Q&A with Matthew
Matthew is one of many who joined McKinsey after a hopscotch career path. He took his undergraduate degree in metallurgical engineering to a job at an inner-city high school, teaching math and science. From there he got a law degree and practiced corporate law for 5 years before deciding to join McKinsey.
Interviewer: I hear you found law fundamentally unsatisfying. Why?
Matthew: As a corporate attorney, I had a first-hand view of major corporate transactions, but found myself yearning to get closer to the crux of the decision-making process.
Interviewer: Some lawyers turn to writing novels. What made you look at McKinsey?
Matthew: I've always been excited by opportunities to challenge myself with the unfamiliar. As I dug deeper into what it’s like to work at McKinsey, there was no question in my mind that I would get amazing business training here. Plus, I’d have a unique opportunity to have meaningful impact on an exceptionally broad range of topics spanning every major global industry and function.
Interviewer: In some ways McKinsey brought together the most exciting aspects of everything you did before.
Matthew: So true. McKinsey offered the structured problem solving of engineering, the meaningful and positive impact I had felt as a teacher, and the exposure to the leading organizations and people I had worked with as an attorney.
Interviewer: You didn’t have a traditional—or even a nontraditional—business background. Was it a rocky transition?
Matthew: I am amazed by the amount of time and resources McKinsey invests in the personal and professional development of all of us. For me, it began with a 3-week mini-MBA program, which was a great introduction to the range of personalities you can find here. In the same program with me as fellow students were an economist from DC, a theoretical physicist from Hamburg, and a theater director from Zimbabwe. It was an unforgettable experience and I remain close friends with many of the colleagues I met there.
Interviewer: Can you ransack your personal collection of adjectives and come up with three that describe McKinsey?
Matthew: Inspiring, challenging, and supportive.
Interviewer: Life is a mixture of the expected and the unexpected. How does that apply to your experience at McKinsey?
Matthew: I expected to be surrounded by an incredibly diverse, accomplished group of peers. But I never anticipated the sense of community I’ve felt in the Toronto office and everywhere at McKinsey. It’s a remarkably supportive environment, and everyone is invested in each other’s success. I have truly never seen anything like it.
Interviewer: And then you had an accident...
Matthew: I was having a great time at a ski weekend that had been organized for first-year associates and business analysts until I took a horrible spill and ended up in the local clinic, unable to walk, with a broken leg. Since that moment, the amount of support I’ve received has been incredible. From the new friends who helped me to the airport and back home to Toronto, to the care that the office took to help me find suitable staffing opportunities, McKinsey was there for me at every step of my recovery.
Interviewer: What five items mean the most to you and why?
Matthew:
- The first two are my wedding ring—and my wife! In the 10 years since we met in law school, my wife has become the most essential source of joy and inspiration in my life.
- Passport—Like many of my colleagues, one of my passions is to travel and experience different cultures and geographies around the world. Indeed, one of the things that excited me most about my future at McKinsey is the opportunity to take advantage of the global mobility options it affords.
- Golf clubs—Watching and playing golf with my father has been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember. It is a passion I now share with many close friends and family.
- The dining-room table—From family dinners growing up, to the dinner parties my wife and I love to host, almost all of the most memorable, inspiring, and hilarious conversations I can remember have occurred right here.
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