Working at McKinsey
What makes McKinsey’s work the best? The capacity to collaborate with clients to understand their most important or urgent problems combined with conveying recommendations in a simple and structured way. One example that truly reflects our level of impact was our work with the tax authority of an African country. We helped refocus the tax system from relying heavily on oil tax revenue to being a diversified tax system to better ensure the country’s stability.
Career
I concluded my master’s in structural civil engineering with the certainty that my professional passions were far from my educational background. I started my career with an edgy adventure working in drilling in search of offshore oil. My ambition to make a more meaningful difference in society led me to apply for McKinsey. At McKinsey, a brave new world opened up for me.
The recruiting and onboarding experience at McKinsey was amazing – the other new joiners were incredible in all their diversity, and the leadership created a welcoming environment. The quick integration process led me to learn more than I ever thought possible, while experiencing industries like airlines, public sector, telecommunications, banking and oil and gas in about three years. Within this time, I was dazzled by the flexibility; I took a two-month leave and did a six-month secondment in Indonesia to experience the startup environment and work directly with a company’s CEO to build a new business unit.
Being sponsored for a top-tier MBA prepared me for the challenges ahead as I moved from an associate to an engagement manager role. I feel fulfilled in my new position mostly because of the amazing people I’ve met, who were crucial to get me here through their sponsorship and mentorship.
Recruiting in the new virtual setup
We are conducting interviews in the virtual setup now but it is not new to me. It was previously leveraged while doing engagements abroad or interviewing candidates studying in different countries. What I like most about the virtual setup is the flexibility to do all of the above without having to commute to the office. I know that not having a face-to-face interview might be challenging for some candidates but there are also candidates who actually prefer it and feel more comfortable being interviewed in their safe space.
The main reason I enjoy doing interviews is meeting different candidates; many of their stories are inspiring. By being involved in recruiting, I also shape the firm. As an interviewer, I have a key role finding the people I will work with in the future. It is also an opportunity to share my experience. I typically start the interview by introducing myself to make the candidate comfortable while sharing what she/he might expect from a career at McKinsey.
Outside of work
Outside of work, my time is shared between my family, friends, travelling and soccer. I try to travel the most I can even though that’s a lot less now than the typical year. I studied in four different continents during my MBA and visited many more through my work at McKinsey. In total, I’ve visited more than 50 countries.
I also love soccer. It helps me maintain my physical and mental well-being and is a great way to socialize with my colleagues. We arranged weekly games against competitor consulting firms and played in two McKinsey-organized world cup tournaments in Morocco and in the Netherlands. I can’t wait to get back to that after COVID.
About Renato
Renato is an engagement manager based in the Luanda office. He studied structural civil engineering at the NOVA University in Lisbon, then completed his MBA at INSEAD in Singapore, Paris and Abu Dhabi with an exchange program in the US at Wharton - University of Pennsylvania.