This Strategy Simplified conversation reveals everything you need to know about Accenture – and nothing you don’t. In it, Accenture’s Caroline Dudley and Rizzalyn Burke get real, sharing candidly from their experience with the firm. Listen for an insider look into Accenture culture, interviews, recruiting process, current opportunities, and so much more. It’s a can’t-miss conversation.
Caroline is a Managing Director at Accenture and leads North American recruiting for the firm. Rizzalyn is a recruiting manager, specifically recruiting Advanced Degree and MBA candidates.
Listen here or on your favorite podcast channel. A full transcription is available below.
Accenture Interviews, Culture, and Careers: Full Transcription
Transcription has been edited for length and brevity.
MC
00:19
It’s my pleasure to welcome Rizz and Caroline from Accenture to the Management Consulted community and to this call today. We’re really really excited to have you. I would just love to kick off by asking you who you are and just 30 seconds on your background. So Caroline, if we could start with you, that would be fantastic.
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
01:08
Absolutely! I’m really excited to be here. Thank you, Namaan and Management Consulted for having us today. What a great way to kick off Thanksgiving week in the US, to spend it with each of you. So a little bit of my background. I come from consulting and have been at Accenture for 21 years now.
I spent most of my time consulting for financial services clients across both cap markets buy-side as well as consumer banking, payments, retail, and the last few years in insurance. And so I’ve gotten to do the round about with all of the clients that are out there.
The past two years have really been one of the most exciting times of my life because I was able to make a shift and really help Accenture think about how we hire talent. There’s not one bigger topic on the minds of each of our clients’ CEOs of what are we going to do in this new world with talent, both attraction, retention, and advancement, but also doing it in a way that matches our purpose. So we’re I’m really excited for that.
On a personal note, what I’ve liked is that I’ve been with Accenture through many different times in my life. I have four children, I played field hockey in college, so I try to stay active as much as I can. But I’m also passionately nerdy about all the things that we do and what we do for our clients. So with that, I think there’s a few things I can share with each of you as you may have questions, but even more exciting than me today, Namaan, I’d love to let Rizz have a chance to introduce herself.
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
02:54
I’m also excited to be here. I have always been in the recruiting space, even prior to Accenture. I’ve been in experienced recruiting staffing as well as campus recruiting here at Accenture. I’ve been here for – my goodness – probably over 10 years now, mostly in the campus recruiting space. I currently focus on MBA and advanced degree hiring for the US S&C – strategy and consulting.
On a personal note, I have two children. Actually, my youngest just turned five yesterday. So it was very exciting weekend. It was a party. Yes, it was a princess weekend. And then my son, he’s nine years old. So it’s definitely been an interesting past two years with the young one.
I’m not as active as you, Caroline, but I do enjoy myself a good reality TV show when I want to decompress and escape for a little bit. So I love anything Bravo or The Challenge on MTV. I don’t know if I should be saying that out loud. But it’s a guilty pleasure of mine that I’m not so guilty about (laughs). But I’m happy to answer any questions around MBA recruiting.
MC
04:16
Japheth is our resident reality TV connoisseur, so you will have to connect on that afterwards. Well, Caroline, Rizz, thanks again so much for joining us today. Caroline, if I could just follow up on something that you mentioned in your intro. You talked about how you’ve been helping Accenture rethink its talent strategy and recruitment and retention and training and all that goes into attracting and retaining high quality talent. Can you just talk to us at a high level of what Accenture is doing to stay competitive in this marketplace and the changes that you’ve implemented over the last two years?
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
04:56
Yeah, absolutely. So one of the biggest ways that we can do this is by me putting myself into your shoes. You know, as you’re thinking about companies, it’s not just a job these days. I think if there’s anything the past year and a half has proven to us, it’s about much more than just where you are getting your paycheck from.
It’s about the values you have. It’s about making sure that the people that you’re working with are worthy of trusting your career in. It’s also about, most importantly, making sure you’re going to make the impact that you want. And so when we think about a lot of the recruiting that’s been done in historical times, I think about it as more of a one sided track, right? Like, are you the right person? Do you have the right skills to work with us?
