Wtf am I doing in Accenture Technology with a degree in Economics ?
I applied to a Consulting job at Accenture and they wanted to put me in Technology. WTF ? Why did they do that ? I didn't study computer engineering, I studied Economics/Finance ffs...
No, it's not dumb at all. I think you lack seasoning in real world work environments. Just because someone's undergrad degree doesn't match the name of the department doesn't mean that they won't work there or that they won't do a good job. That happens ALL the time in the business world.
Your major was economics. Did you really think all those critical thinking skills that you have from your study, especially compared to more centered majors like accounting or biz admin, weren't going to be valuable marketable skills you can apply to many roles and careers?
Just like GoingToBeAnMD stated, they need your skillset for a particular role. That's what a business's concern is. With the exception of smaller tech start-ups you generally cannot have them re-cater the position.
Be appreciative you got an offer at a prestigious company with a myriad of career opportunities in general that wants you.
Fwiw, I know a few guys in tech consulting. One works for Deloitte, the other for Accenture in their federal practice in DC.
The one at Deloitte has a very cushy lifestyle. He didn't break six figures out of undergrad, but gets paid well to do a lot of work from home (and chill a good amount while at home).
The one at Accenture says that it is a very lucrative space. He apparently knows people that are landing potentially millions in comp for delivering tech solutions to dinosaur government agencies. He's in his late 20's, but not bad.
Tech Consulting work is monkey work. You'll learn how to implement a large software product, over and over and over again.
Nobody is landing millions of dollars in technology consulting in their late 20's.
Generally I agree with you, from what I have observed secondhand.
Then again, by your logic most "product" work is monkey work. There are many millionaries at banks and law firms getting paid beaucoup bucks to execute the same transaction over and over again without much substantive variation between the projects - and even when that variation takes place, there's nothing about it that's reinventing the wheel. The paradox of high-caliber white collar work is that while the client is paying top dollar for brains that can handle the unexpected, they are also paying top dollar for a shop that can mitigate the unexpected almost to the point of non-existence. And so millions are made off of work that isn't especially unique/bespoke in the grand scheme of things.
I think you might be underestimating our government's largess as it applies to "consulting" work. But I admit this is all hearsay.
I agree with everything written in your second paragraph.
That said, the knowledge gleaned from working in technology consulting is extremely proprietary when compared to banking / consulting which is vastly more applicable beyond the banking / consulting stint.
A quick example, SAP Implementations. You're going to learn how to do enterprise-grade ETL in order to connect all disparate data sources to SAP software. The business side would consist of functional and non-functional requirements for data flows. And for about your first four years, that's your basic function. Your transferable skill set is ETL + requirements gathering which definitely pays the bills, but your quite pigeonholed. That skill set doesn't transfer to software development, enterprise architecture or product management.
The skill-set obtained in banking / management consulting is, foundationally, general enough to pursue any avenue of business you'd like to venture into.
I promise you I'm not underestimating the pay. Deloitte's track looks like: 1. BTA = 2 years exp 2. Consultant = 4 years exp 3. Sr. Consultant = 6 years exp 4. Manager = 9 years exp
https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Deloitte-Manager-Salaries-E2763_D_KO9,…
I'm sure there's accurate accounts of Tech Consulting pay on WSO somewhere.
to OP - pretty arrogant perspective on your job offer. Most of my value-add professional experience has come from placements based on business need, rather than where (I thought based on limited insight) I wanted to be.
Breadth of technical expertise is gained by working closer to operational businesses. Breadth will make you a valuable tool to transfer skills and contextual familiarity with different industries. And if you perform well in an area where the business clearly has a need, you will likely stand out.
From my own experience as a financial analyst supporting cybersecurity, ERP, and software engineering organizations, I can tell you that the demand for technology consulting is in critical demand, and much of the consulting work is based around Change Management.
I can also tell you that through my experience supporting these organizations, with just a Finance undergrad degree, I have learned about firewalls, network and identity access security, cyberthreat analysis & response, ERP platforms, software licensing, software project methodology, etc. I have also been introduced to cloud computing and data science - all things which would benefit anyone entering the workforce these days, as virtually all industries and functions will leverage these technologies.
The underlying principles for consulting are fairly transitive regardless of technical specifics. If you are afraid of being placed in Tech vs. general business consulting, I think it shows a lack of (or fear of a lack of) aptitude to learn cross-functional skills.