I joined McKinsey’s Bangalore office as a software engineering intern in 2016. On the first day of my internship I was overwhelmed and so nervous that I stammered through my introduction, the one thing I thought I would be confident about.
Over the next few weeks, all the interns went through a rigorous training program focused on sharpening our tech and communication skills. After that training, my journey started.
A year of firsts
In my first year I travelled and worked with clients across North America, Indonesia and Thailand. I worked with technology experts on challenging problems, digital transformations, and developing and launching applications across platforms which have been used by millions. I continuously enriched my tech knowledge, collaborated with clients around the world and learned about different cultures.
My first client project was also my first international trip and my first time travelling alone. Before I went to the client office, I was nervous and called up my manager in India. It was late at night for him, but he listened patiently and said, “I know you can do it.” Over the next few weeks I was seamlessly integrated into the team and worked closely with the client toward the digital transformation.
Immediately after wrapping up that project, I was offered an opportunity in Indonesia. I was excited for challenge but overwhelmed as we were only six weeks away from the launch. I was worried the onboarding would take time, as it was a different tech stack and different domain. But to my surprise, the team made my onboarding so smooth that in no time I was actively contributing, working toward the launch date and training client teams.
The confidence McKinsey leaders have shown in me has helped me achieve things I couldn’t have imagined for myself.
Diving deeper into technology
After Indonesia I went to Thailand, where this time I joined a client project from the beginning. We developed and launched an omni-channel Telco self-service application with a user base of more than one million. The team started with just five people and rapidly grew to more than 30 members.
I worked as a full-stack developer, from frontend, to backend, to DevOps. I was primarily part of the mobile team, and I helped build apps for Android and iOS using React Native. We determined which tech stack to use for the apps by building prototypes for performance and cost analysis to compare options like wrapping around the web application using Cordova or Ionic, native app development or React Native.
Though there were multiple hurdles through the study, one of the primary challenges was reducing the API response time considering the large user base and the limitations of the underlying legacy systems. We solved this with an advanced scalable microservice based architecture that leverages popular design patterns and enabling smart caching at both at both server and client I helped build the secure, scalable and containerised microservices with exposed REST APIs, which were used across both the web and mobile app platforms. We integrated the client’s developers into the development squads, training them on the new tech stack and industry-wide best coding practices.
I had exposure to the full cycle of software development, from designing the technical architecture to tech stack decisions. I learned about the Telco industry and how to work with legacy Telco systems, as well as how to launch and maintain extensive end to end products with large user bases and huge transactions.
During this study, I widened my perspective, added to my list of expertise and built connections for life. I learned about design patterns and industry-wide best practices for building applications and met mentors who have been guiding me ever since.
Coming full circle
Two years after my shaky introduction, I had the chance to conduct an intern training program, and I immediately took the challenge. This time I stood on the other side, confidently sharing my knowledge and experiences. I’ve continued to train technical interns in the Bangalore office and support diversity hiring initiatives as well.
McKinsey draws inspirational people with extraordinary skills. There’s a lot to learn from each firm member, you just have to ask. Learning here is expedited because you get to learn from the experts. When I started, I was constantly asking questions and there was always someone who knew the answer. My team even gave me the nickname Questionnaire for asking so many questions.
One thing that has remained constant across different McKinsey teams is people’s enthusiasm and motivation to deliver impact for our clients. In the last four years, I’ve worked on multiple engagements, with diverse teams and using different tech stacks. This place has so much to give that I still feel it’s still just the beginning.
About Ayushi
Ayushi is a senior digital analyst and software engineer with McKinsey’s Bangalore office. Prior to joining McKinsey, she was a summer research fellow with the Indian Academy of Sciences. Ayushi earned her bachelor’s in computer science from the Vellore Institute of Technology in Vellore, India.
For more information on McKinsey's software engineering career paths, visit mckinsey.com/TechCareers.