Intern Story - Allison Tao

We interviewed Allison and asked her some of the most crucial questions we could think of about her Accenture interview process!

Landing the Internship

When did you start applying for summer 2025 internships, and how many total applications did you submit before you landed the Accenture offer?

I initially began applying for Winter 2025 internships in September 2024. While searching, I came across the Accenture Summer 2025 internship posting in November. In total, I submitted around 250 applications across both Winter and Summer terms before receiving the offer from Accenture!

Was your application to Accenture a cold apply, or did you take any steps beforehand to increase your visibility to the recruiter or team?

It was a cold apply. I didn’t have any prior connections at Accenture and didn’t reach out to the team beforehand so I just submitted my application through the portal and hoped for the best.

Did you do any networking to support your application to Accenture? If yes, could you walk us through how you reached out — what you said, who you messaged, and how you followed up?

I didn’t do any networking before submitting my application. However, after my screening interview, I was contacted by an Accenture employee who offered to chat. We had a really insightful conversation where I asked about the company culture, what to expect in the next interview rounds, and what qualities or experiences to emphasize. I also asked about her experience at Accenture and what she enjoyed most about working there, including the types of projects she’s been involved in. It was incredibly helpful in guiding how I approached the later stages of the process.

Resume + Application Strategy

How did you get feedback on your resume before applying? Did you ask peers, use tools, or book time with career advisors?

I mainly asked peers and friends who had internship experience to review my resume or share theirs with me for reference. I also used AI tools to help rephrase bullet points for clarity, impact, and to tailor them more closely to each role I was applying for.

Attending conferences, networking sessions, and career panels was also super helpful. Industry professionals often shared what they look for in candidates and how they refined their own resumes to land internships. Hearing their insights gave me a clearer direction on how to improve mine.

How often did you tailor your resume for each role, and what specific parts did you usually update when applying to business/tech hybrid internships?

I had a few different versions of my resume tailored to broad categories like software development, product management, and tech consulting. Each version was slightly more general to suit the typical expectations of that role type.

When applying, I usually updated the skills section and swapped out projects depending on the role. For example, for software roles, I highlighted hackathon projects involving web applications. But for data or tech consulting roles, I would often replace one of those with my SAP x WiDS data case competition project, since it better showcased analytical thinking and business relevance.

Accenture Interview Process

Can you walk us through the full interview process for the Technology Summer Analyst role at Accenture — from application to offer?

The first step was submitting my application through Accenture’s website. About a month and a half later, I received an invitation for a 30-minute phone screen interview. Then, about a month after that, I was invited to the second round, which consisted of two back-to-back one-hour interviews. One interview focused on technical and scenario-based questions, while the other centred on behavioural and situational questions. A week after completing those interviews, I received the offer.

How many rounds were there, and what types of questions were you asked in each round?

There were two rounds in total. The first was a 30-minute screening interview where I was asked general questions like why I wanted to work at Accenture, what makes me a good fit for the role, and questions about my resume. The interviewer also provided more context about the company and the position.

The second round consisted of two back-to-back interviews. The first focused on scenario-based and technical questions – things like how I would approach solving a problem with a client or explaining a technical concept. The second was more behavioural, with questions about how I work in teams, deal with challenges, and demonstrate leadership.

Did they focus more on technical, behavioural, or case-style questions during your interviews? Any examples you remember?

For behavioural questions, they asked more team-based questions like how I would handle conflicting ideas within a team, how I adapt when something doesn’t go as planned, and how I approach collaboration.

The technical portion focused mainly on definitions and Java fundamentals, including questions about object-oriented programming, inheritance, polymorphism, and the software development life cycle.

For scenario-based questions, I was asked how I would communicate with my team about a project related to building something for a water charity and accessibility. Building on this question, they also presented situations like what I’d do if a client wasn’t satisfied with my proposed solution, and whether I would approach conversations differently with teammates versus clients, and why.

