I work at McKinsey as a product manager, helping our clients build the right digital products and experiences. I joined McKinsey after a long stint in industry, and then in the startup world. I started my career in a graduate training program, where I rotated across functions and went through a lot of training; my career at McKinsey feels a bit like that all the time, which is a fantastic way to keep growing professionally.
Welcoming and genuine people
My attraction to McKinsey came down to three things: working with the smartest people, continually working on different and big problems, and working where learning and development are valued.
I expected to work with a few interesting and friendly people, but I thought the majority of McKinsey colleagues would be arrogant and a little robotic—the stereotype I’d picked up in industry. The reality is so very different, it was a shock. Everyone I meet is welcoming and genuinely interested in what I am doing.
An eye-opening experience
Next to the people, working on important projects really resonates with me. For example, I recently served a global payments client to help the client team get comfortable speaking with end users of their service, test concepts with them, and ensure they were building the right things. We visited local neighborhoods and interviewed people who used the services.
It was extremely humbling and eye opening to spend time with these customers, understanding their fears, concerns, wants and needs and realizing we were building something that would truly affect their daily lives.
Outside work
I enjoy spending most of my spare time with my wife, two young children,and our extensive extended family. I grew up in London and now live in Southern California, so we love to take advantage of the outdoors—camping, hiking or heading to a beach for the day. While travelling on client work, I enjoying take time where I can to practice my golfing skills, with clients and colleagues.
About Mehdi
Based in Los Angeles, Mehdi is a McKinsey product manager and consultant. Prior to McKinsey, he served as a product manager at SharpCloud and Thomson Reuters, among others. He holds a master's in computer science, and bachelor's in geology from the University of Bristol.
For more information on McKinsey's tech career paths, visit mckinsey.com/TechCareers.