Kim
Associate Principal
Why I joined McKinsey
My family is my absolute number one priority, and McKinsey offers me the flexible options I need to make it work.
I was working on my Ph.D. in mechanical engineering when I received an e-mail from McKinsey inviting me to attend an information session. On a whim I decided to go and was thrilled with what I found when I got there. The people were so engaging, and it was a stimulating departure from my solitary research. I feared leaving academics because I loved fiddling around with complicated problems, but it seemed that McKinsey was a place where I could do that and work with interesting and diverse people.
Why I'm still here
I've been around a long time by McKinsey standards, so people often ask me, "What keeps you here?" It's a combination of things, but, most important, McKinsey offers me the opportunity to chart my own course. I've been able to experiment by working in numerous industries with a variety of clients on different topics. This has given me a chance to discover what I get the most excited about. I'm not sure where else I could have this experience.
Finding my passion
People at McKinsey talk a lot about "finding their passion." Yes, it's a lot of hard work most of the time, but I can tell you that when you're fired up and passionate about what you're doing, it feels a lot less like work. And the amazing thing about McKinsey is that for every person you talk to, you hear a different answer to the question "What's your passion?" My answer is that I get a thrill out of helping people reach as high as they can. Whether it's my teammates or my clients, I love helping people overcome their personal and professional challenges.
Family life
I've had three children since I started at McKinsey and have taken almost a full year of maternity leave each time. Many people assume that this must be unmanageable with a McKinsey career, but that’s not so. My family is my absolute number one priority, and McKinsey offers me the flexible options I need to make it work. Client service is project based, so it’s relatively easy to turn off the switch for a few months. McKinsey has put support mechanisms in place to help people transition out and transition back in again. You can also opt to be on a part-time program. I'm on an 80 percent program, which means every weekend is a long weekend with my kids.