It’s an exciting time to start your career as a consultant. The world is turning its attention to young consulting professionals who have an appetite for innovation to guide it forward. No pressure.  

But while it may sound like a difficult road to travel for a new grad, know that you won’t be going into it without support. Innovative employers will provide you with the career springboard you need to launch your career, and one such employer is Accenture: a global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. 

Getting started with Accenture is easy. The company facilitates a no-stress transition through its onboarding program. Onboarding is the process of integrating new hires into the life of the organization, to “bring someone onboard.” 

We spoke with two young professionals who started their consultancy careers with Accenture.  

Jacinthe Pelletier is a technology consulting analyst working in the Utilities practice. She has been with the company for two years. The structure of her onboarding experience consisted of three parts. The first part was a three-day training segment with a Human Resources representative at her local Accenture office. In the second part, she was assigned to a Talent Fulfilment Specialist, who helped her find roles on projects tailored to her level, skill and interest. And in the final part, Pelletier was flown to St. Charles, Illinois, for a two-week training camp. 

"The two-week training is what convinced me that Accenture was a huge family. New hires from across the globe are gathered at the same place to learn more about the Accenture way," Pelletier said. "During that training, we took part in simulations on project delivery, which made me feel confident I had enough knowledge to embark on my first project." 

Emma Bruni is a management consulting analyst based out of the Toronto office. She has worked with Accenture for eight months.  

“Accenture made my integration a priority at all levels. . . . Within a week and a half, I felt that I had a handle on the inner workings of the company, was knowledgeable of my job functions and had already developed a supportive and friendly network of colleagues," she said.  

Mentorship is a big part of onboarding with Accenture. Bruni says she is fond of Accenture's "Buddy" system, in which new hires are paired with a Buddy, whose job is to answer questions and resolve concerns that company newcomers might have.  

“Partnering with my Buddy was one of the key factors that made me want to work at Accenture right away. Note that your Buddy remains your Buddy after you start at Accenture and through your career, so they can be a great mentor and friend when on the job,” said Bruni. 

Accenture takes transitioning into the company seriously. After all, they know the value of the work its young professionals do in helping the world move forward. For Bruni, her success at Accenture started at the very beginning, "Onboarding is a huge factor in the overall confidence and success of a new employee."