I’ve always wanted to travel the world while doing something useful. I found what I was looking for at McKinsey. Even though I’m Dutch, I joined the Stockholm office. My first project team traveled to a different city in Europe each week, which fulfilled my desire to explore, helped me develop on multiple fronts, and built my international network.
Coaching even as a candidate
When I applied to McKinsey, the process looked challenging. In addition to technical interviews, I was going to do regular case interviews – something new for me that required practice. What inspired me was the effort the firm put into mentoring me during the application process. I did a few 1-on-1 case interview coaching calls, which was something I’d never seen anywhere else.
Engaging with clients
My biggest doubt when I joined McKinsey as a data scientist six months ago was that my role would be back-end. However, I work with clients and generalist consultants at the client site. I am learning and doing so much more than scientific modelling. Basically, I’m a consultant with a spike in data science. I’ve also presented some of my work to the Nordic leadership team and client stakeholders thanks to the remarkable amount of trust the Swedish office leader and my team mates have in me.
In the future, I would love to work in retail, telecom, and online businesses. I hope to use my Spanish language abilities to do a project in Latin America.
About Cliff
Cliff is a data scientist in McKinsey’s Stockholm office. Prior to joining, he worked as a data science consultant at PA Consulting Group in the Netherlands and Evalueserve in Chile. He has a masters in econometrics and operations research from the VU University Amsterdam. In his free time, he likes to spend time with friends, meet new people and try new things. His bucket list contains visiting the Galapagos Islands and learning to scuba dive.
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