McKinsey & Company - Australia and New Zealand office - Careers



Why McKinsey? Read answer » What do McKinsey consultants do, and how will you help me along the way? What do you do as a McKinsey consultant? Read answer » What is the typical career path for a consultant at McKinsey? Read answer » What training and development will I receive? Read answer » What flexibility does McKinsey offer? Read answer » What role do business analysts and associates typically play on teams? Read answer » Will I really get exposure to senior client executives at an early stage? Read answer » Will I get opportunities to work overseas? Read answer » How long is a typical study, and how big will my team be? Read answer » I have heard that management consulting can be intense and that there is a lot of travel involved. How does this affect your lifestyle? Read answer » What does life after McKinsey look like? Read answer » Whom do you hire at McKinsey, and how do you do it? My university studies didn’t include any business-related content. Can I still be a management consultant? Read answer » Should I be applying as a business analyst (BA) or an associate? Read answer » I am currently working elsewhere in industry. Can I still apply? Read answer » What should I include in my CV/resume? Read answer » Does the McKinsey Australia office accept applications from non-Australians? Read answer » Do I need to prepare for the interviews? Read answer » I understand that part of the application process involves taking a problem-solving test (PST). What is it? Read answer » Am I able to defer my offer? Read answer » Why McKinsey? Working at McKinsey is unlike any other experience. McKinsey offers consultants unparalleled growth and development opportunities through exciting, high-impact work in a collaborative and inspiring environment. You will be motivated by the people you work with At McKinsey you have the opportunity to work with some of the world’s top talent. You'll notice early on that everyone here goes out of their way to help each other, both professionally and personally. You will be part of the world's most influential leadership network Our global network makes McKinsey distinct. The collective expertise, talent, and experience at McKinsey help us deliver lasting impact to our clients, provide our people with a wide array of choices, and create opportunities for exceptional professional and personal growth. The work we do is satisfying At McKinsey we work for the largest, most influential public and private organizations on their most critical and challenging problems. We work with top management teams to solve issues that require creative thinking and provide us with great satisfaction. Find out more about what we do and how we do it on our global Web site. We push for your development The environment at McKinsey is supportive, collaborative, and respectful. McKinsey provides formal training, which will give you a strong foundation of consulting tools and skills. But your most valuable learning will occur on the job each day through informal mentoring and guidance from your colleagues. Supporting each other's success at McKinsey is an obligation. Your colleagues will help you grow and develop as a leader, and we'll expect the same from you. True, this is a place where continuous growth is expected. But it's not about competing with your peers. It's about you being your best. And we want to make sure you get there. Read more about what it is like if you join McKinsey on the global careers site. Back to Top What do McKinsey consultants do, and how will you help me along the way? 1. What do you do as a McKinsey consultant? In general terms we help our clients solve their most pressing and complex problems. This covers a broad range of possible topics, from helping to define a long-term strategy to analyzing potential new geographies or seeking ways to improve operational productivity. This diversity of work is another reason why working here is so rewarding. Our clients come to us because they know that we have deep expertise in areas that may not be a core competency for them, such as strategy refinement, operating model design, or industry analysis. They come to us for our problem-solving ability, which is complemented by an unrivaled breadth of experience across industries, functions, and geographies. In more day-to-day terms, BAs and associates with McKinsey in Australia lead a workstream (part of the study). Once you've planned your workstream, the next step is typically collecting the necessary information or data through client and expert interviews. You will then need to design and carry out analyses, sometimes through creating models, to help derive fact-based recommendations for our client. Along the way you will actively participate in and lead problem-solving sessions with your immediate team and regularly with the senior members of the McKinsey or client team. The final stage typically involves presenting your insights to the client and working with them to understand how they can best implement our recommendations. This often includes us helping the client to build up the necessary skills to make this happen. You can find out more about being part of the McKinsey team here. Outside of client work we invest heavily in knowledge building. Examples of our knowledge-building exercises can be seen in The McKinsey Quarterly or our Insights China work. We also use our strength in creating lasting impact to make the world a better place. Find out more about our Social Sector office. Back to Top 2. What is the typical career path for a consultant at McKinsey? The career path as a consultant at McKinsey is well structured and is outlined here. BAs have the