Hi,Been interviewing with Accenture and selected for the final round. I wanted to know what grade does 7 yrs Consultancy exp translate to within ACN?Looks like Accenture are hiring a lot past few months so wonder if this is just short listing candidates or are real offers also being made?Final interview with a Senior Exec working for over 15 yrs with ACN- in about 2 weeks time.

I got an offer from Accenture and will starting shortly and a few other people seem to be on the same boat so yes definitely hiring.Which level do you come from with 7yrs exp? it is hard to tell where they will take you without knowing which level you are at now.Rough bet, i would say 7 years exp, incl grad time would get you in an M1??

Currently a Senior Consultant in the IT Telecoms Domain, working on Telecom Business Processes and also line manage 10 Consultants. I am coming from a small IT Consultancy, not a big 4 or even big 10!Applied for a role within their Consultancy Services itself as a Business Integration Consultant.

Hi,Can you please share how long it took them to get back to you regarding the offer decision? It has been ~2 weeks since my final interview and I haven't heard back yet.Thanks.

So anyone here with ANY advice? While I know it's within Consulting Services, the job says Systems Integration and hence I know, now, its within Systems Integration & Tech - SI&T Division.While I currently make £44k, I need to know I can ask for £60k without being branded a FOOL to ask for so much. Do ACN pay heed to previous pay packages?Help!!

it is hard to tell given i do not see your profile - you could have 7 yrs experience including 3 yrs of graduate placement?? nonetheless, if you are getting paid 44k now, chances are ACN will not add 16k on top of it for the sake of it - but then again, nothing is impossible...They definitely pay close attention to your current package when making offers...

Thanks - sorry for not elaborating. No concept of 3 yrs of grad experience. All 7 years pure consultancy for major Telcos covering all aspects of Project Lifecycles plus recommendations from some top names to boot. Last 4 of my years have been across clients on key and strategic projects and hence the weight it brings with it.Given my package is just £44k which is the key worry, I wanted to hear from current/ex ACNs if, given the quality, I can ask for a package deserving of Accenture's standardsThanks!

Forgot to mention - I currently Line Manage 10 Consultants from my company and working across our Telco Client base - lets hope that counts for something with big ol'Accenture!!!Aces

I joined Accenture 3.5yrs ago as an M1. Was on a similar package to yourself (was a few more k)and I convinced them to pay me £63k so go for it. You do maybe want to inflate what you earn slightly though, I was also taking on nationwide travel so I played on that as a reason for a big payrise.

agreed with above. given your experience (functional and managerial) you should be on a lot more than 44k already.I would play this as a major reason for wanting to leave your current employer and wanting to relocate to ACN - that would set the scene as far as your expectations are concerned.Furthermore i would potentially position it at M2, bearing in mind they will probably think you need to adjust to the ACN way; hence they will take a safer route and offer you the level below...

Thank you one and all - I now have my doubts cleared. I too decided to ask for an M1 role given my line management work. And yes, I do travel a lot all over the UK. And yes again, I am quitting because I am paid PEANUTS where I work. I have grown a lot but the pay is just shite and hence the move.Once again, thanks. This has given me confidence and I shall heed to your advice Aces

BTW - Who makes the final call on grade and Salary - Is it the Senior Exec who interviews you or is it the HR that decide the package and level?My initial interviewer mentioned they can only suggest the grade but final package is HR's decision

The interviewing exec usually recommends a level following the interview, and then HR will validate it against what they have from the first round. HR will usually take the lower of the two so there is room for negotiations.

Aces,it can be done.Back in 2007 I left a 45k job at KPMG and negotiated myself a 60k (including joining bonus)at Acn. It takes a while but you just have to stick to your guns and dont be afraid to walk away!

This sounds great and even clearer now. I managed to ask the initial interviewer of the salary band and he said he is recommending me for upto £80k which is encouraging.I now recalculated my current package and if I leave my company, I am giving up a total package of £48k which is right amount excluding travel benefits.Once again, thank you all and I will let you know how it goesAces

Have you told ACN your current salary already? Not to be a downer but they definitely use your previous salary as a basis for the offer. Also, "Don't be afraid to walk away" is a nice sentiment but be aware there are probably 2 other equally qualified candidates they can extend offers to in your place. Still, bargain hard and try to get as much mileage as you can from your line management and book of contacts. I think £60-65k is very achievable.

