Are you curious about the world of consulting? For this interview series, we’ve had the opportunity to speak with a group of entry-level consultants to provide you with an insider’s perspective on what it’s like to work at consultancy firms like &samhoud, Accenture, and Roland Berger.
Our next interviewee is Anouk Roosenschoon, a Management Consulting Analyst at Accenture. Join us as we delve into her experience working at Accenture, learn about the company’s atmosphere, and gain valuable advice for those aspiring to become a Management Consulting Analyst.
What is your full name and what is your position at Accenture?
My name is Anouk Roosenschoon and I work at Accenture as a Management Consulting Analyst in the Utilities Practice department at Accenture Strategy & Consulting.
What did you do before starting at Accenture?
Before starting at Accenture, I’d already had several experiences, both during and after my studies. I got my Bachelor’s degree at Maastricht University and studied International Business there, during which I also did a semester abroad, in Colombia! After obtaining my Bachelor’s degree, I also really wanted to gain some practical experience. For this reason, I did my internship at a bank, which was very fun and educational.
I also really wanted to do a Master’s after this, so I did the Business Administration Master, Strategy & Organization at the VU in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, as this study was during one of the covid years, I didn’t get to see much of the university though. But luckily the master was good and I received my diploma a year later.
I really wanted to travel after my Master’s, however, due to the many covid measures, I ended up just looking for a job instead. I found my job at a consultancy party, but after a while I felt the urge to travel again, especially as the measures were being reduced almost everywhere. I decided to travel to Central America after a half year, which was a great experience!
After returning to the Netherlands, about 6 months later, I had another chance to find a job and one that I really wanted to do. I’ve always loved sustainability and the energy sector, and after a few weeks of searching, I came across the S&C consultant vacancy in the Utilities sector at Accenture. This job seemed to be the best combination of my interests and past experiences, so I took it.
How do you experience your role as a Management Consultant Analyst?
My role as an analyst within the Utilities team has been great so far! I find the energy sector super interesting and there’s also a lot going on at the moment, which makes it so much more relevant and fun. Besides a short introduction period at the start of my job, I also got some great guidance from a buddy to whom I could go with any questions. Everyone at Accenture also gets a career counsellor who helps you with your career, which is super helpful!
My days and weeks don’t always look the same in my role as Management Consultant Analyst. How my day usually looks depends on the project I’m working on and the client I’m working with. However, I do find it important to try and find a balance between working at the office, visiting clients and working from home, but we definitely get a lot of freedom in where we work.
What is your experience in working for Accenture and what stands out to you?
So far, I can say that working at Accenture has been great! Ofcourse it’s always a bit nerve wracking when you start out at a new company, that – besides the job application process – you haven’t gotten to know very well yet, but I very quickly felt at ease here by also getting to know a lot of my colleagues.
What really helped with this was the social and educational activities that they organised. They do this for different experience levels and include Accenture colleagues across the whole of the Netherlands. These activities are organised for the Strategy & Consulting department, but also by my own Utilities team. You can easily get to know others and build a network by regularly getting together with your colleagues. This network is definitely what sets Accenture apart from other companies. It feels like everyone knows everyone here at Accenture, which makes the atmosphere very nice and friendly.
What is something you wish you knew before you started working in your role as Management Consulting Analyst?
What I would recommend to everyone is that you should first go for a coffee with people already working in this position. This can give you a better picture of the actual activities / responsibilities that you can get and give you a bit of a feel of the office itself. This definitely helped me a lot in making the right choice!
Can’t wait to get started as a Management Consulting Analyst or do you want to stay up-to-date on other job openings at Accenture? Connect with Accenture on Magnet.me via this link.