What kinds of business or tech skills did they seem to value most during the interview process?

They seemed to value strong communication and collaboration skills, especially the ability to explain technical ideas clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences. On the business side, they emphasized adaptability, client empathy, and problem-solving in ambiguous situations.

Technically, they looked for a solid understanding of foundational concepts like object-oriented programming, but it was more important to show that I could think logically, approach problems methodically, and work well with others in a team or client-facing setting.

How did you prepare for the Accenture interviews, and what would you recommend to students targeting similar roles?

For the screening interview, I focused on knowing my resume and experiences inside out, making sure I could clearly explain how my background aligned with the role and how it connected to Accenture’s values and work. I also spent time researching the company and the position so I could tailor my responses and show genuine interest.

For the second-round interviews, the main thing I did was I used AI to generate a long list of possible questions based on the role description and interview format. I practiced answering them out loud to improve my delivery and make sure my answers were clear and relevant. Even if those exact questions didn’t come up, it helped calm my nerves and build confidence. I also talked to the mentor at Accenture who reached out to me and asked questions about the interview process, what to emphasize, and what to expect, which gave me really helpful insight going in.

For anyone targeting similar roles, I’d recommend being very comfortable with your past experiences, tailoring your stories to the company’s values, and practicing aloud to develop a smooth and structured way of answering. If you can, talk to someone at the company, it really helps.

Standing Out

You’ve worked in a range of roles — from IT support at UBC to web development and tutoring. Which of those experiences do you think helped you stand out the most in your Accenture application?

To get the initial screening, my web development experience, along with my hackathon projects, definitely helped me stand out. They demonstrated my technical capabilities and genuine interest in technology-focused work.

However, once I started my IT support role at UBC in January, that experience became very valuable during the interview stage. I referred to it often to answer questions, especially in areas like process automation, working with enterprise tools like SharePoint, and supporting internal teams. It also highlighted my ability to communicate with different stakeholders, troubleshoot under pressure, and document processes clearly, which are all skills that align closely with what Accenture values.

Did you reference your SAP x WiDS Data Case Competition experience at all during the process? How did you frame that win when talking about your skillset?

Yes, I used my SAP x WiDS Data Case Competition project as an example when they asked me to walk through a project I’ve worked on. I framed it as a great example of how I approach problem-solving with data and collaborate under time pressure. I highlighted how my team analyzed customer churn using Python and machine learning, and how we translated those insights into actionable business recommendations. I also emphasized the communication aspect, presenting our findings to a large audience, which showed my ability to bridge technical work with real-world business value.

Compensation Transparency (Optional)

Totally optional — would you feel comfortable sharing a general compensation range for your Accenture internship? Even just a rough range can help other students know what to expect in similar tech/business roles.

For my Accenture internship, the compensation is $28 an hour.

Advice for Other Students

What advice would you give to students trying to break into consulting/tech hybrid internships like Accenture’s Technology Summer Analyst role?

Definitely attend events like networking conferences, hackathons, and case competitions hosted by campus clubs. These experiences were referred to consistently throughout my interviews. Even if something like a hackathon seems geared toward software developers, you can still draw out transferable skills, like problem-solving, collaboration, and adaptability, which applies directly to roles in tech consulting or product management.

These events also give you the chance to learn about different roles, hear from people who were in your shoes, and start figuring out what path might be a good fit for you. Plus, they help you build skills outside of the classroom and gain experience talking about your work, which is super useful during interviews.

Any underrated moves or mindset shifts that helped you gain traction in your internship search?

An underrated mindset shift for me was realizing that I didn’t need to have a “perfect” background to go for roles like Accenture’s. Since I had no previous internship experience, I focused on how to position my existing experiences (like hackathons, case competitions, and club involvement) in a way that aligned with what the role was looking for.

I also approached interviews with the mindset that each one was practice. That helped take the pressure off and allowed me to focus on improving my delivery, learning from the process, and building confidence over time.