How do I apply for a position?
Please apply via our on-line application system. Please ensure you include a cover letter and grades either as transcript or on your CV/resume. You will have the opportunity to apply either for a permanent consulting role (such as a business analyst, junior associate, or associate) or for an internship position (such as a business analyst intern or summer associate). When your on-line application is submitted it will be visible to every one of our recruiters worldwide so that we may consider you for multiple locations.

When can I apply?
We accept applications all year round, so feel free to apply whenever it suits you. Many of our applicants send their application 6 to 12 months before they plan to start. The only exception to this is applications for internships taking place during the summer period (May–September). For summer internships the deadline for applications is February each year.

What information should I include in my CV/resume?
Information on how to develop a compelling CV/resume.

Can I apply for a job in another McKinsey office?
Yes. We ask that you fill out only one application and rank your top four office preferences. To learn more about our various offices, visit our locations.

Should my application be in English or Arabic?
The application must be in English.

Once I have submitted my application, how long will the process typically take?
On submission of your application, you should expect to receive an automated acknowledgment e-mail within 48 hours. From the time you submit your application you should receive a decision within three weeks. If either of these communications does not reach you, please contact us.

Please note: If you are currently studying you should not expect to receive a decision prior to the application deadline mentioned above. If you receive an offer elsewhere and need to expedite the process, please contact us immediately, and we will endeavour to complete the recruiting process within your limited time frame.

If my application is not successful for one office can I apply to another one?
We ask that you wait at least 18 months before reapplying. A decision from one office is a decision from McKinsey worldwide.

Can I apply even though I have worked for a few years elsewhere?
Yes. We welcome experienced hires, and you can apply regardless of discipline studied or work experience.

If I do not meet your academic criteria, will you look at my application?
We would expect you to demonstrate a good academic record. If your post-academic experience is truly distinctive we would consider your application.

To whom should I address my cover letter?
When you apply on-line, your application is automatically routed to the correct recruitment team. Should your cover letter require a named person, please address it to Luyi Senabulya, Manager of Recruiting.

Are there any language requirements?
While speaking Arabic is an asset, most of our day-to-day client work, presentations, and other written documents are in English. Individuals of Arab origin or with a connection to the region are desirable. Additionally, we are very interested in entrepreneurial individuals, of all nationalities, who want to serve clients in a high-growth and dynamic emerging market.

Can I start in a more senior role?
Apart from a few very highly experienced specialised individuals, everyone starts at business analyst, junior associate, or associate level.

Can I start as a specialist?
Yes. Most specialists joining McKinsey have an advanced degree and several years of work experience. They typically have deep industry knowledge or functional expertise. A specialist may serve as an active member of an engagement team or as a source of primary knowledge support on which the team can draw. The mix of client and knowledge-building work performed by our specialists varies from person to person. A few play significant full-time engagement team roles throughout their tenure. Most focus more on knowledge building and on consulting to teams rather than to clients directly.

Are there opportunities for internships in the Middle East office?
We run a summer and winter programme open only to individuals in their penultimate year of study.

What responsibilities do interns have?
Interns work with a team just like every other new consultant. This means that you will collect data, complete analyses, prepare presentations, and participate in meetings, but you will of course receive extensive coaching from the consultants on your team along the way.

How many hours will I work a week?
There is no typical week at McKinsey. There may occasionally be some weekend work, but you can usually manage your time to avoid this. Your weekly hours will vary according to the work or engagement you are involved in, and teams normally discuss working patterns at the start of an engagement to take into account individual needs and manage "crunches."

How much time will I spend away from home?
We believe that only by working on-site with our clients can we truly understand their problems and come up with the best solutions. Given the diversity of clients we serve, about 80 percent of our engagements take place "out of town"; in such cases, consultants typically spend three nights away from home per week. However, all teams are encouraged to spend Thursdays in Dubai, and there are opportunities for you to voice preferences for studies closer to home.

I know consulting is challenging work, but what kind of flexibility will I have?
You can set the tone for the way you work on an engagement. At the outset of each engagement, the team will meet to determine its preferred work schedule and style. Some team members may prefer not to hold morning meetings, for example, while others may need to leave earlier in the day to be with their children—it's up to each member of the team to speak up and ensure that individual needs are met to the greatest extent possible. We also have programmes in place that promote flexibility in our offices.

How long is a typical study?
A study will normally be three to four months long, but it of course depends very much on the specific issue we are helping the client solve. Studies can be as short as three to four weeks (e.g., a strategic due diligence for a private equity player) and as long as 12 months or even more (e.g., large-scale transformation programmes). On longer studies, it is normal that the team will gradually be changed over the course of the study to ensure that all consultants get sufficient learning and development opportunities.

Can you choose which studies you work on?
Consultants indicate their preferences, and our staffing coordinators then match the preferences with the staffing need to the largest extent possible, in close dialogue with each consultant and the partner responsible for each project. Right from the start all consultants are encouraged to work in different industries and with different topics in order to build a broad experience base. Then, after a couple of years, each consultant normally starts to focus on a specific industry and/or a specific functional area and start building a "spike" within this area.

Will I have a chance to work abroad?
On a short-term basis it is likely that you will work on studies in other countries.

Is a transfer to an overseas McKinsey office an opportunity or a requirement?
It is an opportunity. One strength of our "One Firm" philosophy is that you will have the opportunity to work overseas usually after two to three years in the firm. The decision is always based on agreement among the individual, the partners in the Middle East office, and the overseas destination office.