And I think what I’ve really tried to bring into the process, but what we’re seeing, and Rizz, I’ll be interested in your opinion too is, we are thinking about this as a long term option for people, which we want. We want people to grow and advance here. So we really need to make sure that that hiring process that each of you are going to go through isn’t transactional. It should be about making sure that you’ve really had a chance to make sure that what we do at Accenture is something not only that you can do, but that excites you and that really engages you.
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Because what we find with people as our product, and many of you have had so many discussions, I’m sure, with other professional services companies. Our people are the most important thing, hands down. And so making sure that we’re bringing people in who are excited about the work we do, and we may have some time to talk a little bit about this later. But last year, we rolled out a new brand purpose for us. And it’s to deliver on the promise of technology, but also human ingenuity.
As we think about the world now, all the Fortune 500 companies, which are our clients, are really thinking about how to accomplish that. So for us, we wanted to make sure that we are bringing in people who not only know what we’re doing, but are excited about that kind of work, really gel with the people and feel like they can make an impact in different ways, and also have a chance to learn, grow, advance. And we as a company, absolutely hold ourselves to that. Julie, our CEO, has brought out this past year Tech Quotient, which is making sure that every employee that we have gets to both see and get excited about the things that we can do together with our clients to help.
And from a purpose perspective, this isn’t just our clients, this is helping the broader community, this is helping sustainability, this is helping ensure that opportunity is equally distributed. And so that has so many faces and lenses and things that hit each of you in different ways. And so being able to make the experience capture that and and provide you that transparency before you make this huge life changing decision. That’s really been the heart of what we’ve been doing from an experience perspective.
MC
08:21
Caroline, that sounds like a holistic talent strategy that we haven’t always seen in the industry. But a change for the better, I would argue and I’m sure that you would agree with that.
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
08:30
I think so. I always think about, as I talk to different people, what is it that would make something interesting and appealing to you. And you know, we’re at this place of privilege right now where we can open the doors of opportunity, and we can create something that’s going to be more rewarding for all of us in the long term.
So I think we have a real responsibility to step up and use all the tools that are at our disposal and all the human ingenuity that we have to from all the voices. So it’s been fascinating – a really interesting time to be working for a company like Accenture, but also be so focused on how we build our talent.
MC
09:18
So if I was a candidate listening to you, I think if Accenture wasn’t on my shortlist, it would have just made my shortlist. And so with that being said, I may think of Accenture and just think giant professional services firm. Over half a million global employees. A myriad of practice areas and service lines. Accenture seems like it does everything.
If you could give us a brand statement to encapsulate who Accenture is, the value proposition for candidates, and what you all do, what would that be?
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
09:53
We talked about the promises of delivering on technology and human ingenuity as our official brand statement. But if I had to really put myself in your shoes and understand that – the thing I go to and I know a lot of you are wrestling with this decision – do I go with a large well known name, or do I go with something that’s a bit more niche or boutique? And what I want to do is I want to highlight a little bit of transparency of what you get when you come into a company like Accenture.
So what we’re known for: we are known for being able to deliver an end to end experience to help our clients. There are many consulting or strategy shops that may do one or a couple pieces of that end to end. And where we’re differentiated is you’re able to bring the front strategy work, the transformative consulting work and implementation, the technology to both bring in the right ecosystem partners, think through things that may make sense to enable that change, and then run the organization as well.
And on top of that, over the past 10 years, we’ve really catapulted to be the number one digital agency through our interactive practice. So when you think about both the strategy, the transformation, and then being able to help run an organization, end to end, those are all the big pieces we do. Our mission day in and day out for our employee experience, too, is how do you make a large company feel small? You mentioned that we’re well over 500,000 and probably, at this point, nearing if not over 600,000 people.
How do you make sure that you’re seen there, and that you can be elevated in the things you get to do, the experiences you have? And so it’s a really good question. And it’s one each of you should be thinking about, if you haven’t already. And I think what it comes down to, is really that community that we create. Rizz, I’ll be interested in your opinion on this, too. What I’ve loved is those different cohorts and communities that I’m a part of within Accenture.
