Interview questions at Accenture

1. Tell me about yourself top question

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   What is your current occupation? Define yourself professionally in one statement.

   Pick 3 key skills that make you great at your work (your Key Selling Points). How have you applied these skills?

   Try to give some numbers to support your statement.

2. About The Company

   Your first step is to Research the company to find out as much as you can about what they do and their approach to their business and their employees.

   Based on what you know about the company and the job description, why are you interested in the position you are applying for?

3. About The Fit

   Now is the right time to show the fit between your skills and the company's requirements. Your answer works best if you emphasize your relevance. How do you do this? You will have already researched the company, studied the job description to identify their needs and possible pain points and prepared the relevant Star Stories that show how you addressed similar issues in the past. Your next step is to develop your Present-Past-Present approach.

   Start with the Present. Focus on the skills and experience from your most recent positions. What has enabled you to get the job done successfully and how this relates to what the employer is looking to accomplish.

   Next go back to the Past. Here is where your Star story comes in. Explain how you were able to use your skills and experience to accomplish a task that relates to an area of concern for the employer.

   Finally come back to the Present – summarizing the lessons you learned and how they shaped your response and approach today.

   Remember, the whole conversation is about the present, not the past. Just one sentence can summarize why your approach works, and its applicability and relevance to this position.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 2.1x more frequently at Accenture than at other companies.

2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   What challenges do you like overcoming? Where are you starting from and where might you be going?

   For example, let's say the position you are applying for is junior accountant. It includes a wide range of tasks such as basic bookkeeping, financial analysis, and reporting. If accounting is your chosen field, then you would most likely want to move in the direction of obtaining your CPA so that you might step up to more responsibility as an accounting manager or senior auditor within the next 5 years. Your responses should make sense in how you see yourself growing in your professional career.

   However, at this point, if you are happy just where you are and want to further your current skills, that is also fine as long as there is a growth path for you that can be imagined and described.

2. About The Company

   Research the company to learn what career opportunities may be available in the department you are applying to, and what the trends are in the company in general.

   • Is the business expanding, are they opening new locations, or starting new projects?
   • Or are they heavily automating and cutting staff?

   Let’s say you are applying for a UX designer position for a brand-new product.

   In the future, if the product becomes a success - which is what the company hopes for - the company will hire more designers and you may become a lead designer, or you may become a product manager.

   On a side note: If you train your mind to be open to opportunities you will be amazed at how much this world has to offer to you!

3. About The Fit

   And, of course, try to see where the perfect fit lies between your own potential and aspirations, and the company’s trends and hopes.

   However, beware of the risk of showing too much excitement for future opportunities compared to your attitude towards the current position.

   As we said earlier, you must show interest and enthusiasm for the position you are applying for. If the interviewer senses that you are more enthusiastic about future growth than about the current position, they may conclude that you are not the right person for the job at hand.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 2% more frequently at Accenture than at other companies.

3. What is your greatest weakness?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   No one is perfect and your interviewer doesn't expect you to be perfect either.

   While it is good to be honest and open, it will not help you to put yourself down.

   What's important is to find a weakness that you have overcome. How you turned what might be considered a negative into a positive.

2. About The Company

   Research the company (website, social media, etc) to learn about the company culture.

   What personal and professional qualities do they value?

3. About The Fit

   This is the time to clearly state a true weakness that you have overcome.

   Be as specific as possible and stay away from vague cliches like “I work too hard.” It would be difficult for anyone to try and explain how they overcame a weakness like that

   Mr. Simon emphasizes the Present-Past-Present method of responding to behavioral questions. When you are asked about your greatest weakness, you should be able to successfully use this approach as well. Here is an example of how someone might answer this question.

   Present - "I have always had a fear of public speaking, and believe this may have held me back in my career, especially when having to make presentations to management."

   Past - "Last year I learned about Toastmasters International and decided to join this group to help me gain confidence in myself and improve my ability to present to others in just about any situation."

   Present - "By overcoming this weakness I believe that it has made me a much stronger candidate for this position, someone you can count on to make presentations to management, conduct training and communicate at a high level."

   It's important to show how well you've overcome a weakness by motivating yourself and learning a new skill to grow professionally.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 18% less frequently at Accenture than at other companies.

4. Tell me about your greatest professional accomplishment

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   In preparation for answering this question, list the top 3 professional accomplishments that you are most proud of. No need for lengthy descriptions, just a sentence or two for each one to help you recall each situation.

   Write down your Key Selling Points - your top 3-5 skills that make you a strong professional.

   Make sure you have developed the story behind each accomplishment and have a strong command of the details of what happened so that you can tell the story clearly and distinctly.

