Why do people say....

[M_B]

I think there's a perception amongst permies that you must be good if you've worked for one of the big consultancies. I've got 5 years of IBM on my CV, most permies are quite impressed by it, whereas contractors just laugh at me.

Yes, I've worked for both IBM and Accenture and receive much the same response. To be fair to IBM though, in my experience they are in a different league to Accenture and IBM labs have some very good techies.

[Xenophon]

What DiscoStu Said

I've worked for Accenture. The hiring policy seemed to be based largely on how attractive you are, so I was in.

[norrahe]

I've had the unfortunatcy to work with a lot of accenture peeps. I can't for the life of me understand how these people progressed in their careers.

A lot of them were hired by an insurance co I contracted for, one of them told me that they didn't need any insurance experience to work in the Lloyd's market!!!!!

I had to laugh when I got a panicked phone call one day to ask if I could go through certain insurance procedures and explain terminology before a client meeting.

[Board Game Geek]

IMHO, it's as someone else posted, "perception".

I'd include "confidence" in that as well.

When you are the CIO of a global bank, who is going to talk the same talk as you ?

a) Fred and his head programmer from the local computer company down the road, who arrive in a second hand Ford Ka. At least , they made the effort to wear Chino's and Ralph Lauren polo necked sweaters.

b) Big CONsultancy boss and a CIO and some eyecandy, who arrive in their DB9, all wearing expensive Armani suits and talk the talk.

Technically, the team at a) can do a better job, but it's b) that will get the gig.

Perception and Confidence....

(or "Do you wear expensive clothes and talk BS)

[Mich the Tester]

I never worked for one of the big insultancies, but a long time ago, when I was young and desperate, I applied in the graduate intake at Andersen Consulting (now accidenture). I fell asleep during a presentation about p/e ratios and leveraging and snore...zzz... Sorry but I really think there are better things that 22 year olds can do with their lives.

Last time I worked with some people from Accidenture I found myself surrounded by posters of Tiger Woods with the slogan 'Go on, be a Tiger!' I'm not a big fan of motivational posters and I can't stand golf, and I just think the whole thing of arriving before the boss and leaving after him for a pittance of a salary, a company Polo and the one in a thousand chance of becoming a 'partner' is a complete waste of one's life.

[tay]

Last time I worked with some people from Accidenture I found myself surrounded by posters of Tiger Woods with the slogan 'Go on, be a Tiger!'

[norrahe]

Last time I worked with some people from Accidenture I found myself surrounded by posters of Tiger Woods with the slogan 'Go on, be a Tiger!' I'm not a big fan of motivational posters and I can't stand golf, and I just think the whole thing of arriving before the boss and leaving after him for a pittance of a salary, a company Polo and the one in a thousand chance of becoming a 'partner' is a complete waste of one's life.

These are the motivational posters all contractors should have in their offices

http://despair.com/viewall.html

[EternalOptimist]

These are the motivational posters all contractors should have in their offices

http://despair.com/viewall.html

The only thing on the wall around here is a Monet.
It works for me because every time i get fed up up I look at it and say to myself, 'calm down, think about the Monet'

[Mich the Tester]

These are the motivational posters all contractors should have in their offices

http://despair.com/viewall.html

Brilliant

[NotAllThere]

I only work for end-clients, never consultancies. The issue is: if I work for a consultancy, then I've to keep the consultancy happy - not the end clients. It's not a conflict of interest I'm happy with.

I've worked many times with consultancies, and the clients have generally appreciated my ability to let them know when the consultants are bull-tulipping - which is mostly when their lips move. I was once taken on specifically to act as a foil between consultancy and client. Client didn't have the knowledge to gain-say the consultancy. But I did.