You have who you’re working with day to day in there, and so that’s one of your cohorts. You have the people geographically around you, both in your location and your market unit, and those are another part of your cohort, you have the people that started at the same time as you. You tend to have completely different career paths for most people, but you get to share that. And so for me, a place that really wants you to succeed, and gives you every opportunity to learn – we like to call it boundaryless opportunities.
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MC
13:04
Rizz. I’ll ask you a similar question here. Caroline was talking about how Accenture tries to cultivate this intimate culture in a firm that employs 600,000 people. Can you just speak to that, from your perspective? What are the opportunities that people have to build a community in a professional network at a firm that’s so massive?
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
13:26
I’m going to speak specifically towards strategy and I think to to our MBA folks here. I think that’s an important piece, because that is our whole goal when you come into Accenture, especially through our MBA program, through Accenture’s strategy consultant development programs, and a lot of our development programs is that it builds this cohort.
You come in and have multiple layers of networks to help with your adjustment, not only to Accenture, but to Accenture Strategy. So you’ve got your class, your cohort, the folks who come in in the same year as you. You also have the folks that are starting in the same location as you as well. And Accenture does our best to really build that relationship, almost like when you’re in school. And I know people always have their own groups and things like that. We tried to build upon that when you come into Accenture.
So on top of that you have buddies who’ve gone through the MBA program, who might even have been from your school. And then on top of that, we work on networking to ensure that you are able to build that community with the strategy group as well. So while it is a large company, I think the most important piece of it is building that network and there’s a structure to it that we try to hold to when you do join us so that you are set for success to grow within your career.
MC
15:07
I think the fact that you’ve been with Accenture for over 10 years and that Caroline’s been with with Accenture for over two decades speaks to the fact that the firm’s did a pretty good job of developing that culture. Otherwise, you would have moved on long ago.
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
15:20
Very true! I will admit this, especially earlier on in my career, I stayed in my roles for probably two or three years, at most. There was something new that I always wanted to do. And, surprisingly enough with Accenture here, it’s kept me challenged and interested and there’s always something new every year. It really has me staying.
MC
15:48
I love that. Well, I know that Caroline mentioned that the firm plays across the value chain. Strategy, implementation technology, leadership – I’m curious which service lines at Accenture are growing the fastest, and where’s the firm focusing its hiring efforts? Can you speak to that? I know you work specifically with MBA and advanced degree candidates. And so if that’s the perspective you want to bring to answer that question, that’s great.
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
16:17
We see a lot of top skills, especially within data analytics and applied intelligence. We see a lot of growth in our tech areas. But we are seeing a lot of growth across the board, even within our tech strategy area. Applied intelligence is a huge piece for us. And we do find that across the board, it’s a skill set that our students as well as the company is seeing a high interest in. Our clients are also displaying a lot of interest in as well. So I know Caroline probably has a little bit more in depth in terms of the other growth. But in terms of strategy and consulting, we see those big skillsets as well.
MC
17:10
So with that being said, can you talk us through the two to three qualities that you look for in candidates? What makes somebody a superstar candidate to you?
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
17:21
Oh, that is a really good question. If I think about the things that are running through my head, there’s so many qualifications. I’m thinking of leadership skills, right? If you’re in school, and you take any leadership roles with any clubs or club affinities, and that’s something that stands out. When we look at your past experiences we like to see growth within your career prior to business school.
But I think what stands out the most, and you even addressed it earlier Namaan, is being genuine. It’s not something that you can see on paper. I think it’s the relationships that you build, almost talking about what Caroline was saying. Every time I think about the recruiting process, I think it’s almost like dating, and really trying to find out what the right matches are for you. And it goes both ways. And so I think from a top candidate standpoint, it’s really bringing your true self – being genuine. And really expressing what you want, and being able to understand what we have to offer for you as well.
MC
18:31
Caroline, anything you’d like to add to that, just as far as what you look for in top candidates, or what stands out to you?