Unfortunately the interviewer asked me about my package. I believe even HR asks about the package at any cost before making the offer.I know I should not have mentioned my package but it was best to be forthright at regret later. As you said, I have got excellent recommendations from previous clients and my line management should be able to push the offer around the £65k mark.And no, I dont want to be too greedy right nowAces

I dint know even experienced hires get sign on bonuses. Thought this was for grads only.So how does it work? If they give me £50k, what will be the sign on bonus? And whats the use of it? If they give me £50k base and £5k bonus, does this mean they will increase my pay to £55k next year?Aces

I can only see a few benefits. It's less pensionable pay, it's a lower salary from which your next percentage driven pay rise will be from the same performance rating and at the graduate level if you leave within 12 months you need to pay back a pro rata of the sign on so it means their time and money recruiting you is a less risky proposition. Just my thoughts and conjecture really.

I should add that 65k base is unlikely unless they're bringing you in as a manager, and if they were you should be aiming for 70. 65 is aBove the normal Consultant pay level and below the normal manager pay level.

Ok then - so if they are offering a C3 role then its usually below £65k and if M1 then usually above £70kAny pointers on the Sign-On bonus and how that plays out? Is it possible that with this bonus, my package is high initially but next year it actually reduces?I have worked for just 1 company for 7 years now and hence all these questions as ACN have a lot of additions to their standard package.Aces

Hi, I completed my 2nd round interview with ACN 2 days ago. I have 7 years of exp in System Integration consulting within Banking industry. They indicated in the end that I might fit for M1 after I told my salary expectations. But since I was not well aware of ACN's salary range, i had asked 55-60k. So if they offer M1, can i re-neg?

pomski: if you've given your salary expectations it's unlikely you can then reneg above it. then again I've never known ACN to offer exp hires M1 under 60k, much more common to offer premium C3s 55-60.signons - normally for exp hires these align to your expected salary growth and are seasonal ie., if you are coming in the 2nd half of the perf year they may offer a 5% signon in lieu of a 5% increase.

Hi, I completed my 2nd round interview with ACN 2 days ago. I have 7 years of exp in System Integration consulting within Banking industry. They indicated in the end that I might fit for M1 after I told my salary expectations. But since I was not well aware of ACN's salary range, i had asked 55-60k. So if they offer M1, can i re-neg?

Pomski,May I know how the 2nd round went? Was it way more different from the 1st round or similar? I am interviewing for a Bus Int Consultant role so it may be very similar.Also, did the HR give you a hint if you are through and did they make any offer? Or are you still in the dark?Aces

There were 2 rounds and both were great. First round of about 75 minutes with Sr. Exec who has been with ACN for the last 21 yrs. He presented me a merger case study (No. 4) and gave me 10 mins to glance thru and make notes. Later we had discussion on the case study with its top business challenges, IT challenges, governance issues, integration pitfalls and advantages etc. He was pretty impressed and told me he is happy with my response.Later he introduced me to the HR and left. She was asking me behavioral questions (mostly from quintcareers - 150 Qs which I had well prepared :P) like conflict management, client relationships etc.So they indicated that I might fit for M1 mostly. The kind of hint I got is positive. But they didn't tell if i'm thru. My only concern is 100% mobility is required.Chances of getting a proj in London is also high but they don't guarantee.Anyway good luck!!Cheers,Pomski

There were 2 rounds and both were great. First round of about 75 minutes with Sr. Exec who has been with ACN for the last 21 yrs. He presented me a merger case study (No. 4) and gave me 10 mins to glance thru and make notes. Later we had discussion on the case study with its top business challenges, IT challenges, governance issues, integration pitfalls and advantages etc. He was pretty impressed and told me he is happy with my response.Later he introduced me to the HR and left. She was asking me behavioral questions (mostly from quintcareers - 150 Qs which I had well prepared :P) like conflict management, client relationships etc.So they indicated that I might fit for M1 mostly. The kind of hint I got is positive. But they didn't tell if i'm thru. My only concern is 100% mobility is required.Chances of getting a proj in London is also high but they don't guarantee.Anyway good luck!!Cheers,Pomski

