CFM (Client Financial Management) at Accenture
Dear WSO,
Long story short:
Undergrad degree from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School with with +- 3.0 GPA. (Biggest mistake of my life, the school was basically a scam).
After 6 months of unemployment, I have gotten a Client Financial Management position at Accenture (offshore center: Czech (Prague), India, Philippines).
Want to either make an internal transition to ACN System Integration and Management Consulting or get into top 20 MBA to rebrand myself then get into ACN strategy or MBB.
What are my chances? Should I do my best or should I just give it all up?
Also, do never join JHU Carey programs, biggest scams since Strayer U. Wish I could get my 40k/year USD back.
Accenture Client Financial Management Analyst
User @FinanceHardo45
I worked in the Accenture CFM group for 2 years before transferring into Accenture's Management Consulting group.
The CFM group will build your skills in financial analysis, reporting, PMO, etc. but is certainly not meant to be a feeder into Management Consulting. I know that doesn't make sense, as I just told you that I did exactly that, but I knew a MD at the firm who had to pull some strings just for HR to even consider looking at my resume for MC. It is not impossible to do, but I know other colleagues that have been trying to leave CFM for MC for over a year and gained absolutely zero traction no matter what channel they try - so I wouldn't bank on it being an easy 'apply and interview' situation.
As for what you should do, it is tough to say. Accenture is a great company, and I gained a lot of great experience in the CFM group right out of college, so taking the position and getting a few years of Financial analysis experience at a good company under your belt wouldn't hurt. If you are 100% set on consulting and only consulting, I would recommend applying for other firms MC programs, or trying to go grad school first.
I worked in the Accenture CFM group for 2 years before transferring into Accenture's Management Consulting group.
The CFM group will build your skills in financial analysis, reporting, PMO, etc. but is certainly not meant to be a feeder into Management Consulting. I know that doesn't make sense, as I just told you that I did exactly that, but I knew a MD at the firm who had to pull some strings just for HR to even consider looking at my resume for MC. It is not impossible to do, but I know other colleagues that have been trying to leave CFM for MC for over a year and gained absolutely zero traction no matter what channel they try - so I wouldn't bank on it being an easy 'apply and interview' situation.
As for what you should do, it is tough to say. Accenture is a great company, and I gained a lot of great experience in the CFM group right out of college, so taking the position and getting a few years of Financial analysis experience at a good company under your belt wouldn't hurt. If you are 100% set on consulting and only consulting, I would recommend applying for other firms MC programs, or trying to go grad school first.
Hope this is helpful.
Thanks for your response.
What was your story before joining the Accenture CFM group? I had a co-worker, who succeeded transferring to the Accenture SI group and it took him one year. How did you leverage yourself with the CFM work experience?
I do enjoy the CFM work itself, but I know that the opportunities are not good enough. I have several friends who are still working as CFM analyst for over 5 years, since the promotions are very rare.
Do you also know how the top 25 MBA view CFMs at Accenture?
Thanks for your response.
What was your story before joining the Accenture CFM group? I had a co-worker, who succeeded transferring to the Accenture SI group and it took him one year. How did you leverage yourself with the CFM work experience?
I do enjoy the CFM work itself, but I know that the opportunities are not good enough. I have several friends who are still working as CFM analyst for over 5 years, since the promotions are very rare.
Do you also know how the top 25 MBA view CFMs at Accenture?
I took the Accenture CFM job out of college (Finance and Econ - 3.3 GPA @ University of Delaware).
Not sure how 25 MBA views ACN CFMs unfortunately.
Thanks! I wanted to to send your a PM, but WSO requires me to get those 10 bananas.
Thanks! I wanted to to send your a PM, but WSO requires me to get those 10 bananas.
why does business administration (or anything similar, e.g. management science) appeal to so stupid students? (Originally Posted: 02/14/2013)
I do not intend to insult anyone who studies or studied a business-related mayor, but I made an observation. Those at my high school who had quite low GPAs, were terribly bad at math, had no idea on business or the economy whatsoever went on to study business administration. The intelligent graduates from my high school mostly went into mathematics, computer science, natural sciences (physics, chemistry, biochemistry etc.), medicine, engineering, some economics (not to confuse with business!!!!!!!). Why on earth feel the most stupid people often attracted to business studies?? I'm not saying that everyone who chooses business administration is dumb, but obviously a big fraction.
It's a shame that windows are now sealed, mostly to prevent jumpers.
I could still push you down an open elevator shaft though.
Cherio
I think it depends on the school you're talking about. My university had a capped number of students allowed into the commerce program, as a result, the year I got accepted to business, I needed a minimum GPA of 3.8 out of high school. By comparision, I think engineering required ~3.6 - 3.7. We had a great graduating class. That said, we used to party with other universities that had a 2.0 minimum GPA to get in, so maybe my school was the outlier rather than the norm.
I think most mayors have to relate to businesses in one way or another.
maybe, but consider this: An engineer can do the work of an engineer and the work of a business major. (take CEOs of maor industrial corporations as an example, who studied engineering but now manage fortune 500 companies). a business major, however, cannot do the work of an engineer. he cannot suddenly, say, design an engine. so who is superior? I dont mean to sound condescending, it is simply a logical conclusion im drawing.
very eloquent reply...not. it is simply an observation I made. there are studies which even show that business majors have lower IQs than most other majors on average. (and before you genius answer "hey, but I'm a business major and I'm smart", average doesn't mean everyone studying that is dumb. just obviously a large fraction)
Science and engineering require a certain level of "book smart" skills that correlate with a high GPA, that said, business schools have lower GPA requirements to get in, but being successful in the business world is not only about your GPA. Successful analysts understand the material taught in school, their firm, their industry, are up to date on current events that affect them, and have technical and social skills. The fact that you think that a person's GPA=intelligence is flawed.