   Along with each accomplishment, mark which of your Key Selling Points they showcase. How exactly?

2. About The Company

   Based on your research of the company, what are their current needs?

   • What are the major projects going on?
   • What are the expectations for the position you are applying for?
   • Think about which of your accomplishment stories best fit their needs and expectations?

3. About The Fit

   Once you have decided on the appropriate accomplishment story, think how you will relate it in an interview and how you will make it relevant to the the job you are seeking. One approach is to use the Present-Past-Present technique.

   Let's say that the accomplishment was leading your team in installing a new billing system and bringing it in on time and under budget.

   You might start off in the Present by talking about the importance of having good leadership skills.

   Then move to the Past to relate your story about how you successfully lead your team in accomplishing the objective.

   Finally, come back to the Present to address how you will be able to help them reach their goals (the ones you learned about when researching the company) going forward.

   Be sure to keep practicing your accomplishment story until it flows naturally and convincingly.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 17% more frequently at Accenture than at other companies.

5. Tell me about a successful project you were involved in. What was your role? What was the result?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Think about a few projects you have been involved in, regardless of your level of participation. These might range from small projects like organizing a party to large-scale multinational projects with participants and teams across the globe, million-dollar budgets and high risk and reward stakes.

   Develop one or two project-based STAR stories.

   Remember, all project-based STAR stories should start with the following descriptive elements:

   1. Project name
   2. Its purpose and goal
   3. Your role in it
   4. The duration of the project or its phases (in case only some phases were successful)
   5. The approximate number of people or stakeholders involved in it.

   Once you have establish the base facts, its time to describe the challenges and results:

   1. What were the top 3 challenges?
   2. What was the end result?
   3. How did the company (or other stakeholders) benefit from the results?
   4. How can you define your contribution in 3-5 key phrases?

   If you received any praise for your efforts from your boss, peers or clients, what did they say exactly?

2. About The Company

   Based on the research you did on the company, what kinds of projects can you expect here?

   • What do you know about the goals they are trying to achieve?
   • What do you know about their current challenges?
   • Can you imagine what success will look like for the projects in this company?

3. About The Fit

   Once you decide which project best fits this question, use the Present-Past-Present approach to answer it.

   Start with the Present by explaining your thinking on what you believe makes a project successful. You might say that your approach to all new projects is to set up the right project framework and tools before you begin, to help ensure that you get off to a good start.

   Next go back to a Past situation in which you and your team took on a project and used your method of clarification to ensure that everyone knew their assignment and through hard work and focus, brought it to a successful conclusion.

   Finally, come back to the Present to show how you will use your approach to help the employer tackle projects going forward.

   Practice telling your story, using the STAR method.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 2.7x more frequently at Accenture than at other companies.

6. Are you willing to relocate?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   There are many questions that could cause you to consider whether you are willing to move for a position.

   These are of course, both personal and professional.

   • How long will you be there?
   • Is this a company you want to have a long career with?
   • Will you be able to advance your career with other positions available to you at the new location?
   • Will the company be helping you financially with the relocation?
   • Are you ready to move your entire life in this direction?
   • Will you take your family with you or will they stay here?
   • Are you ready to change not only the place of work, but also the house, environment, habits for the sake of the job?

2. About The Company

   If relocation is required for a position, this should be mentioned in the job description. But even if it’s not, you must have a response ready in case it comes up during your interview.

   You can also use this question as an opportunity to demonstrate what you know about the company, as well as remind the interviewer about the qualities that make you a strong candidate for the position.

3. About The Fit

   Theoretically your answer can be YES, N0 or Maybe, but of course things aren’t always that simple.

   • If the new position is an opportunity you may not want to refuse but you still need some time, you can formulate your answer in such a way: "I am interested in advancing my career and if relocation is necessary, I will certainly consider this possibility." This answer does not oblige you to move immediately, but also shows that you have serious intentions.

   • If you have no issue with relocating for this position, you should say so. It would also be a good time to ask the interviewer questions about the move as well. It will reassure them that you are able to move for the position.

   • If you are categorical one way or the other about relocation, remember - life often presents extremely unexpected surprises, and what looks like "never" today, may be "quite likely" tomorrow. And if you want to get this job, you can say that you are not ready to move immediately, but in the future you may consider this option.

   • You can also say: "The place where I live is not the most important thing for me. It is more important to develop myself, my skills and acquire new ones. Promotion and pursuit of my interests is important to me and if the company can offer this, I will consider moving."

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 3.8x more frequently at Accenture than at other companies.

7. Describe a time when you resolved a conflict with a colleague in your past role

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Think of the times you had to deal with conflict.

