Chriss
Analyst, Finance and Performance Management, Management Consulting (Singapore)
Completed a Banking and Finance, Accountancy degree from Nanyang Business School

A day in my life at Accenture

Every day at Accenture brings a different experience. Work is really flexible and never repetitive or mundane. There are plenty of opportunities to interact with the clients and be challenged at work.

I belong to the Financial and Performance Management service line. Currently I am involved in the Basel II project with one of the leading local banks, which is essentially an international risk management framework and methodology for banks to compute and maintain a minimum capital adequacy ratio.

How did you get the job?

I applied through the NTU career services to attend the Accenture recruitment night, which roused my interest to join the company and decided to apply for the job. After this, there were three rounds of interviews with the management. Being confident and able to relate to the reasons for choosing consulting as a career would probably be what clinched me the job.

What excites you about your job?

A career with Accenture is like changing jobs each time we start on a new project. I am always impressed with how each day brings on new challenges and new opportunities to learn.

What has been your best/most interesting experience working with Accenture?

I attended a 2 weeks training course, the Core Analyst School, where analysts from all the global offices come together. Not only did we learn from each other in classes, we shared many crazy moments which are definitely unforgettable.

Kin
Analyst, Systems Integration & Technology Consulting (Singapore)
Completed a Degree in Computing (Honours in Information Systems) from National University of Singapore

Briefly describe a day in your life at Accenture.

I’m currently working in the migration team on a telco project holding the role of defects coordinator and managing a regression team. A typical day for me would be to coordinate the defects assigned to the team and ensure that the data patches are prepared in a timely manner in order to support the scenario requirements from the test team. I need to understand the root cause of the problem so that the fix holds a certain quality.

At the same time during the day, I have to ensure that the regression testing is ongoing as planned and resolve any issues that has surfaced. In the evening, I will be collating the defects statistics and provide the team with an update of the daily progress. This also includes prioritizing the defects and giving a target for the team to meet for the next couple of days.

How did you apply for this post at Accenture?

I applied through Accenture’s main website in Singapore (Accenture Graduate Consulting Opportunities). There were three rounds of formal interviews. Prior to that was a phone interview by the HR. The first round of interview was with a manager who will scrutinize your resume where I need to share with him the details listed in there. This lasts for close to two hours.

In the next round with a senior manager, he asked some situational questions and I had to relate them to my experience in module assignments or my participation in the sports club. The final round with a senior executive is more towards a casual talk, getting to know your personality better.

How you have applied the SI&T skills you have learnt since joining Accenture?

Currently on a telco project, I’ve been guiding the users on several occasions toward defining clear and realistic requirements. By presenting the options we have from our evaluation process on the limitations from the technical or implementation perspective, it enables us to obtain an agreement with the users of the solution.

Who do you admire at Accenture, and why?

My direct supervisors in the two projects I’ve worked on. Have learnt a lot from them under their leadership, and it’s not only limited to work.

What is something you have learned in the past year?

To distinguish between guilt and responsibility. Cross team issues are inevitable in large-scale projects. It is important to set clear boundaries and not let your heart guide you in taking up those responsibilities.

What advice would you give somebody preparing to join Accenture?

Be mentally prepared that you will be working in a fast-paced environment. Your willingness to learn is important as the knowledge gained and these will help you cope with your future assignments.