Thanks Pomski,I was told the 2nd round will be a detailed review of the CV and the case study and so hoped the Case Study will not take up most of the time!I also wonder if the Case study will be specific to the Domain I am joining. As I am from Telco and interviewing for the High Tech and Comms Team, fingers crossed for a relevant Case studyThanks for the tip on the behavioral questions - I shall prep for that. All the best for your outcomeAces

@AcesSorry forgot to mention about the break up of Sr. Exec Case study round. I guess the Case study might be relevant to your domain. My case study was about 2 FIs merger. The whole CS exercise lasted about 30-35 mins. And the remaining 40-45 mins was a detailed discussion of my CV. They ask ur recent project, role, challenges, some intuitive questions like - what is better - Integration vs. Customization? Anyway this was specific to packaged software products. Also the Sr. Exec was kind enough to explain about their clientele, type of projects, where I would fit and typically wt size of a team I would work with.I wish you good luck for ur 2nd rnd.Cheers,pomski

@Pomski - you are a STAR- this helps my preps and more importantly, calms my nerves a lot.Do let me know about the final offer. I shall keep the forum posted on my outcome as well.Aces

@Pomski - you are a STAR- this helps my preps and more importantly, calms my nerves a lot.Do let me know about the final offer. I shall keep the forum posted on my outcome as well.Aces

Remember, ACN will expect you to earn every £!

ACN struggles to assimilate experienced hires. If you get an offer REALLY network & brown-nose like mad and you might survive for more than a year.

An update on the interview - There is definitely a lot of hiring going on in ACN.My meeting with the Senior Exec went well. A detailed Case study on a Merger or Integration approach - though I cud have done better it went well. Then followed the detailed CV discussion which was he was clearly impressed with. Finally, the HR round for almost 2 hrs was a blast. No hiccups and I now wait for the final offerAs advised on this forum, I asked for M1/M2 levels given I currently do line and account management apart from functional roles. Coupled with almost 5 yrs of Consultancy at various Client locations I hope they give a good offer.POMSKI - did u get any updates mate?Aces

I just gone through Accenture interview process for last 3 months and got result on Friday. I have about 10 years of SAP consultancy experience from one of top 3 Indian consultantcy companies. I have done numerous strategy consulting in UK and also have managed projects with various team sizes. I was successful in all three interviews and asked M1 grade after my SE interview. But on Friday, Accenture backed off and took back their offer. I had asked for 65K based on my 10 years experience but they offered me 58 K / C3 grade. Can I now again ask them to consider me on the salary they are offering. Does it look professional ? I have other offer at hand, but do not want to leave this opportunity.Please help. I think whether I should ask them without any delay.

I just gone through Accenture interview process for last 3 months and got result on Friday. I have about 10 years of SAP consultancy experience from one of top 3 Indian consultantcy companies. I have done numerous strategy consulting in UK and also have managed projects with various team sizes. I was successful in all three interviews and asked M1 grade after my SE interview. But on Friday, Accenture backed off and took back their offer. I had asked for 65K based on my 10 years experience but they offered me 58 K / C3 grade. Can I now again ask them to consider me on the salary they are offering. Does it look professional ? I have other offer at hand, but do not want to leave this opportunity.Please help. I think whether I should ask them without any delay.

@acesNot heard of any response yet. Good to hear about ur 2nd round exp. I'm still skeptical about the travel part. Mon-Fri mobility is required throughout the year. Their target is max billing. HR mentioned that normally people work from Mon-Thu in client locations and spend Fridays at ACN to stay connected with the team and management. But now due to surge in market, they keep consultants busy on Friday as well :(Also if the project is long term, and I decide to relocate to the project site ( say Manchester, New Castle), it seems ACN wont cover the costs! Can anyone throw light whether ACN provides apartments so that we can take spouses to project sites?

Yep, on out of town assignments, you are provided with apartments and welcome to take family there. you can use expenses to bring friends and family to client site if you do not travel back to home location that week.