   • What were the different ways you were able to address the situation?
   • If you were the cause of the conflict, how did you handle it and what role did the other person play in helping to resolve the conflict?
   • What were the key lessons you learned through your experience?

2. About The Company

   Research the company and its culture.

   • What do they value?
   • Is there anything that you can find about how they deal with conflict resolution?
   • Do sites such as Glassdoor give any indication of the kinds of conflicts that might occur and how they are handled?

   Reading comments on the company's social media posts often prove helpful to see how they react to customers' complaints.

3. About The Fit

   Consider the Present-Past-Present method to tell a story of how you addressed conflict and how it turned a negative into a positive.

   Start with the Present to expain to the hiring manager how you always ask questions and listen carefully to your coworkers perspective to understand both sides of an issue and apply your sense of fairness when it comes to resolving potential conflicts with others.

   Then go back to the Past using the STAR method to frame your story. Here is an example of how someone might relate just such a story:

   "My coworker, who started with the company about 6 months before me explained the process the department used for tracking certain data metrics. In my "wisdom" I thought I had a better way. Without telling my colleague what I was doing I went ahead and tried my own way. Unfortunately my way did not quite do the job and as a result we had to start again. He was naturally upset but I brought out my best listening skills to understand his perspective and we agreed to start again with the next reports. I learned a lesson and we have worked together very well since that time."

   Finally, come back to the Present to explain how you skills at listening to and doing your best to understand the other person's point of view is a valuable asset and makes you a strong candidate for the position.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 2.1x more frequently at Accenture than at other companies.

8. Tell me about a stressful situation and how you dealt with it

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   In order to form a response to this question, think back to a time when you encountered a stressful situation at work, and answer the following questions.

   • Was the situation a challenge just to you personally or to your entire team?
   • What was your approach to the problem and how did you handle it?
   • What role if any did emotions play in the process of dealing with this situation?
   • What was the outcome, was it successful?
   • Did the outcome meet the company’s expectations as well as your own?

2. About The Company

   • What do you know about the company, where you may encounter a stressful situation?
   • Are they working on a major project which is approaching a due date?
   • Are they going through what appears to be a difficult time where cost-saving is a top priority? Perhaps the company culture is full of negativity and mistrust, or they have gone through massive layoffs. Is there any chance that customers are being neglected?

   Any of these situations may lead to stressful times at the company, and you should try to know more about their expectations, and how realistic those expectations are.

   Or, are they just a dynamic, highly agile company run by smart and creative folks, which may work excellently for some people and be confusing and mind-blowing for others?

   Do your research.

3. About The Fit

   Once you have determined which STAR story will best answer this question, use the Present-Past-Present method for your response. The following is an example of how someone might apply this method.

   The candidate started with the Present by telling the interviewer that she is able to rise to the challenge of the situation regardless of the level of stress that may come with an assignment.

   She then went back to the Past to describe when she and her team had to hit a tight timeline for a customer that depended on the outcome of her team's work. It was an emotional time in which the team worked long, hard hours with lots of overtime. As hard as it was at the time, in the end they successfully completed the assignment and the customer was so pleased with the results that it increased its business with her company.

   Finally, the candidate came back to the Present to explain how much she enjoys taking on challenges because they help her grow as a professional and she knows that she can successfully complete assignments for the company, no matter how stressful or difficult.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 22% less frequently at Accenture than at other companies.

9. Walk me through your resume

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Print out your resume. For each of your recent job experiences (at this point do not go back more than 5 years), write down 3-5 key points at which you feel you are strong.

   For example, for your current (or previous) job, you may want to list skills like “Excellent presentation skills,” “Employee Engagement guru,” “Analytical skills,” “Attention to detail” (they don’t have to be all soft skills, but being aware of at least a few of your strong soft skills is important). Make sure you have examples for each of your statements.

   If you have difficulties to think of these points, search online for job descriptions for similar job roles, and figure out which of those keywords appeal to you. Look for people on LinkedIn that have jobs similar to the one you are applying for. Their profiles often contain many keywords that you can use in response to this question.

   Now that you’ve gone through all your recent experiences, are there any points that repeat more often than others, or are especially important to you? These are candidates to be your Key Selling Points -highlight 3-5 of them.

2. About The Company

   Research the company and the role for which you're being interviewed. When researching the company, find out what skills and qualities they value the most. Carefully consider the job requirements. What is it that you will be responsible for?

   Now, write down 3-5 keywords from the job description that you find of utmost importance for this job role.

3. About The Fit

   Try to establish the match between your own highlighted keywords, and those of the job description. These are your Key Selling Points! You should normally limit yourself by 3-5 such keywords or phrases.

