I had an offer which is 14k below my current salary – predominantly because I get a car and bonus. But I have been offered a 10k sign on to help bridge the gap.I have 5 ½ years consulting experience (originally a grad) from 2 consultancies. I’ve been offered C3 grade and a 56k base. I was strung the line your at the very top of a C3 and should be M1 Sept 2011.Do you think I should push for M1 now – is there much of a gap in terms of competencies required?Thanks,

I should add this is at Accenture!

Not sure your request to come in at M1 will be taken seriously.A C3 offer for 5.5 years experience is reasonable as that is where the average android gets to in that length of time.Normally Acn pushes EHs down a notch or two, but in this case appears to be respecting non Accenture experience. Would need a really compelling business case to come in as a M1

Pondering - I have close to 7yrs with the last 5 purely consulting and managing clients and I am worried they may come back with C3/£56k.That said, based on your experience and if can provide solid reasons why you deserve an M1 then no harm trying for it. I am sure they are open to valid reasoning - atleast that's the impression I got.A question from me - How long did you have to wait to hear back from them? This wait is killing me :-)All the bestAces

Question for both 'pondering' and 'Aces'...Do you come in with IT specific/related experience?

"56k very top of a C3" eh? Well they offered me 53k and said that was the top end, clearly its not!I'm also in a similar situation (EH with 5 years experience) taking a potential pay cut with bonus to bridge the gap. Though this only helps in year 1. Year 2 salary will fall if I don't get a promotion.Does anybody know for sure what the salary scale is for C3 at accenture?

Tom Issac - I have core IT skill sets with domain specific experience.Wombles - I hear C3 ranges between £50-£55k but someone here apparently got an exceptional C3 at £60k. That's the info from this forum.Aces

@Aces – I heard back within 4 days of my final interview. Im drawn to the company, but unfortunately the pay scales seem very rigid.@ Tom – Im coming in as an IT Consultant – SAP to be exact@Wombles – If the promotion doesn’t come along in a year I guess we will all be looking for other jobs – I came into my currents position on 53k 2 years ago + car+bonus.I guess it relaly is up or out.

@Aces – I heard back within 4 days of my final interview. Im drawn to the company, but unfortunately the pay scales seem very rigid.@ Tom – Im coming in as an IT Consultant – SAP to be exact@Wombles – If the promotion doesn’t come along in a year I guess we will all be looking for other jobs – I came into my currents position on 53k 2 years ago + car+bonus.I guess it relaly is up or out.

Thanks Pondering - 4 days is truly fast but I accept the offer presented is really not a compelling one to make the change to ACN. You can ask them to sort of confirm they are promoting you next year irreespective of your ratings. Some guys on the forum have mentioned thats possible but not sure how practical it is.I have everything crossed to be offered nothing less than M1 for 7 years but it just depends on ACN and the hiring manager in the end. Is the negotiation only with the HR or do you have access to Final Round Interview feedback as well and why they made the final decision?Aces

it seems to just be HR, the senior manager that interviewed me called me the following week to see if I had any questions, he also seemed frustrated at the rigid pay scales and said he would put some options to HR which they may or may not agree to.ultimately it seems to largely sit with HR.

To anyone who has info on ACN recruiting procedures - Does the HR team control only payscale and the overall package offered or do they also decide on the final grade?If the interviewers decide on a certain banding of C2 or M2 then do HR stick to that to decide the package or do they also decide the final banding for the potential employee? If the recommendation was M2 do they reduce it to M1 and give the offer?Aces

The initial interviewer provides a base recommendation with reasoning, then it is developed by HR & Snr Man/Snr Exec depending on how well you do in the second round. This could go up or down depending on how it goes at the face to face.

Many thanks ACNer, your response is appreciated.....all depends on how the the Senior Exec valued my experience. Now time for the final decision to be made and offered....Aces

Another question ACNer - Does ACN appreciate supporting documents to expertise claimed? For example recommendations from some top managers/clients, samples of managing requirements, conducting major sessions etc. Does such material give weight to the overall profile?ThanksAces

Let me also add before someone crucifies my statement - Relevant material only specific to the role being interviewed for and the domain being assessed as part of the job profile.I am not talking of run of the mill silly stuff and elaborate docs but minimal, relevant and credible evidence of past successes applicable to what ACN want a person forRegardsAces

I don't think you need to take in documents into the face to face. The SE will want to hear about your experiences so perhaps bring up the recommendations there... Good luck btw

I don't think you need to take in documents into the face to face. The SE will want to hear about your experiences so perhaps bring up the recommendations there... Good luck btw

Thanks ACNer, it went very well and the Senior Exec asked to keep hold of the recommendations. Plus I got a few company awards and he was interested in those as well and why it was given to me.....Can't wait to hear back from them now....Aces

Excellent - hope all goes well for you - keep us posted and good luck.