@Pomski,Travel is part and parcel of working with ACN. This is why they give 30days annual leave and not 25. Plus, no matter what many say, they provide a decent salary which compensates travel.Also note that some projects may be long term in a certain location. If you are good and client prefers working with you then you can ensure you continue working with that client for some more time. Bottom line is we are Consultants, and our job is to strike a chord with the client. If we manage that as we should, then there is a lot you can control.All the best for your results!Aces

@pomski: TBH the debate between 4+1 vs 5 days is almost academic, the extra day back is always spent on the phone chasing down stuff which would have taken 10 minutes to resolve face to face. I was on a 4+1 project once and inevitably stayed the 5th day once a month just to avoid the aggro of being rung up every 5 minutes.@anon afraid you've been subjected to the "divide and offer" rule (divide experience by 2, offer a number consistent with previous salary :) which is why I keep banging on about never giving exact salary before an offer is given. You can definitely attempt to renegotiate but am afraid you're dealing with an HR who will not fight your corner and a hiring SE who is disengaged from the process. The one who REALLY wants you (the hiring SM / Mgr) has the least input into the process unless he/she has the ear of the SE.

Suprising to hear of the 'divide and offer' concept. ACN must have standard hiring processes including the package they give.Will HR not go by the banding and package based on feedback from the first and second interviewers? If both interviewers suggest a package of £70k and M1, do HR go way back on this and offer just £55k and C3? Seems absurd and quite shallow!!!Aces

Pomski - any updates yet?I spoke to the HR Team who said all feedback from interviews have been given and my application now sent over to the Hiring Manager for the final result.I believe this means they will make an offer??? - if not, then guess the Hiring Mgr would not be involved. Timeline is another 5-10 days max as there is a lot of hiring going on at the mo thus make the process longer than usualFingers crossedAces

@AcesNo news yet on my 2nd round interview. I called up the recruitment team and they have not received the feedback from Hiring Manager. I guess its typical to take time as my interviewing process started in 1st week of June!

Got a call and an offer was made by which I was quite shocked. For all my work and exp they have only offered C3 at £53k. I had stated M1/2 with around £70k but I am pretty sure they have used my previous salary to quote this to me.I do not know how to now ask them for more as they seemed quite clear they will not budge anymoreExcellent interviews and feedback and this is what they offer....not sure what to do nowAces

My advice would be to walk away and try somewhere else which will bring you in at Manager level.

Aces, sorry to hear that but can't say I'm surprised. My advice: let the offer quietly expire, by which I mean do not give HR any response (or if they chase, say you'll use the full offer period to think about it). Get in touch with the interviewer / hiring manager / SE (whoever you feel had the most positive response) and inform them of your offer and how you feel about coming in at that salary, wait for the inevitable "I see... shame, we think you have so much potential, blah blah" speech. Then wait for HR to contact you at which point you politely decline but mention you had a conversation with so-and-so who may have further input into your application.What all this does is give you a potential "second chance" if HR get an earful from an excitable hiring manager or SE for trying to buy a good candidate cheaply. What you should NOT do is worry about it - from your posts you sound like an OK guy and would do well to try your luck with the other Big4's. Happens all the time, HR are always Enemy No. 1 in contract negotiations and play a huge part whether you get a bad offer.

Accenture tends to hire experienced hires at consultant level only, with an exception to any seriously outstanding (MBA ?) candidate. For 7 years exp, this is realistic offer (from ACN perspective), although it may sound too below from your expectations. Secondly, even for C3, 53K is below average, so I doubt if they are considering you seriously for manager level and might just increase few Ks at top range of C3 if negotiated.

Aces - really surprised to hear about your offer. I guess as others are saying to talk to SE about the offer and try to get close to 60k. I feel that might be the upper band...be patient as they really need lot of ppl this year...

I guess you are all right. I dont have a Masters and I dont come from a previously so called 'big' Consulting firm - and they are picking on this to make the offer.May I ask whats the actual offer process? They sent me a conditional offer now. Will they send the final offer after verifying my references and right to work etc?How long does that take?Also, if I accept the conditional offer that means the negotiation ends for me?The conditional offer just has a 5 day validity and the final offer a 2 week period so can I use the final 2 weeks to negotiate as well?ThanksAces

Congrats Aces....wish you land with the offer you want. I have a tel interview with ACN next week...so fingers crossed for me.

