Updating Results

Accenture Australia and New Zealand

3.8
  • > 100,000 employees

Michelle Soegijantho

I’ve always had an interest in technology and ever since I changed my major to information systems, I’ve been exposed to different types of work that the field offers.

Where did you grow up? What are some important stages of your life that have led you to where you are today?

I was born in Surabaya, Indonesia and moved to Australia in 2010 when I was in year 9. I did my school certificate and HSC here and got accepted into UNSW. At university I was involved in a few extra-curricular activities mainly to get experience managing a group of people/activities, however, I did not have any internship experience. Fun fact: I had a second thought about my initial major – which was finance and accounting – and changed it to information systems when I was in my second year! I would say that was one of the best decisions I’ve made. So, a piece of advice for everyone is to not be afraid to try something new. You only know what you know, so give everything that interests you a try!

How did you get to your current job position? For how long have you had it?

I joined Accenture as a graduate from October 2017, so I’ve been working for almost one and a half years now. I first heard about Accenture from my friend and based on our conversation, I decided to apply there.

How did you choose your specialisation? Were you weighing up any other alternatives before choosing this specialisation?

I’ve always had an interest in technology and ever since I changed my major to information systems, I’ve been exposed to different types of work that the field offers. Hence, since then, I had my eyes on the opportunity to work for a technology consulting company. The next option for me was to choose which company to go for. I knew I wanted to join a big company as that would give me better options to try various roles, hence my decision to apply at Accenture.

What was your interview process like? What kind of questions were you asked?

My interview process was different to what the current process is. When I was applying, I did the usual CV upload, online assessment, video interview and then one final interview, which took place in our old office in Pyrmont. During the interview, they asked behavioural questions, my experience and interests, and a bit about what I knew about Accenture and why I wanted to join the company. From what I know, the current application process will include an assessment center.

What does your employer do?

I work for Accenture, which is a company that offers multiple solutions to our clients in the areas of Strategy, Consulting, Technology, Operations and Security.

What are your areas of responsibility?

I am a part of Accenture Technology, with a focus on delivering solutions to our clients.

Can you describe a typical work day? What was the last thing you worked on?

Currently I am doing a business analyst role that requires me to work with both the client and the internal team with the end goal of creating a report to solve a current issue that they are facing. It involves multiple interactions with the client to gather the requirements needed to analyse and make sense of it, before bringing it to our developer to have the report created.

My previous role before this was a testing coordinator, where I worked with people from India and the Philippines to test the solution that we were delivering to the client.  

What are the career prospects with your job? Where could you or others in your position go from here?

I would say the job prospects for anyone in the technology field are very promising. Going forward, I think we will be more and more dependent on technology. Whether you will succeed or not will depend on your attitude and determination.

What would your career be if you weren’t doing what you’re doing now?

I would want to try working in a startup company. I think it would be interesting!

What do you love the most about your job? Which kind of task do you enjoy the most?

Working for a big company can be very daunting. There are so many people, a lot of processes and just the act of navigating through it can be very challenging. However, I found myself quite lucky when I first joined. The graduate program that I am a part of provided me with a sense of community and from there I met a lot of fantastic people that I could rely on, which made my transition from university to the workforce much easier.

In terms of work, the best thing about it is that my role is always changing. Nothing is permanent until you decide that it is what you want. As such, I am able to try and learn something new every six months or so, which keeps work interesting for me.

Lastly, I love travelling. I enjoy travelling a lot and am always planning for the next trip. One of the perks of working for Accenture is the opportunity to travel for your work or training. From the short time since I’ve been with Accenture, I have had the opportunity to travel to India, New Zealand and Melbourne, which I thought was quite amazing!

What’s the biggest limitation of your job? Do you bear a lot of responsibility? Are the stress levels high?

The biggest challenge of my job would be getting used to being flexible and adaptable with your environment. As I mentioned before, my role and clients change frequently, which means the people that I work with will be different. As such, you need to be able to adapt to different situations easily in order to succeed.

In terms of responsibility, I do have a lot, but only because I choose to. If you want to progress far in your career, I don’t think you should see having a lot of responsibility as a burden, rather see it as a way to prove yourself to others. However, on that note, you need to learn when to say no. There is nothing worse than accepting all the work that comes to you when you don’t have the capacity or ability to deliver it, as it will only impact you badly.

Which three pieces of advice would you give to a current university student?

Stay curious, be proactive and put yourself out there. I know how hard and stressful application period can be but don’t lose hope! There are plenty of opportunities out there and as long as you keep doing your best and have the right attitude, you will eventually get one!