Jostein works in Accenture’s Bergen office and re-joined after 8 years away from Accenture.

When did you start at Accenture the first time around, and why did you leave?

It was after I finished my Master’s of Science degree from NHH in Bergen (which is also the town I’m from.) It was 1996 and most of my friends headed to Oslo. At the time, that’s where all the most interesting jobs were. I moved too, and was hired at Accenture as a programmer and began to move up to more functional work. Two years later, a personal crisis made it important for me to be in Bergen. And although the firm supported me commuting back and forth between there and Oslo, after a while it got to be too much and I had to leave.

What made you come back to Accenture?

I worked for another consulting firm in Bergen for a few years and was later offered a job as a leader in one of Norway’s governmental organizations. I had 600 employees reporting to me and the job involved a tremendous amount of travel. Although I enjoyed it, I decided after a while that I missed consulting; missed the flexibility and the environment of change and variety that consulting offers. I also missed the global network of colleagues you find here, and the range of industry and functional exposure you get. Through a former colleague who had joined Accenture in Bergen, I heard that Accenture was building up their presence in my home town, so I jumped at the chance to “re-enlist.” When I came back to Accenture, it felt like coming home. There are a surprising number of people who were still here after all the years I was away.

What do you like best about working at Accenture?

Accenture doubled in size during my first two years here. And it has doubled again since then. Even though I came here from a high position in a major organization, the size and strength of Accenture actually increases the influence I have—here I feel I have no limits on my career. The best thing about Accenture? It’s no doubt the people – what would Accenture be without its people working for the largerst and most important companies in every corner of the world? Thousands of co-workers around the globe give you a fantastic opportunity to learn and grow both professionally and personally.