I've seen engineers, mathematicians, and med students go back to school to study business. The fact that you have a math degree and decide to go into finance might limit your understanding of finance.
I did not say GPA equals intelligence.
and as for your last part, having a math degree does not limit your understanding of finance. on the contrary, finance is becoming more and more quantitative, so even more math is needed to understand it.
You are comparing people with low GPAs vs intelligent people, which implies that the intelligent people had good GPAs, and that the people with the low GPAs are not as intelligent. So yes, you did say that GPA equals intelligence.
Finance is becoming more quantitative, sure, but just taking your math classes without any business classes would not make you successful. If you really think finance is just about numbers, then you are just wrong.
business school sometimes have high gpa standards not because it is so difficult, but because there are so many applicants. there is no need for many engineering schools to require overly high gpas, since the number of applicants is generally smaller
If i didn't get accepted to my business undergrad program, I probably would have gotten into engineering, then done an MBA. That's actually a pretty leathal combination, MBA, P.Eng, or LLB, MBA. Combination of technical skills plus the qualitative MBA crap.
Marketing and management are both fairly easy majors. Finance and accounting are going to see more intelligent people.
I agree with that. I mean, accounting and finance still are not as hard as math and physics, but definitely harder than, say, marketing.
finance can even become quite quantitative at a high level, so maybe finance is kind of an exception.
You probably came from a not so bright high school and those people you are talking about are going to not so good business schools
actually I graduated from a top all-day college-prep school, but whatever.
jimmies have received the greatest rustling of our time
Majoring in business, specifically finance or economics, gives you a broader understanding of the markets rather than a more quantitative understanding from an engineering, CS, or math degree. It's apples to oranges, really depends on your career goals and what you prefer. I'm admittedly not the smartest guy in the room, and I don't care to be a quant. As long as I have the soft skills and broad market knowledge I'll do just fine in my chosen career.
but economics and business admin (or business studies, call it what you like) are not the same. people always confuse those two
I wonder if these "dumb" kids also don't capitalize their sentences or use punctuation marks.
UK2013 = Candidate for troll of the month
Sigh. A teenage college kid coming to WSO to tell us how the world actually works. Something new and different.
all I did was posting an observation I made. I did not explain how the world works. I simply told you what I experienced. Highly intelligent students with high GPAs (and again, this does not mean that GPA implies intelligence, I just said intelligent and high GPA) heading for college to study math, physics, comp science, chem, engineering, medicine, econ, and less bright students with additionally low GPAs heading for college to study business admin, management, marketing etc.
I'm not explaining anything, it is just an observation I made. if you cannot tell the difference between an explanation and an observation, you really lack of intelligence...
Someone sounds like an unemployed hard science grad
^^ Haha. Love that.
This is a stupid fucking argument. Who gives a shit what people are "generally" smarter in? That doesn't have shit to do with anything. Yes, people who aren't necessarily as smart often go for business degrees. THAT is a smart move for them. It doesn't matter that they can't handle stochastic calculus.
Also, just because you got a degree in a "smart" subject doesn't mean you're smarter than a business major. There are plenty of highly intelligent people who get business degrees. And, on top of this, nobody gives a shit what your IQ is. They care about how vast and/or detailed your knowledge base is and how you can apply that to real world situations.
UK2013, you have presented your argument, but WSO has replied with an emphatic GTFO!
Cheers mate!
AND, on top of everything I already said, very few people who go to college could be considered "dumb". Less intelligent than the very intelligent people at the top of their classes? Yes, but the vast majority of people in college have AT LEAST an average IQ, and most are at least above average in intelligence.
NOTE: This is for 4-year, non-profit, universities, for-profits and junior colleges don't count.
Op is correct stop hating on the poor guy. You don't need to be a genius to succeed, but most of management and marketing 3.0 majors aren't even street smart lol
DM you have a good point, dumb is a very relative word, is the marketing guy dumb compared to Jo schmo? No not Rly. Is he dumb next to the guy at KKR? Yes
Who gives a shit?
I KNOW!!! What is "nobody", Alex?
Coming from a business major...While the kid clearly lacks the "soft" skills to explain his point. (Oddly enough the exact skills a business major would have given him) Does no one think this may be the case simply because the world needs more middle-management than they do stupid engineers? Every mom and pop shop could benefit from some business education, wtf are they gonna do with an engineering degree
This is true. As far as mom and pop shops go, they're better off educating themselves using the internet than wasting their money on a college degree.
perhaps find a job?
Op is clearly looking for a confidence boost.....
So go s a bag of ds
another observation I made during college: math or engineering students who took finance classes scored on average better on the finance exams than those who took the same class and were actually finance majors.
go for that
I really don't think that's the case. I know many smart people that went into business that were smart and capable of any technical major. I think that kids that do business administration want to have a more social life and party more not that they are stupid. Are they challenging themselves ? No. Are they stupid? Not necessarily.
maybe. your point on more partying is a good one.
finally someone who can express his opinion without insulting or drawing an incoherent conclusion. thanks
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