opportunity to be part of our Fellowship Program. High-performing BAs in their second or third year are offered "Fellowship," which allows them to take time out to do postgraduate study (paid for by McKinsey) and in many cases try another industry prior to returning as an associate. The program is flexible, and each person is able to create his or her own Fellowship path with the help of development leaders. Back to Top 3. What training and development will I receive? The bulk of your training at McKinsey will be on the job in line with our apprenticeship model. Our strong values and formal evaluation processes are designed to motivate all our consultants to coach and mentor one another. In addition to this informal training we also provide our consultants with a large variety of more formal learning opportunities. All consultants start their time with our BCR (Basic Consultant Readiness) program. After about one year BAs take BAT (Business Analyst Training) and associates take part in ILW (Initial Leadership Workshop). There are equivalent week- to fortnight-long programs at each step along your McKinsey career helping you to prepare for the challenges ahead. These tenure-based learning programs are with colleagues from all around our firm and are typically at locations outside of your home office. In addition to these we provide a large array of one-hour to one-day courses, either in person, via Webex (computer-based video conference), or online self-paced. Many junior consultants take the opportunity on Friday to take advantage of these great courses. To learn more about the support we provide you along your McKinsey journey click here. Back to Top 4. What flexibility does McKinsey offer? McKinsey recognizes that flexibility is important to our people. We offer a range of part-time opportunities for associates and above to work fewer days or fewer weeks per year. We currently have more than 800 staff across the firm who are on part-time programs. In addition, there are other ways to make McKinsey your own through global mobility opportunities and extended periods of leave over time or between engagements. For more information about flexibility at McKinsey click here. Back to Top 5. What role do business analysts and associates typically play on teams? BAs and associates play a critical role in leading teams—both McKinsey engagement teams and often client teams. A common misconception is that BAs (and associates) will only be "content" or "data" experts. This is certainly not the case at McKinsey, and you will be encouraged and supported to take full ownership of your workstream (usually a large chunk of the overall problem), even in your first engagements. Owning your workstream means developing the structure and approach for cracking the problem; speaking with relevant clients and syndicating ideas; leading problem-solving sessions with McKinsey partners, your team, and the client; and often presenting your section to senior client leaders. Of course, you will be supported by your team and engagement manager, but taking full ownership in this way provides an unparalleled and accelerated learning and development opportunity! Back to Top 6. Will I really get exposure to senior client executives at an early stage? Early-tenure BAs and associates often tell stories of their experiences interviewing or presenting to senior client executives. From day one of your first study you might meet with someone on a senior level. While this is exciting, it can also be a little daunting. You needn't worry, however, as you will have your team to help you out! Back to Top 7. Will I get opportunities to work overseas? To form a team, we look across our network of more than 7,000 consultants worldwide to bring together those with the best industry experience, functional specialization, and leadership skills for the given challenge. We also consider growth opportunities for each team member, whether strengthening skills or increasing knowledge. So, yes, there will be opportunities to work overseas should you wish to! Typically, BAs and associates are staffed on projects in Australia or New Zealand for their first six months. This allows you to build the basic consultant skill set in a familiar environment. As you gain experience, it becomes easier to be staffed overseas, and the potential opportunities are vast. Recently, Australian office BAs and associates have worked in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North and South America. For the first two years, your overseas staffing is likely to be limited to discrete projects. Later in your tenure, there are more opportunities for longer-term transfers to other offices. You can find out more about opportunities to work elsewhere here. Back to Top 8. How long is a typical study, and how big will my team be? We strongly believe that we have a greater impact together than on our own, which means we typically work in small teams of three to five consultants. The length of a study depends on the client's requirements and could range from a couple of weeks to several months. On average we might expect a study to be around three months. As you can tell, there is no typical McKinsey study! You can find out more about our teams here. Back to Top 9. I have heard that management consulting can be intense and that there is a lot of travel involved. How does this affect your lifestyle? McKinsey is aware of the demands associated with the consulting profession. We expect high levels of effort and dedication to achieve lasting client impact, but we also understand that our people are our most important asset. We take lifestyle very seriously in the Australian office and proactively help our teams to find the right