I was introduced to McKinsey as a client. I witnessed the impact a small team could have at a Fortune 50 company first-hand. When I was accepted to Chicago Booth, I learned about the Emerging Scholars program for pre-MBA students. My memories of the work I’d done with McKinsey consultants – how much I’d learned from them in terms of structuring problem-solving, communications, etc. – inspired me to apply to the program. I thought participating would help me better understand life as a consultant.
The mentorship and connections I received were immensely important to my recruiting success. My mentor was a fellow Booth alumnus from the Minneapolis office. He made sure I was prepared for the interview process and went out of his way to connect me with others from the Minneapolis office, which made me feel like part of the McKinsey family even before I received an offer to join as an intern last summer. I turned to him for all sorts of questions throughout my summer project.
Through the program, I learned there is not just one type of person McKinsey recruits. I was blown away by the diversity of backgrounds among the scholars and the McKinsey colleagues. Being a scholar helped me see that McKinsey is looking for people with unique experiences and perspectives and that the firm is willing to go above and beyond to support each consultant to ensure that life at McKinsey is sustainable for everyone.