June 2013
After spending the last several months working out of San Francisco, I've now made it official and moved offices. As of April 1, I am now a proud San Francisco office member. It's great because I get to really plug into the local infrastructure and client development and I get to be with my boyfriend, who's in the Bay area as well (AND I get to continue watching beautiful sunsets over Golden Gate bridge). Who wouldn't want to work in sunny California?
I know this is a topic often discussed at recruiting events (definitely the ones I've attended as faculty): How do we work internationally and how do transfers across offices work, etc.? Let me tell you a bit about my experience.
San Francisco sunset
I started planning early, and my first step was working in San Francisco on an "engagement loan" (a transfer of less than six months to work on a specific client engagement). I had a great experience during my engagement loan and built some strong relationships, which solidified my decision to request a permanent (well, as permanent as things are here!) transfer to San Francisco.
Of course it's helpful to have support from both your home office and the "receiving" office, and you should have a valid set of reasons for your transfer--I had both personal and professional reasons for wanting to move and McKinsey was supportive and accommodating!
Look for my update about my new L2 track* the next time around.
—Britta
*
McKinsey helps consultants build deep functional skills through its L2 Program. As part of this program, consultants spend 12 to 24 months deepening their skill base in areas such as operations, marketing or finance, through a combination of client experience, training and mentorship.