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
18:37
So in terms of top candidates, Rizz is spot on in terms of being authentic and really enjoying the things that we do. I think being hungry to learn. We know that what we’re using right now with our clients is going to rapidly evolve, as we’ve seen, over the next 6, 12 months, etc. And so I think for us, as we look for candidates, it’s not only the comfort you have in both the skills and the type of work we have today, but it’s really looking at that hunger to continue learning and be someone who we would want to put with our clients to help guide them.
So those are all big things that we can do. We see you as an ambassador of our brand every time that you’re out there. We want to make sure that you’re bringing that same level of purpose, to what we’re doing, both with our clients, with the community, with our corporate citizenship partners, and so we’ll be looking for all of those things.
MC
19:38
Carolyn, can you speak to opportunities for folks that maybe don’t fall into the traditional MBA or advanced degree candidate bucket? Does Accenture have a place for them?
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
19:48
Absolutely. I know we’ve got a wide range of folks tuning in, and as we think about the end to end work that we do, while yes, we have multiple opportunities, whether it be strategy or within one of our industries, etc. for those with a traditional MBA degree. But we’ve even opened up our opportunities to folks without degrees. We have a really robust apprentice program that goes across our top skills of cloud, security, interactive, operations, etc.
We also have entry level roles for people who’ve just graduated from school. Most of those, obviously, we have a fall cycle that moves those, but we see a lot of growth in all the different technologies that we work with. So whether you have a background or an interest in the technology, the operating models around it, the change that you can really help clients make in terms of their growth, their strategies, etc.
We see all of those areas growing quite rapidly. And so we’ve actually started to look at the talent that’s in the market and say, Hey, you might be a fit for 10 of our roles. Let’s have a conversation and see which one makes most sense for you as the person. I know sometimes that’s hard to do at scale at crazy times. But that’s our aspiration, to really think about each of you for what you can bring, not just what you’ve done and what’s on paper.
MC
21:28
That’s amazing. And Rizz, does that process look the same for candidates, regardless of background? Can they expect that same treatment no matter where they’re coming from?
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
21:37
Absolutely. I think what’s important when we go to campus is we actually look for a really diverse background. You know, there isn’t one cookie cutter resume that we look at. And I think it’s important to understand, especially when we’re looking at MBA students, and most importantly, we do understand that a lot of students want to pivot their careers. And for us, that’s really important. And we place a larger importance on their passion versus what they’ve done beforehand, because that’s what’s gonna have them grow with the company, and that sustainable longevity with us.
MC
22:17
Can you talk a little bit about the timeline? So moving more from strategy, and who is Accenture and how does the process work – to more brass tax. We’re in the midst of MBA internship recruiting season right now. Is there a timeline that those folks need to be aware of if they’re considering applying for roles at Accenture?
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
22:40
Recruiting efforts, of course, feel like they start earlier and earlier every year. But for intern recruiting, we really start in September. And it really goes through much of the fall. And we start interviews as early as beginning of January. I think it’s actually rather late if we go through February, but the majority of our interviews do happen in the January/February timeframe. And then when we’re looking at full time recruiting efforts, it starts earlier and earlier every year. But the majority of it does start to happen around the August timeframe and then the interviews typically start around mid September through beginning of October.
MC
23:30
So when you say interviews, what do you mean by that? Are there four interviews per round? Is there a digital assessment? What does this look like?
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
23:41
There’s about 15 interviews we put you through – just kidding! No, we have two interviews. The first round is two sets of interviews. One is a case, one is a behavioral, and then the final round is another case, and then you meet with a Managing Director.
MC
24:02
Caroline, can you talk to me a little bit about that interaction with the Managing Director? In that conversation, I would think that you’re looking for kind of a comfort in the conversation, an ease interacting with someone because you’re mimicking the interaction that’s going to happen with a client. Am I right about that? What are you looking for in that interaction? I think meeting with a Managing Director can be a little bit intimidating for some people.
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
24:28
You’re right on Namaan. We look for people who are not only able to be in those situations where maybe they don’t know everything that’s coming at them in a meeting, but they’re excited about the concept of it and they bring their best, even if they don’t know all the answers or all the questions that are going to be asked. Part of why that’s important is not to make it so that each of you have to spend six months doing case interview prep or prep for interviewing, but we want to really see if you actually like this type of thing, right?
