I joined McKinsey as a consultant in the Operations practice, focused on product development. This role let me build on my doctoral studies at Technische Universität München while broadening my skills through daily life as a consultant – a great combination. Through my work and the apprenticeship of my colleagues, I’ve adopted a more targeted and impact-oriented way of thinking. I’m learning to reduce problems to their core elements and tackle those pieces one at a time with my clients.
The individual projects on which I’ve worked have been very different – each with memorable moments but difficult to compare to each other. My first engagement still stands out in my memory. We supported a power generation company. There were several McKinsey teams working on different elements of a transformation program and I loved the dynamic between our teams and the clients. We generated impact in different areas quickly and that momentum – of all the pieces falling into place – was exciting. Another highlight was researching opportunities in China for a European consumer electronics company. I had a lot of autonomy, which was exciting and demanding, and working in a different culture was very interesting.
The nature of my days have varied a lot from engagement to engagement. Ideally, I start my morning with sports – I swim or run before work. Then I spend time sorting out my day, clarifying my deliverables and aligning my calendar with my teammates and clients. Then there are usually meetings with clients, problem-solving sessions, and analyses. At the end of my day, I spend time synthesizing what I’ve learned during the day and thinking through next steps. In my off hours, I spend time with friends and family; I love to cook for them or spend time with them outdoors playing sports. Next year, I’m going to participate in the firm’s Take Time program to travel with my fiancé.
If you’re interested in a role like mine in product development, please apply today.