Accepted ACN Strategy Offer in DC - Any insights into projects, career progression, places to live, etc.?
Hey folks,
I just accepted an offer from ACN to join their FT Analyst Development Program in Washington, D.C. next summer. Looking forward to getting started with open eyes, as I have no unrealistic expectations of anything and fully understand the extent to which I can provide value while also expecting to work more than above average hours (the offer said I'll likely travel 80-100% of the time) doing things that will often not be glamorous to any extent.
I'm primarily just writing here because I was curious about the types of projects the DC/Arlington area office takes on, and what I should take note of before my wife and I move there.
For example, the only other DC-based consulting firms that I interviewed with/received an offer from seemed to be super focused on economics, data-heavy work (not a dealbreaker since my major is Data Analytics), and different elements of working with the gov/consulting on regulatory/legal proceedings. Examples of this include antitrust advisory, investigations/monitorships, e-discovery analysis, dispute advisory, information governance, transactions, strategic comms, and restructuring/turnaround. All interesting to me, but still seem a bit more niche compared to what ACN Strategy would be doing.
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That being said, here are my questions:
- How does being located in DC impact where I go when I travel? Specifically, is there a particular type of project/industry focus that will take a lion's share of a "generalist's" first 12-24 months of work?
- What does "strategy" mean with DC as my home office? Does that strategy umbrella term change when moving from one larger market to the next (e.g. Seattle or Boston vs here)?
- How do local exit opps change based on the market you live in when it comes to technology consulting roles? For example, would I have a better chance at moving to an APM role at a shop like MSFT at their DC office if I have consulting experience within this particular market?
- What's it like flying in/out of DCA? A less relevant question for sure, but I see so many memes that I wondered how accurate they were, haha.
- Also, for those who might have insight--any neighborhoods worth looking into for the move? OTE for this role will be $110-115k to give insight into my budget, and I know the average rent in DC sits just above $2k, so I'm willing to go as high as $3k for the right location. Space is less of a concern for this first move as well; we're mostly focused on location/overall safety since I will likely be out of town often.
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Also, a quick disclaimer: For those wondering why I didn't ask these questions during my interview series--I did. However, my initial offer was for Cincinnati, OH until my wife received an opportunity in DC that essentially got this entire ball rolling. Forever grateful for that, but didn't get any additional info because of how fast they moved on it (only a handful of days between my notice to them and them sending an amended offer for DC).
So, whether you're a consultant in the city, have worked in the city, or are currently at ACN--I would love your input. No answer is a true dealbreaker because I understand how lucky I am to have received this opportunity, but I would really appreciate being able to preemptively dabble here and there (maybe read some case studies and articles, pursue some relevant upskilling, etc.) and to scope neighborhoods/start budgeting early in preparation for this next step.
Thanks in advance!
I never worked in DC, but I did my undergrad there so I know something about the city. I also have friends who are in the DC office at other consulting firms.
1. DC is gonna have relatively more fed and defense cases, but there is definitely other stuff in the area. This might be more of a firm-specific thing, so I can't give you an exact answer to that. Maybe talk to people in your office about this (Note: Accenture has its own separate federal practice, so not sure if the program you are in will do much of that).
2. It honestly depends on the staffing model of your firm. If they do regional staffing, then your location will definitely impact the industries you do
3. I doubt the location really matters, more-so the experiences you have
4. DCA is honestly a solid airport- it is close to the city (unlike EWR/JFK/LGA and NYC), relatively small, and has its own metro stop. I'd avoid traveling out of IAD because it's big and very far out.
5. Where you live should depend primarily on the location of your job. Once you get that, I'd look at the DC metro map and live somewhere along a metro line that your office is at. I did a quick search for you and see that the office (hopefully this is the right one, there are a few Accenture offices in DC) is in downtown DC, right by the Farragut North station (red line) and Farragut west station (blue, orange, gray lines). That's a great location! For places to live, I'd definitely look into Dupont Circle (very nice DC neighborhood with solid nightlife and bars) or Foggy Bottom. Navy Yard is also an up-and-coming area that's very fun, but it might be a more difficult commute because If you want something cheaper and more suburban (and with lower taxes), Arlington, Virginia could be a god play. Courthouse, Clarendon, and Ballston/Virginia Square are all located on the orange/gray metro lines and have some restaurant/bar options. With your income, you can definitely afford a solid 1 bedroom in any of these places since I'm assuming your wife makes money as well. You guys can definitely get something nice for $2,500-$3,000.
Overall, DC is an amazing city, so you should definitely consider spending some time there! I'd take the offer if I was you!
Thanks a lot for taking the time to give these answers!
I'll definitely start reaching out to the folks at my DC office for case/staffing-specific information. Also definitely will be visiting next Spring since she and I both have friends out there. Also considering booking 1 month at an Airbnb before my job actually starts so that we can spend some real time exploring/getting to know public trans/actually walk through some of the spaces we're scoping.
Great to know about DCA as well. My wife and I are shooting for a metro-area spot for our first year there, so that would be super valuable.
Yep, she has an Ops leadership role in tech, and we tend to split the majority of our expenses anyway because we've found that it actually enables us to keep more of our own money for savings/investments and makes taking impromptu trips so much easier.
The thing is she'll be working from home 95% of the time, and the 1BR is tough for us now because she and I both tend to have meetings/lectures all day, and the cross-talk can be absurd at times lol so I end up working/doing schoolwork from my bed. Do you think finding a 2BR at 3.5k - 3.7k would be reasonable for the neighborhoods you mentioned?
Air BNB thing is a great idea- it'll allow you guys to get a feel for the area
And yes you can definitely find a 2 bedroom at that price.
Awesome, that's great to know! Thanks a million for your input.
Haven't worked in DC but have traveled there frequently - DCA is nothing to write home about, but you can definitely do worse. In terms of where to live, can't comment on what is best because I have no idea where Accenture is located, but Dupont Circle and Georgetown are pretty nice. If you are okay to live further out , Bethesda and Chevy Chase are good spots too (more expensive though).
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