The Unexpected Way Sophie Akbasli Found Her Perfect Career Path

As a freshman, Sophie Akbasli was accepted into the nursing program at Florida State University. But she quickly realized nursing wasn’t the career path she wanted to take.

What she also realized was how much she enjoyed working with technology. As the youngest in her family, she was always the go-to person to troubleshoot any piece of tech that wasn’t working the way it should—a role she happily accepted. So, when her family suggested she switch her major to Management Information Systems, she thought it was a great idea. Her new major would let her learn about technology, business, and management, while getting a strong understanding of how the IT industry works. It turned out to be a smart move.

Still, after graduation, she felt stuck. “I didn’t have one specific company I wanted to work for,” she says. “I was watching my friends get jobs and started to feel like I wasn’t qualified for the positions I was applying to.”

Then, Sophie interviewed for a Technology Analyst role with Accenture. Though she was talking to several companies at the time, it was an introduction to a talent acquisition lead that convinced her Accenture was the right company to join. He didn’t just answer all of her questions, he also shared his own experience as a new employee, and offered advice for navigating the company. That ultimately helped Sophie realize that she’d feel at home.

Sophie was hired about two months ago and assigned to her first project a month later—faster than most other people from her training class. Since then, her job has been pretty fast-paced. Her team is implementing a new case management system so state workers can easily access information from many different sources, all in one place. Sophie acts as an accounting liaison, putting coding terms into everyday language and relaying issues from state workers back to Accenture’s developers so the project goes smoothly.

Sophie’s biggest piece of advice for anyone starting their career at Accenture? “There’s a lot to learn, and it’s sometimes hard to believe people when they tell you that you’ll figure it all out,” she says. “In the beginning, there’s a surplus of information and you’re not sure where it all fits in. You may not even be 100 percent clear about everything the company does. But two months into starting my first project, I can honestly say that everything has started to click.”

Her second biggest piece of advice? Get involved with everything. “It sounds simple, but it makes a big difference at a company as big as Accenture,” Sophie says. “For example, I got an email about an office fantasy football team. I’m not good at it fantasy football, but I joined anyway so I could meet more coworkers. To build a successful career here, it helps to be visible. ”

When Sophie thinks about building a career at Accenture, she’s excited about the opportunities she’ll have to figure out what success means to her. “I’m in a position where I can utilize my tech experience without being focused on coding and very technical projects. Accenture is a place where you’re able to build your career without feeling stuck doing something that doesn’t make you happy.”

Ready to start your career at Accenture? They’re hiring now! Head over to WayUp, explore Accenture’s open positions, and apply.