I am a product owner in McKinsey Digital, and I have been here for about five months. I actually don’t have a degree in tech. I studied marketing and international business, and after I graduated, I joined an HR tech company doing marketing.
However, I worked with engineers and developers, and little by little I started to learn more about tech, and I took some classes to build additional tech skills. I eventually transitioned to doing product management and implementation consulting at the company. I worked with developers and was responsible for some hands-on tech work. And what I loved most about being a project manager is I served as the bridge between the business and tech side.
I was familiar with McKinsey, and I had even joined some McKinsey workshops, like Women in Tech, and I liked the vibe and what I heard. I wanted to see how tech consulting was done at one of the biggest firms in the world, and I looked forward to the opportunity to be exposed to new challenges, so I joined the firm.
My role at the firm
We’re focused largely on new development, helping clients build new apps or new businesses from scratch, so there is so much opportunity to innovate and build exciting new tech.
I'm still on my first project, but I have done so much already. I’ve worked closely with the clients, product owners, and other tech colleagues doing ideation and design planning. I've done research to inform the project strategy and prepared the project backlog and release plans. I've also done some work with user research and user interviews. I've even been involved in the marketing of the product. It’s definitely been a cool learning experience.
I spent much of my career in HR tech, so I am passionate about it, but I am excited about the opportunity here to explore new industries and solve different kinds of problems.
Making a leap to a huge global firm
Coming from a smaller company, I have to say McKinsey was overwhelming in the beginning, but I quickly adjusted and realized the advantages that come with a firm this size.
We have access to unmatched knowledge through our firm resources and experts. In my previous job, I could get stuck on some problems, especially when it came to tech because I don't have a tech background. But now, whenever I don’t know something, there’s always someone here that can lead you to the right answer.
Additionally, I have spent a great deal of time on the firm’s learning management system exploring different courses, learning about the McKinsey way of doing things and different industries and functions. I also have a few tech courses on my list I hope to finish by the end of the year.
Networking and engaging with the McKinsey community
McKinsey offers so many opportunities to connect and engage with colleagues outside of your specific study.
During onboarding, I was part of a cohort of 40 people, so it was a fantastic way to meet people early on. We also had a retreat where I got to meet many people from the Middle East offices. I also participated in our Day of Service, where we planted trees, and I appreciated the opportunity to serve the community in different ways and connect with colleagues outside of work.
I am also part of the product guild, which is a group for product owners and managers, and we have access to role-specific training and webinars. We have a Slack channel where we can reach out to other colleagues in our role with questions or to share information. We’ve also done some social events, like bowling, which is fun. It’s a great way to get to know people in your role and build a support system.
More about me
I love to listen to podcasts! I also love to travel, which McKinsey is already enabling me to do and see new countries. I have done so many different activities with McKinsey, including taking a cooking master class, doing water activities I’ve never done before, like snorkeling, and doing karaoke, which I love.