Because what you’re doing with that Managing Director and having a discussion is exactly the job. And so, if this is the type of thing that you don’t like – if you don’t like being able to have a conversation when you may not know all the facts, it might be that this part of consulting isn’t the area that will actually get you most excited and fulfill your purpose. So I think that’s a big piece of it – really, genuinely ask yourself if you like that side of things.
And I see a couple of folks who are asking questions about interviews and skills and time off on the resume, and we are looking at a number of different skills that are on there. One person mentioned time off to be a caretaker, and we we do have a number of partnerships where we take people who’ve had gaps in their career for one reason or another, and considere them and make sure they’re up there.
There’s been a lot of effort in our recruiting too to make sure that we’re lifting all candidates by providing access to skills that might be valuable for them in in these jobs. And the interview process that Rizz outlined is great for our MBAs and Advanced Degrees. In other roles, you may have a digital assessment, especially as we think about entry level or apprentice. There’s an aspect where you actually get to simulate the job before you go into interviews to see if you do like it. And that helps inform us of some of the strengths you bring to the table, some of those skills.
And really, at the end of the day, the advice Rizz gave is the the best. Please bring yourself to these. Don’t try to turn on, you know, “interviewing Caroline,” who’s different from who you are when you talk to your friends, when you engage with your professors. Really try to bring your own curiosity and genuine interest in the type of work that we do and the clients we work with.
MC
26:59
It sounds like that’s really the secret sauce, right? Be yourself. actually act like you’re having fun solving business problems and having business conversations. Because if you’re not going to enjoy it in the interview setting, you’re certainly not going to enjoy the job.
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
27:14
And Namaan, I will say – don’t just act like you’re enjoying it, but really bring yourself and actually enjoy it. {laughs}.
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
27:20
I hope you’re gonna enjoy it!
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
27:23
Right. It is hard. This is not to sugarcoat things, right? We know the interview process is super stressful. It’s like having another job if you’re already in school, or have another job. So what we really want to encourage you to do is take a little bit of the stress out, because being yourself is who we want to get to know throughout that. So Namaan, back to you.
MC
27:47
Thanks. So outside of being yourself, and actually having fun and actually enjoying the process, I’m going to put both of you on the spot and ask you to dig a little bit deeper, kind of like how you would do with a candidate. So, beyond what you’ve already shared with us, are there one or two other pieces of advice that you would have for folks that are listening today on how to succeed in the application and interview process at Accenture?
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
28:14
Rizz, do you want me to start?
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
28:17
Yeah, let me think about that one.
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
28:20
So I’m going to start and I’m going to actually put myself in the shoes of the many, many different people that are on this call. Each of you are starting from a different set of strengths, a different educational background, a different set of places where you’ve gone to school, lived, worked, etc.
So, the first thing I’d say for this broad group is to really make sure you understand the skills that are expected of each role. Here’s a pro tip: as you’re looking for jobs out there, one of the things that many people – even people 20 years into industry – there are basic qualifications of a role and then there’s preferred qualifications. Legally, a company can – and this is not just Accenture, this is across the board – a company can only consider you if you at least meet all the basic qualifications. It’s actually not legal to consider candidates for an app for a requisition or a job opening that don’t have that experience.
So if it says you need three years of experience with SAP, you can’t actually even be considered for the job with two and a half. What you can do always though, is ask to talk to a recruiter at the company and say, Hey, here’s my background, where might I fit? So I thought that was helpful for this wide group of people who might come with a big set of skills.
The second piece of advice I’d say is be curious. For those earlier in the process. be incredibly curious about things you might not have done in the past but maybe you have the potential to do start to understand you know, the skills that are being hired for and look for it and then for those of you who are perhaps MBA candidates, etc. I’ll let Rizz take that one because I think she has some fantastic tips for each of you.
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
30:07
As you say that, I’m thinking about it from my standpoint, I think as an MBA student going into their first year, once you have all your areas that you’re curious about, and you also know what you want, I think it’s really important to find that company that offers it for you. It’s such a short amount of time, two years only. And I think it’s really important for you to focus on what you really want to do. And make sure that that company has what they have to offer for you. Really pinpoint what those companies have for you.
