McKinsey opens the door for me to explore the world, meet exceptional people, and exceed my expectations.
Choosing McKinsey
I worked as a product specialist at a foreign bank before joining McKinsey. I witnessed the fast growth in China and couldn’t help but wonder what company leaders were thinking and how they were making business decisions to achieve their goals. After reading several publications and speaking with firm colleagues, I decided McKinsey would give me the platform to make a difference. Since joining, the experience has enriched my life with endless opportunities to challenge myself.
Rewarding, Meaningful Experiences
In my first week, I was assigned to a banking project. The transition was challenging as I barely knew what to do for the first few days while my team members were busy creating charts and heavily engaged in problem solving. I still remember how nervous I was and doubted whether I could add value. My engagement manager and other team members supported me and provided coaching and feedback that helped me quickly onboard and integrate my professional experience and expertise into the problem-solving sessions. At the project’s end, I successfully delivered a presentation on the client’s corporate banking strategy to the CEO and EVPs. Looking back, this was one of the hardest moments of my career so far, but definitely the most rewarding as I witnessed the firm’s commitment to inclusiveness and ensuring everyone’s success.
Discovering New Interests
At McKinsey, I discovered the power of structured problem solving and have a newfound passion for leveraging this skill in my everyday life. I practice on each client project and appreciate how useful it is to carefully define a problem, identify the root issues, and lay out a solution or options in a structured way. I even apply this skill in areas like solving family matters, planning my child’s education, and picking which car to buy.
A Truly Global Firm
McKinsey is a firm that provides both a local and global perspective. Over the past three years, I have consulted global experts on every project. It is extremely interesting to learn best practices from different parts of the world and integrate these learnings to create the best solution for a client. McKinsey highly values each person’s professional growth and provides many training opportunities to hone existing skills and develop new skills. Whether virtual or in-person, these trainings build connectivity and have helped me to form strong relationships with global colleagues.
Work-Life Balance
Achieving work-life balance as a consultant can be challenging, but McKinsey provides numerous resources to help each firm member live a full life through office events and flexible work programs like Take Time and part-time. As the father of a three-year-old daughter, I enjoy office family events. The firm’s Take Time program is definitely one of the best; it gives me five to six extra weeks to rest, recharge, and spend quality time with my family.
Education
Clark University
BA, economics and math