Read more about: Emerging markets
Are you an international student interested in making a difference in your home country? Are you passionate about developing markets and interested in working in one of our McKinsey offices outside of the US? Join us during our international networking reception on Friday the 20th of April in New York. Click here.
Read more below about Thor, who joined the event last year.
Interviewer: What brought you to McKinsey?
Thor:
Upon joining Columbia University for my M.Sc. degree in Management Science & Engineering, I didn’t know about McKinsey. In fact, I didn’t even know about management consulting. This might seem odd for someone with an engineering background who has always been driven by a passion for data–driven decision making and optimizing operations. But as someone who grew up in– Iceland – a country of only 300.000 inhabitants, the size of the economy simply did not lend itself towards this service. Through my program at Columbia, I quickly realized a career in consultancy would be a great fit. By getting to know McKinsey consultants at the International Recruitment Reception in New York, I swiftly discovered McKinsey had the culture and people to help me continuously grow and learn in my career. McKinsey became the obvious choice.
Interviewer: Why is McKinsey one of the best places on earth to get an international experience?
Thor:
One of the amazing advantages of McKinsey is the flexibility in terms of location.
As someone who wants to experience as much as possible, in as many places as possible, McKinsey’s global presence is an invaluable feature.
Interviewer: Why did you choose to join an office outside of the U.S. after studying in the U.S.
Thor:
I believe strongly that immersing yourself in different cultures early in your career will help in developing a strong and diverse set of skills. I’m not ready to commit to one type of job and/or industry and don’t know yet where in the world I would like to pursue my career. I decided that joining the Stockholm office, which is in a new country with a new, but familiar culture, was the ideal step in my path to continue as a professional who wants to grow and be part of the global economy.