And I’m not just speaking about Accenture, I’m thinking about any consulting company or industry – really just focus on what you want. And, you know, it’s such a short amount of time to really drive that on how you approach your recruiting efforts. Because I think, as your peers alongside you, that allows them to other opportunities as well. So making sure you’re hyper aware of what you want, and really focusing on that.
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
31:17
I love that, Rizz. And, the other thing I would add with that is just also being aware that when you think about your career, not every day, and I like to be super transparent, not every day of your career, when you start at these jobs is going to be you know, the best day ever and full of sunshine and butterflies. Know that you’re going to be in these situations where you’re going to have a growth and learning opportunity every day.
And so my advice to you is really think about which company, even through the times that aren’t great, you see yourself being a part of, because if anything from the past couple of years that’s been incredibly important is making sure as you go through it, that you truly can be held up, but also made better by the people and the company that you’re around.
MC
32:19
I think that’s critical. I’m glad you brought that up, Caroline. I’m gonna put you on the spot for a second, as we’re wrapping up our conversation. I know that one of the questions that our listeners have is, this all sounds great, but I’m at a school that wouldn’t be considered a target school for Accenture. Can you just talk to us about if someone finds themselves in that situation, what they should do to stand out and and figure out if a role at Accenture is right for them, and how they can be successful through the recruiting process.
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
32:52
Yeah, when someone wants to reach out to me, I can certainly help them through that process. But other than that, we are part of other partnerships as well. So we want to also consider those as well. Those aren’t limited to any school, like jumpstart forte consortia, we also attend a lot of conferences.
But again, if there is a conversation that you’re a part of, if you’re a part of these conversations right now, and you have Caroline and myself have a name, you can reach out to us and say, hey, you know, I just watched your video or I listened to your podcast or Management Consulted and it really intrigued my interest, I want to talk to you about my background, I think that’s another way for you to get through, right is just being part of these organizations being part of these calls, and be able to make that initial contact is always the first step. So whether a part of a visiting school or not, there’s always a way as long as you have a name, I think you you can always make that contact.
MC
33:58
I love that. We have a myriad of free resources to help you all do that so that when you reach out to raise her to Caroline, it’s a message that they’ll actually want to respond to. So I recommend going through and just brushing up on some of those networking Best Practices before you do that.
Well, before we end today, we’d love to get to know you on a little bit more of a personal level. So we’ve got a few fun questions for both of you before we end today. Caroline, I did a little bit of internet sleuthing and figured out that you are based in Charlotte, NC, which is where my my wife’s family is. So I spent a lot of time in Charlotte and so I had to ask you, your favorite Charlotte brewery or restaurant recommendation so that I have a place to go next time I’m in town.
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
34:51
Well, you’ll have to call me next time you’re in town and we will meet you out there! What I love is the brewery scene in Charlotte – all the young professionals, and now their families are all coming out. And so the breweries are just a great meeting place. Again, another point of community for people in Charlotte. So for those of you considering Charlotte, huge plug for the city here.
Town Brewing Company. It is less than a mile away from the Carolina Panthers stadium. And it is a great group of people who own it. They do a lot of things, even when we think about the community and lifting it, you know, they’ve done events for diverse brewers. Right? How can they build that within the community. And so I love supporting not only a place where new we can gather as a community, but also again, hold some of the same values that we do. So town Brewing Company for anyone visiting Charlotte, or in Charlotte.
MC
35:49
I love it. That’s on my list. Thanks, Caroline. I will certainly let you know when when I’m in town. Next. Rizz, I always like asking folks this question. And Caroline, I’ll throw this to you afterwards as well. But I’m just curious, is there one decision you made that changed the entire course of your career for the better? If you could look back and think of a turning point, what was that turning point? And what was the decision you made that kind of set you on the path that you’re on now?
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
36:15
There is actually one thing that really sticks out for me, personally, that really changed my career path. There was a point in my life, probably in my early 20s, where I was sort of wondering, and just really reevaluating my life, my career, everything is recruiting the right area for me, is this what I want to do, am I happy here. And so I just took a step back, and I kind of took a sabbatical. And I didn’t get to take an MBA where most people get their MBA, get to travel a little bit, but I did it in more of my career and professional life.
