Catherine

Junior Associate

What did you do before joining McKinsey?

After completing a postgraduate degree in economics, I worked for two years as an economist in Government. I worked at the Ministry of Economy in Madagascar in the lead up to the 2009 crisis, and the Ministry of Finance of Namibia.

How did you come to apply to McKinsey?

I met a team of consultants working with local health leaders in Namibia to reduce maternal mortality rates. The project seemed interesting and had a big impact on the communities they were serving—and the team was good fun. I began to follow the McKinsey Quarterly, and applied because I liked the breadth and variety of the work McKinsey does.

What made McKinsey seem like a good fit for you?

What helped make up my mind was the people I met and the kind of work they were doing. The variety of their backgrounds—academia, law, medicine, teaching—showed that creativity and analytical skills were the only real prerequisite for joining McKinsey. Their involvement in high profile development work made it seem like an exciting place for a development economist. Several months after joining, I still find that every time the list of projects coming up for staffing is sent out, there is something really interesting to get involved in.

What did you find most challenging about the interview process?

I found the personal impact interviews most challenging. I was expecting to talk about one or two situations in a lot of detail, but one of my interviewers threw me off by flitting from one topic to another every two minutes. My advice is to come into this interview without expecting any prescribed format. While you need to be prepared to describe your past experiences in a lot of detail, it’s more important to be open and candid—so don’t worry too much about ticking boxes.