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McKinsey West Coast

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Life as a consultant on the West Coast

Office culture

Within the office, there is a strong drive to share and connect across multiple interests and ideas. We host a variety of professional and social events to foster personal connections, such as ‘journeyline’ stories depicting partners’ personal and professional paths to success, women’s Lean In circles, client guest speakers, and the biennial West Coast office retreat. Most recently our 2013 “Best of the West” initiative pitted our four locations against each other in a friendly fitness competition, in which over half of the office participated.

Outside of the office, we connect meaningfully with the communities in which we live. Over half of our partners are significantly involved or serve on at least one nonprofit board, and the office supports organizations ranging from the United Way to the Shoah Foundation and the Seattle Symphony. We also organize regular group outings such as ski trips to Tahoe, hikes on Mt. Rainier, and surfing excursions in Malibu, which our significant others and families also get to enjoy.

To help our consultants maintain a work-life balance and cultivate their interests, we actively encourage participation in flexibility programs such as “Take Time,” which allows consultants an extra one or two months off each year to pursue a non-work passion. Since its inception, the West Coast has seen the highest uptake of this program across North America.

Learn more about our “Take Time” program on Global Careers.

Our people


Learn more about life on the West Coast from the people who bring far-ranging expertise, backgrounds, and personalities to all four locations. Watching their videos and reading their personal stories will provide valuable insights into what it means to work here.

  • carissa

    Carissa

    Associate
    MBA, Wharton

    “The community here is tight-knit. We’re not just colleagues; we’re friends and we’re genuinely interested in each other’s lives outside of the office.”more

  • jason

    Jason

    Engagement manager
    MBA, Stanford GSB

    “McKinsey is all about putting you in situations where you step up, you lead, and you become a real contributor on a team.”more

  • lisa

    Lisa

    Business analyst
    BS, MIT

    “Being a business analyst on the West Coast is nothing like I expected, in the best way possible.”more

  • margarita

    Margarita

    Associate principal
    PhD, UC Berkeley

    “What you think you can’t accomplish, you can actually accomplish and get to it very quickly at McKinsey.”more

  • matt

    Matt

    Associate principal
    MD/MBA, UCLA

    “I love working on the West Coast. We have incredible consultants who love serving clients, helping people, and working with others to do amazing things.”more

  • michael

    Michael

    Business analyst
    BS, Harvard

    “McKinsey’s West Coast office is committed to taking risks and exploring new ideas.”more

  • nakul

    Nakul

    Engagement manager
    MBA, Stanford GSB

    “The emphasis that McKinsey places on mentorship and people development really drew me to the firm.”more

  • sean

    Sean

    Associate
    MBA, Kellogg

    “McKinsey has a network of mentors to help me develop the story of who I am, and who I am to become.”more

On our global Careers site

Career pathways
Create your path
Shaping your own possibilities and creating your own pathmore

Mona
Entrepreneurship valued
McKinsey values—and encourages—people’s entrepreneurial instincts.more