When can I start working?
We have start dates every month with the exception of August and December.

How much internal training do you have?
All new hires will start out with a one-week training course (Basic Consulting Readiness). All nonbusiness students must complete a mini-M.B.A. course. During the first four to five years, all consultants spend two to three weeks per year on training and conferences, typically in an international setting with consultants from many different offices on the same course.

When and how do you specialise?
After a couple of years, some consultants choose to specialise in an industry or function (e.g., finance, oil and gas, telecom). This happens based on which interests each consultant has in terms of knowledge building and working areas.

Is the work environment at McKinsey very competitive?
No. In fact, many people who join McKinsey are surprised to find how helpful everybody is. One of the strengths of McKinsey is that every consultant has his or her own "performance track" that he or she is evaluated against, and nobody can achieve a better performance evaluation by having "sharp elbows." In fact, a core part of the evaluation of each individual consultant is how good he or she is at helping and inspiring others.

What is the social life in the office?
There is a great social life in the office. The average age at McKinsey is around 30. There are several social activities, such as office parties, office retreats, and various sports events, and often significant others are invited to these events as well, so there are plenty of opportunities to get to know people in the office. In addition to this, all teams typically have a team event and/or dinner every now and then.

Is it possible to take a leave of absence from McKinsey?
McKinsey strives to offer consultants flexibility, and taking a leave of absence is one of the options offered. Every consultant can take a leave of absence to study or extend a maternity/paternity leave. The nature of our work, where studies normally last three to four months, offers great opportunities to find a suitable time to take a leave of absence.

Can I work part-time?
McKinsey has developed a part-time program that can be used by all consultants when their family situation requires it (e.g., when having a child or if a family member/significant other is ill, etc.). Being on a part-time schedule could mean that you work only three or four days per week, or it could mean that you work five days a week, but for fewer hours. The exact form and duration of the part-time program is agreed on an individual basis between the consultant and the office.

Can I take maternity/paternity leave from McKinsey?
All McKinsey employees can take maternity/paternity leave.

What does it mean that you have an "up-or-out" policy?
The up-or-out policy basically means that you constantly have to develop to be successful at McKinsey. The rate of development will typically go up and down over time for the individual consultant, as some development needs will be more difficult to meet than others, the pace is very different from person to person, and everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. But as long as you demonstrate that you have the potential to grow further, you can stay at McKinsey. Most people who leave McKinsey leave because they are offered a position where they find opportunities more appealing.

What is the typical career after McKinsey?
People leaving McKinsey after two to three years typically get product/market manager positions in larger companies or management group positions in small or medium-sized companies (business development). People leaving McKinsey after five to ten years often go directly to top management positions.

How is McKinsey organised?
McKinsey is a global partnership. In other words, the firm is owned by the approximately 1,070 partners worldwide. McKinsey has a managing director who is elected among the partners, who sets the overall direction for the firm and is the head of McKinsey's administration. The managing director also appoints various committees among McKinsey's partners (e.g., the committee that elects new partners in the firm). Each McKinsey office is led by its partners, who make all operational decisions regarding the office (e.g., regarding which studies to work on, how many new consultants to hire, etc.). Unlike many other consulting firms, McKinsey partners/consultants are measured not on revenue but on the impact they help their clients create and on their ability to develop their colleagues.

How committed to diversity is McKinsey?
McKinsey aims to be the leading professional services firm in attracting, retaining, and developing exceptional individuals, and to be the best professional services firm in the world for women. In the Our People section of this site you will gain an indication of diversity both in terms of nationalities represented and differing professional backgrounds.

Why do you never talk about clients?
McKinsey is based on a set of values, one of these values being that we adhere to the highest professional standards, and to McKinsey client confidentiality is a pivotal part of this. Our clients should never doubt that we will treat any information they give us with absolute discretion. Therefore, we apply the principle of never talking about which specific clients we serve or which topics we serve a specific client on, unless the client has explicitly agreed to this.

Can you send me a brochure?
We do not have a brochure. If, on reading this site, you do not find the answers to your questions, please contact a member of our recruiting team.

Do you provide information about or for your alumni?
If you are a former McKinsey consultant and wish to update your directory listing or locate another McKinsey alumnus, please visit the McKinsey Alumni Web site or direct your request to alumni_relations@mckinsey.com.

How can I obtain copies of an article or book authored by a McKinsey consultant?
Some articles are available on this site and may be printed in their entirety. Most books can be ordered directly from the publisher (please note that books by McKinsey authors in almost all cases are published by commercial publishers).

I would like to receive the McKinsey Quarterly. How do I get on your mailing list?
To access past and present articles electronically, refer to the McKinsey Quarterly on-line. Subscriptions are not available to the general public. The Quarterly is distributed by the partners in our offices and is limited to chief executives, top managers, and selected academics and journalists. Hard copies of the Quarterly may be found at many business school and corporate libraries. Please contact us regarding permission to reprint or republish an article, or to contact an author.

Are McKinsey Global Institute reports available to the general public?
Yes. You can go to the MGI section of McKinsey.com to download the reports. Reports are available in many university libraries, and students may be referred there.

I am doing research and need information on a specific topic. Can you help me?
While we are unable to respond personally to each request we receive, you may find it helpful to refer to the McKinsey Quarterly, books and articles written by McKinsey consultants, and our list of recent press coverage.