And I took a step back, and I took a few months off. I re evaluated everything and realize that he don’t want to live to work, I want to work to live. So with that I, you know, took the three months off, you know, we connected with my family, you know, in the Philippines, and just traveled with family and sons came back. And I think that new outlook on life just kind of changed everything, the way I look at things, I think what I put out in the world. And I’m not trying to like, you know, boost Accenture here. But someone called me three weeks later when I came back.
And I mean, honestly, I’ve been with the company for over 10 years now. And it was just a right decision. It worked out for me in every way. personally, professionally. I started Accenture before I was married. And I’m here Accenture, married with two kids. And they think with my work life balance changing, you know, throughout the years, it’s just, it was a big game changer for me. So I think that moment in time in my, in my mid to early 20s was when you know, it definitely changed what I was what I was going for.
MC
38:16
I love that. Caroline, how about you?
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
38:19
Well, there’s quite a few. I mean, as you know, every choice, every crossroads that you’re at shapes the trajectory where you land. And, you know, when I think about is there was a time when I was early in my career again, it was probably a year or two. And then I thought I had come from a bigger city in San Francisco. And I was in Charlotte, which was the smaller young professional area and I thought maybe I’ll go to Boston, and ended up traveling a bit to that area anyway.
But I ended up staying in Charlotte and what that opened the doors to was some work when we think about global experience. It was some work that opened up a really amazing end to end experience to work with from a career perspective. And so one of the things that I learned one of the lessons that I learned from that was to not shut yourself off to opportunities that that you may never have envisioned right, I thought oh, well for sure. I’m gonna make the transfer, go work with some other things because that was on my list of things to do. But someone came to me last minute with the option to work on you know, that one account. And that was an incredible turning point for me just in the next progression the next you know, 10 years of my career at that point.
MC
39:39
Amazing. And then final question for you both and Karolina I’ll start this one with you. And then we’ll end with Rizz. Do you have a favorite holiday tradition?
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
39:47
So being that in the US obviously it’s Thanksgiving in a couple days. Our family tradition has always been to get our entire family together for a big home cooked from scratch meal. So for that Those of you who know me, well, I am more of an efficient cooker, which means that I’ll source you know, meals anyway to get myself and my family fed. But this year, we are actually going to go and try to carry on some of those traditions invite the family into our home. And and so I would say cooking on Thanksgiving is absolutely my favorite.
MC
40:23
I love that. So how about yours?
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
40:26
All right, well, of course, I love being with my family. That’s number one. So that’s that’s like that’s, that’s what we always love to do every year. Christmas is always here. But something that we haven’t been able to do because of COVID. But it is one of my favorite things. And people might find this really corny. But we host an ugly sweater party every year. And we did it before it became really popular – I would like to say that! And we would have prizes like that our very first year that we had it, we had this tree that was too large for our apartment. So we cut the stump of it.
The story of cutting the stump is in itself a tradition, but we cut the stump of it and anyone who won that year we get the stump. So each year we would have to like get the stuff from everyone. And so there’s everyone’s name, the winners of the ugly sweater party was on there. And we would have competitions, just dance competitions. It was just I don’t know, it was something that was a great way to start off the holiday season. So ugly sweater parties just by saying
MC
41:30
That reminds me of a tradition we used to have at MC where the whole team would dress up as ridiculous as possible. The ugly sweaters, the antlers, the lights. We’d go out in public and have dinner and drinks and just sit there and be a spectacle for the whole town. (laughs)
Accenture: Caroline Dudley
41:46
Can’t wait to see pictures of all of you. We’re definitely gonna have to swap some.
MC
41:51
Absolutely. Thank you Caroline, thank you Rizz so much for joining us today, for sharing your honest insights into life at Accenture and if the firm would be a good fit for folks in our community. Have a happy Thanksgiving and look forward to doing this again soon.
Accenture: Rizzalyn Burke
42:07
Yeah, thank you – this was fun!
Conclusion
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