Secured an offer of £53k at C3 which is seriously below my expected package of M1/M2 at approx £70k - looks like they have used my previous package to offer so low. If yes, then unfortunately I cannot complain much.However with close to 7yrs with the last two managing a team and bringing in business for the Company, they sure have given a below par deal.Confused now....Aces

Aces, I had a similar dilemma, im on 70k ish, now, but ive opted for the paycut as I believe the opportunities are greater, if I don’t get M1 by next sept, then I guess I’ll be looking again! Good luck with your decision

Opportunities are sure lot better depending on what role you get into. And I have accepted the offer - they brought it upto £56k and I cannot ask for more. They are on a huge recruiting spree at the mo so they have enough candidates to get in at this rate. As you said, if not promoted next year, we pack our bags and move on....until then, all the very best!!!Aces

Aces....Congrats on your offer with ACN mate!!!I went through my 2nd round interview with Senior exec and HR a week ago.I have been waiting to hear from them.How long did the HR take to get back to you with the interview outcome? Cheers!!

56k after 7 years experience? I don't mean it in a derogatory manner, but that doesn't seem like much cash for that much hard work. Most grads seem to start on c£30-£35k with no experience. How much allowance/bonus potential is there at C3/M1 level? Thanks

Mark,You need to account for where those 7yrs were gained. None of the major Consultancies give 2 cents to experience gained outside of the Big4 companies. So if you have worked in a small/mid firm ACN tends to reduce the experience - this is a factPlus, going by the recent hikes they have given, ACN has reduced base pays a lot due to various factors. ACN also tends to bring in exp hires at C3 rather than M1/M2 - of course, if the candidate has worked for bigger firms before and has extensive experience in top notch programmes then its completely different.Benefits are none below M level - no bonus nor car allowances. From M1 onwards, you get a yearly bonus and an additional car allowance starting around £5500 and above.BTW - there are companies out there that pays below £40k base for 6 or 7yrs exp but give a bonus component. We all know that in this environment that bonus never materializes.Aces

Aces,Good to see your progression over the past month or so from naive newcomer asking all and sundry for advice around your offer from Acn to what appears to your numerous posts telling others what they should reasonably expect - although I can confidently say that you believe way too much of what HR have told you!And this is all before you have actually set foot in Acn! A common saying in Accenture: "In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king". On that basis I predict that you will do very well.

Thanks for your comments if they are not meant to be sarcastic :-)I am not bending to what ACN's HR tell the world - I am stating this from personal experience and having lot of friends working all over the UK in this industry - Most get paid, at most, around the mid £50k range for years of experience. As you know, many dont know the difference b/w Body shopping and Consulting.If one gets thru major consultancies at the grad employment stage then yes, they make a lot more after 7yrs in the industry - something which I learnt only after being on this forum for a while.But for those who have worked outside of ACN, KPMG, Deloitte, PwC, IBM etc, and outside of some niche Consultancies, salaries aint that good at all - especially since the recession kicked in. There is always an exception to any rule but going from what I see, without 100% travel reqts, Consultants (or Body Shoppers) from unknown, small to mid sized firms dont command £70k - £80k with 7/8 yrs of exp - outside of London of courseAces

Bear in mind where you might have been after those timeframes if you had joined ACN as a grad, 5.5 yrs could have had you at M2, 7.5 Years at SM (M4).

Thought id update you all. I withdrew my accenture acceptance, i thought a pay decrease was a bit cheeky and was sucked in by a lot of the ACN corporate line...instead I got a 20pc pay increase elsewhere and took it!

@Pondering, Many congrats..Wise decision I must say. How long would you just think about getting the brand name on your resume at any cost. after 7,8 yrs of exp.. one definitely looks for good package and not a raw deal as Acn offered you.Congrats again. may be try Acn after 1,2 yrs and they may give you a real good deal.-Jupe