Back to Careers Blog

Finding an unexpected path

Afreen did not know what she wanted to do, and McKinsey turned out to be a great option.

Are you an international student at a US university interested in working in one of our offices outside of the US, possibly in your home country? Are you passionate about developing markets and interested in making a difference? Join Go Global with McKinsey on Friday, April 12 in New York City. Students in their ultimate or penultimate year of a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree of any discipline. Register by March 10.

This time last year, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. True millennial, right? Born and raised in Chicago, I went to the University of Chicago intending to study medicine. Soon after I started, I got involved with political institutions on campus and switched my major to Economics and Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies. Consulting was never on my radar. I planned to pursue graduate studies in political science or work in the public sector.

Afreen 3
We strive to provide individuals with disabilities equal access to our website. If you would like information about this content we will be happy to work with you. Please email us at: McKinsey_Website_Accessibility@mckinsey.com

On a whim, I attended McKinsey’s Go Global reception last year. And, I knew I’d found my place. Everyone I met was incredibly smart and accomplished, and what surprised me the most was their genuine interest in getting to know the people they were recruiting.

I remember sitting with people from McKinsey’s Casablanca office and talking about the community organizing work I did with Muslim women from Chicago. We discussed differences in civic engagement in the U.S. and Morocco. I wanted to work with people who were informed and excited about a broad range of topics, so during my fourth year in school, I applied to become a business analyst.

I found a perfect fit with McKinsey’s Middle East office. I decided to move to Dubai to leverage my cultural background and language skills with a public sector focus. I’m excited to join the team this year, and I hope my time at McKinsey will introduce me to new ways of thinking and learning about the world around me.

Find a job like Afreen