   Now, craft a story based on your career history. You don’t have to go in chronological order - you can start with your current or last job experience, and then go back to your previous ones, or focus on just the experiences that are relevant to your story, and only briefly mention the less relevant ones and only if needed.

   Select one point to highlight for each phase of your career. Make sure you ingrain your Key Selling Points in the interviewer’s memory - after the interview is over, you want them to remember you as someone who is strong at XYZ, or experienced in A, B and C.

   It's okay to focus more on stellar achievements and brag a little bit about them.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 20% more frequently at Accenture than at other companies.

10. Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult or disruptive person. It may be a client, manager, or coworker. How did you handle the situation? What was the outcome?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Look back on your experience. Have you worked with a difficult or disruptive person? Remember a few such situations and how you diffused them and turned things around. What are your approaches to resolving conflicting situations at work?

2. About The Company

   • What have you found about the company and its culture?
   • What have you learned about how the employees value each other?
   • How do they treat their customers?
   • Do they have any specific standards and policies?

3. About The Fit

   Using what you found about the company, choose one of your examples that fits best with the company standards and share your story.

   If it's a customer, how did you turn things around and made a customer happy?
   If it's a coworker, how did you diffuse a tense or difficult situation?

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 1% less frequently at Accenture than at other companies.

11. How would you describe yourself?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Think of how your bosses and peers would describe you.

   Throughout your professional experience, you have probably heard them giving you some labels – try to remember the exact words they used.

   If you have received LinkedIn recommendations from someone, read those and think why people wrote them and what work situations prompted those descriptions. Remember the context of those situations and frame them as stories.

   Make a list of keywords, or short key phrases, that can describe you. Your Key Selling Points should definitely appear on this list, but try to also use some adjectives here, to add a positive emotional touch.

2. About The Company

   Research the company's values, standards and policies. Make a list of keywords or short key phrases.

3. About The Fit

   Which of your keywords correspond best with those of the company? Highlight 3-4 matches. Now try to imagine being a peer or a boss of yours and compile statements about yourself, in the 3rd person, mentioning these keywords. Remember to use adjectives, and don’t be afraid to mention real references from real people.

   For example, if you are applying for a position that requires good people skills, and your boss at your previous job called you a “conflict resolution guru,” don’t be shy to mention this reference, and provide a brief context that caused your boss’s praise. Use the STAR method to craft your story.

   Don’t limit yourself with just one keyword. If you are concise and don’t ramble with your answer, your interviewer will probably want to hear more than one. Just be observant and watch the interviewer’s reaction. You want to keep them interested.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 23% less frequently at Accenture than at other companies.

12. Describe a time when you had to overcome a significant obstacle on a job

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   The employer is looking for the skills needed to overcome a significant obstacale on the job. This is not the place to discuss the ordinary problems that you might face on a daily basis at work.

   Start with recalling a few examples of real obstacles and challenges you faced. For each of them, consider:

   • What was the project or task you were trying to accomplish?
   • What was the obstacle? This can be a specific problem related to your job or a higher-order issue across the organization.
   • What steps did you take to address the issue?
   • What decisions did you have to make?
   • How did the company benefit from your decisions?
   • How would you describe your approach, or what lessons have you learned?

   Be careful how you respond to this question. The problem you faced and resolved for the company should not have been of your own making.

   See this as your chance to show how you stepped up by turning to your skills and inner strength to find the right solutions.

2. About The Company

   When you research the company, try and find out what kind of challenges they are facing. Try to find out what they need in terms of problem resolution.

   Search for online reviews, complaints and any other useful resources. What problems and obstacles can the employees face with this position?

   Pay particular attention to the requirements listed in the job description. It is quite possible that you have a a STAR story about overccoming an obstacle that relates directly to one of their needs. This would be a great opportunity to answer this question.

3. About The Fit

   This is your opportunity to showcase your problem-solving skills, resilience, and strength of character. We recommend that you use the Present-Past-Present method to answer this question. The following is an example of how this method might be applied for the position of Blog Writer. The job description mentions that a successful candidate must have experience working “in a dynamic environment.”

   Starting with the Present you might say "I really enjoy working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment" (repeating the words used in the job description is reinforcing to the interviewer).

   Next go to a Past situation in which you had to write an article on extremely short notice. Your boss came to you at the last moment because your coworker failed to complete a very important assignment. The pressure was on but you worked extra hours to prepare the article successfully and on time. This story shows your sense of responsibility, ability to achieve results under stress, your willingness to go the extra mile, and your problem-solving skills.

   Finally come back to the Present to again reiterate how working under pressure is a skill that you are proud of and you will bring to any assignment for the employer.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 8% more frequently at Accenture than at other companies.