Careers

Crash Course in Consulting

I was at university studying economics at undergrad level. McKinsey offered a two-day introduction to management consulting, and I decided to attend. On the first day, the group of consultants who hosted the seminar explained what management consulting is about, and gave us training in presentation skills, telling a story, and the “soft skills.” The second day we walked through a case study, learning how McKinsey structures problems, how to interview people, and how to put recommendations together. It was kind of a crash course to consultancy. I definitely considered consulting an option after that.

Learning on the Ground

When I joined McKinsey, I went through a range of initial trainings to prepare me for my first client study, including BCR training (Basic Consulting Readiness). I had a great mentor for my first study, who looked out for me and coached me. We also have business analyst Fridays, where we can attend training sessions, ask questions, and get more “off-the-cuff” secrets to the job. I found going from the first study to the second a big step up—on the second, I was a consultant in my own right. It is incredible how quickly I have been and am learning.

Up to the Challenge

During my interviews I met consultants who were very driven and motivated, but I didn’t realize at the time that this spirit runs through the whole of McKinsey.  Everyone is up to the challenge of what they’re doing.  From assistants who help with our schedules to our research and information group or teams in India who help with our slides overnight – the whole body of McKinsey is driven to this delivery of impact.

Memorable Moments

My second study was working for a small retail bank. The executive committee wasn’t working well together—they all had ideas, but the right and left hands weren’t talking. One executive struggled with his level of motivation and acceptance for change.  It took a lot of work with him to make him believe his product could be a success, but at the end of the study I went to a meeting with him and his team and watched him talk passionately about how great the product would be and how things would change in the future. Seeing him and his company go through this personal journey was very satisfying.

Spice of Life

I’ve done studies in retail banking but also in global health care. I did a study for the World Economic Forum, to be presented at Davos, looking at health care solutions and how heathcare can delivered at a lower cost and to more people. Four months into my time as a business analyst, it was great to get involved in this kind of study and to get exposure to the whole Firm. I’ve had opportunities across different regions – interacting with colleagues from 20 to 30 different countries—and I’ve gone to New York and spent 3 weeks in Tokyo. The roles I’ve played include everything from heavy analytical work to building client relationships to doing case studies. No one day is the same, and no role that I take on is the same. That’s what keeps me excited.

Offices

Education