McKinsey Korea

Why McKinsey

Like any MBA student who is about to graduate, my thoughts started wandering around as I was contemplating what career path I should take. For sure, I wanted to build upon my 7 years of experience in the Korean telecom/IT industry, but I was looking for new challenges as well that could help me grow into a true global business leader.  In other words, I was searching for a place where I could 1) leverage my IT/telecom experience, 2) experience new industry issues, and 3) expand my knowledge beyond Korea and learn more about global businesses and issues they are facing. After much discussion with my MBA classmates coming from diverse backgrounds, McKinsey seemed to be the right choice.

Based upon my experience, I think that one day when I am no longer with the firm and look back at those years, it’s very likely that I would give it credit for offering me a “transformation” opportunity. I feel everyday that the whole experience at McKinsey is helping me putting building blocks in place that will eventually help me grow into a true global business leader.

A place where constant learning takes place

During my early years at McKinsey, I mostly conducted projects with telecom and high-tech clients. Unlike my belief that these areas would be my “comport zone”, the tasks thrown upon me were in fact a series of new challenges that I had never experienced before. Having in-depth technological understanding on most recent IT trends was a must, and I also had to acquire fresh market insight to determine, among many different business ideas, which idea could succeed in the market. Working with McKinsey experts, I formulated new ideas and analyzed industry trends and realized that the whole process of constantly pushing the knowledge frontier is a main driver for the firm in gaining market leading insight. Needless to say that I have learned much through this process and was able to equip myself with in-depth expertise.  

In McKinsey, associates are encouraged to expose themselves to a wide range of different industries and topics especially in their junior years.  This practice encouraged me to try out and experience new areas. Naturally, while conducting diverse projects in the areas of chemical, defense, heavy industry, energy, and public sector, I collaborate with wide range of experts and that network of experts around the globe is growing everyday. The exposure to such diverse resources has certainly helped me to grow into a more well-balanced business problem solver.

True global citizenship

I am a Korean who has scarce global experience before my MBA years. My previous job offered few opportunities to tackle issues that required a global perspective or experience. The biggest distinction about McKinsey is that it provides a truly global play ground. I have experienced typical globalization projects helping Korean clients to make inroads into oversea markets. Nevertheless, I have had plenty of opportunities to see the other side of the coin as well, working with overseas clients trying to strengthen their position in the Asian market.

Needless to say that project experiences from countries such as the United States, Southeast Asia, Oceania, Europe and China have given me tremendous opportunities to tap into McKinsey’s global network and work along colleagues from various cultural background.

Education