Does anyone have exact information on what is part of the appraisal for C3s? I mean, if there is no obvious promotion to M1 in 1 year, is there a standard bonus component and salary hike given to C3s?I am weighing my options because if I accept the offer, I would also need to have a practical view of the road ahead within ACN and chances of getting a decent hike/bonus.ThanksAces

Aces - the appraisal for a C3 is ideally whether they are already performing as an M1 - managing, owning, delivering reliably etc. There is no bonus at C3. Raises are also not automatic - they depend on a combination of your performance + company/industry outlook. Generally unless you get rated badly you will get a raise, and it's bigger the better you performed. Be aware that this compounds over time.

Thanks Baykus,BTW I spoke to the Senior Mgr who I interviewed with and he will try to push for more so fingers crossed.I asked this earlier but got no replies. May I know the exact process from accepting the conditional offer? How long does ACN take to come back with the final offer? I guess I can only give notice to my current employer once I get the final offer from ACNThanksAces

Dear All,I must thank all those who have posted on this thread and answered my queries so quickly. I have now been made a final offer at £56k and C3 grade which I believe is the best given my history and experience.Moreover, I am getting into a role with minimal travel (comparatively) as my group works mostly in London and surrounding areas. Hopefully, this is the right decision and I will get a taste of working for a Big4 for the first time, and most likely, not the lastWish the rest of the gang the very best with their interviews and final offersCheersAces

I too was made an offer at C3 despite significant industry experience and there was no room to negotiate with HR [for obvious reasons - this thread highlights how many people are on the offering line]. I did not have an issue with entering at C3, even though I would have taken a substantial pay cut but HR were unable to convince me that progression would be swift.I therefore rejected the offer and walked away - no regret. I hope it works out for you; if anything you are taking a decent pay rise

Believe me - a 55% increase in basic pay from a company that currently pays peanuts is more than I can ask for at this stage in my life.Good or bad, I have been given a second chance and boy do I plan to use it well :-)Aces

If you had joined ACN as a new hire it would be likely you'd be a m2 or m3 after 7 - 8 years, maybe even SM if you hit all 3 promotions 1st time.For an exp hire depending on experience it would probably equate to M1, maybe even M2 but you might get lowballed with C3 as the default offer. Hold out for the best you can.If you make it, network like crazy at every opportunity in the first few months since as mentioned above, it is a different feel for Exp Hires compared to Grads.

Aces, congrats on the move and salary jump. As others have said, networking is vital, very much more so than as a green analyst - preferably you should speak to your career counselor or SE at length on which projects are visible and important in your group before you start. Be aware that there is an element of "waiting your turn" for M1 even with the top performers just because the company's so damn big, but as long as you hit those SA/VT ratings you'll be fine.

it is a great time to join the company given that everyone else will be leaving soon :)you also have a good chance of promotion if they dont muck it up next year.you can also expect a generous salary increase up to 5%, just depends on your l??king skills.jump off if you still have a chance.

When you demand for the offer did they negotiate with you or they just rejected. I'm worried if tehy give chance for negotiation or when we demand they straught way rejectw ithout consideration if tehy could not able to give that sal. Actually I cleared 2 rounds and have HR interview pending so I want to know how to demand based on these experiences probably quoting bit low will help to get offer. pls need your help on this. I have similiar experiencce of yours.

Well Exp, you style and language of questioning alone shows its best you take what u r offered!!!On a serious note, they are on a hiring spree and after the recent salary hikes pi$$ing off quite a few old timers, they will hire even more.....if you say no, they have another 5 candidates ready to accept an offer.....so be VERY carefulIf you are really good....then 12-18 months are enough to prove ur worth...so doesnt matter what you accept...its better than most of what other Consultancies offer at the moment anyway so what do you have to lose?Aces

Epx, do you hvae issue wtih keybaord? is there issue wtih atricles also. please be communicating with accenture about Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan - chinqui!

Hi, i am five years experianced consultant working currently with 40K.Could you please tell me what salary i can expect from accenture?