cash that goes into the company's accounts: engagement and selling.Basically, if you can engage and sell yourself to SMs and Directors as a consultant, you are probably in a better position to start doing that to clients, eventually. And that's the crux of the job. It's a binary, black and white thing. you either sell or you don't. The actual technical work, the delivery, for that you have so many more things you can play with to save the day.