Training and mentorship allowed Alex to explore and develop a new passion for digital and analytics.
My path to McKinsey
Excited about the future of Vietnam and Southeast Asia, I joined McKinsey Vietnam right after business school. With my prior consumer goods industry experience, I quickly found a home with the Consumer and Retail practice. In addition to honing my area of expertise, McKinsey provides support and opportunities to tackle client problems across industries to expand my knowledge. In the past year, I have served real estate conglomerate and public sector clients on topics such as digital transformation, organization, and economic development.
Choosing McKinsey
Throughout the recruiting process—from the phone interview in New York to the welcome gathering in Hanoi—I formed strong connections with people at the firm. The people are a key reason I chose to join McKinsey. Everyone I met made me feel part of the team, even before I officially joined. It has been a privilege to work with driven, intellectually curious, and humble colleagues.
Finding support
Joining the firm as an associate, without former consulting experience, made me nervous that I’d struggle to independently lead a workstream. I was pleasantly surprised by the extensive training the firm provides to new joiners before client work begins. I was also paired with an experienced colleague who shared the basic tips and tricks and how and when to use each one. She guided me throughout, specifically on business model building and communication with client senior executives. Along the way, I discovered the key to navigating the firm is sharing your challenges early. You will always find people who are more than happy to set aside time and problem-solve with you.
The support from mentors and colleagues also gave me the confidence to embark on something new and different. I joined a robotic process automation project where I learned to code—a skill I never expected to acquire at this stage in my career. I have since found a passion for digital and analytics, and am keeping my eye out for the next chance to leverage this newly acquired skill.
Forming lasting relationships
I have formed strong bonds with both McKinsey colleagues and clients. There are always friends for me to reconnect with when I travel across Asia. I cherish these relationships, especially when I receive calls from clients to talk about their current challenges or catch up on their professional lives long after a project has ended. These relationships are reminders that as consultants, our role goes beyond serving institutions. We help people within organizations and develop lasting friendships along the way.