balance. For example, we have a fortnightly team barometer where individuals rate their experience for the previous two weeks and a team score is created. The team leadership is notified of the scores and actively encouraged to address any issues that have arisen. Consultants travel frequently. In the Australian office you can expect to be staffed in locations throughout Australia and New Zealand, including Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. However, most teams agree to work at the client's offices Monday through Thursday, and then return to their home offices each Friday. This typically limits time away from home to three nights a week for an out-of-town project. It also means that most people are back in the office on Fridays, creating a lively and social atmosphere. Additionally, our staffing coordinator will try to incorporate your personal needs and requests into staffing decisions. Despite what are sometimes long hours and periods spent away from home, we have a lot of fun. Teams work hard to make their lifestyle enjoyable with team activities and meals out together. Back to Top 10. What does life after McKinsey look like? McKinsey alumni are a highly successful group who use the leadership, network, and business skills they developed here to create new opportunities to achieve impact. You can find out more about where people go after leaving McKinsey and our alumni on our global Web site by following the links. We work hard to recruit and develop Australia's top talent, so it is always hard to see someone leave the office. It does, however, give us great satisfaction to watch as they succeed in their new endeavors. Back to Top Whom do you hire at McKinsey, and how do you do it? 1. My university studies didn't include any business-related content. Can I still be a management consultant? Absolutely. However, you must have a keen interest in business! McKinsey seeks to recruit the best candidates possible, and we realize that top talent comes from a variety of different backgrounds. Currently in the Australia/New Zealand offices, we have lawyers, engineers, biologists, psychologists, language majors, and more! Read more on our global careers site. Back to Top 2. Should I be applying as a business analyst (BA) or an associate? There is no stringent rule on who should apply to what role, but we typically hire candidates with undergraduate degrees (and up to about three years of industry experience) as BAs and those with M.B.A.s or advanced degrees as associates. If you don't fit directly into one of these groups, please refer to our global careers site for more information. Back to Top 3. I am currently working elsewhere in industry. Can I still apply? Yes! McKinsey & Company wants to recruit the best candidates possible from all backgrounds. In recent years we have recruited lawyers, engineers, doctors, and academics among others. Find out more on our global careers site. Back to Top 4. What should I include in my CV/resume? You should include elements of your past that illustrate to us your abilities in four key areas: problem-solving ability, leadership, achievement, and impact. In addition to outlining your academic qualifications, grades, and languages spoken (including level), you should include any major achievements, such as (but not limited to!): Leadership roles in any organization (e.g., sporting team, campus society, or business organization) Previous work experience, including any internships Reference to any peer-reviewed publication (i.e., academic papers) you have authored Major secondary school achievements such as prefect/school council or Duke of Edinburgh–level attainment If there were occasions where you didn't perform to your usual high standard academically, it is important that you explain any contributing factors. While ensuring that you are completely honest, do not be modest! There is no need to include a photo. Refer to our global careers site for more information on what we look for and for some CV/resume guidance. Back to Top 5. Does the McKinsey Australia office accept applications from non-Australians? McKinsey's Australian office welcomes applications from non-Australian citizens. If you are successful in receiving an offer from the Australian office, we will assist you in obtaining a visa. Typically, non-Australian citizens hired by the Australian office will have an existing connection to Australia (e.g., have worked or studied in Australia previously or have family ties to Australia), but this is not a formal requirement. Back to Top 6. Do I need to prepare for the interviews? Thorough preparation will help you do your best come interview time, and we really want you to do your best. We highly recommend you check out the information on the global careers site. We also recommend that you practice case studies. There are some examples on the global Web site (Great Burger or Magna Health). Back to Top 7. I understand that part of the application process involves taking a problem-solving test (PST). What is it? The PST, along with your interviews, helps us to understand your problem-solving skills. It has been designed so that no business background is required. If you would like to practice for the PST, you can find an example test here. Back to Top 8. Am I able to defer my offer? We are happy to work with you to decide when is best for you to start. Typically BAs leaving university in Australia or New Zealand will start with us around March the year after applying, while associates will start either around March or around August depending on their situation. If you are an Australian/New Zealand student applying for a BA role you should be doing so at the start of your final year. Back to Top