Pros
The projects and roles are second to none. I worked on some really interesting projects and with some really smart people. Mot projects are with Accenture so you do end up working on a large team in a remote location but lots of socialising and networking.
Cons
I think the Cons far outweigh Pros when it comes to Avanade. So much so that you will find that around 65% of the staff leave within two years. Work life balance - Kiss this good bye. There is none and there isnt any effort from the management to make this better In some Accenture projects you will end up working 16 hour days just to ensure the project is on track. Most often they end up sending you to some remote location and motorway driving and restaurant eating becomes norm. Networking- You will rarely meet your fellow colleagues. You will probably make good friends with Accenture emloyees than your own company. There are a few scattered Company events but even these are being stopped to save costs. I once worked on a project for 2 years and in that time I rarely saw any Avanade collegues. Politics - Avanade UK is extremely political. The extent of this made me throw up sometimes. Your achievements on a project counts for nothing. What counts for is how much you have networked with your "Career Manager". For this to happen, you need to master the art of praising your manager. Its how much you butter him up that matters in the end if you get promoted. It is a very nasty policy and I have seen many great people leave due to this. If your career manager himself is angling for a promotion then God help you. Most time the career manager himself is in a very busy project and rarely contacts you in the entire year. Complete shambles. Perks - You get a 2K gadget allowance but really I would rather they scrap this and give cash with salary. You can buy a limited set of gadgets with this money and its taxed in the same way as salary at the same top rate including NI. There is absolutely no need for this allowance and once again shows the shambles that is the HR department who do not know what they are doing. Pensions is in line with industry but bonus is a sick joke. It really is. Sorry I did say, Cons were more than Pros, I can actually go on forever but then I do not want to give an impression that Avanade is a slave shop, ooops.
