At McKinsey I have the opportunity to work alongside some of the world’s leading business thinkers in tackling the biggest challenges facing organisations today.
I’m one of a bunch of recent graduates working as business analysts in the UK and Ireland offices, and we provide each other with daily support and entertainment. The fact that McKinsey doesn’t assess us in comparison or competition with our peers makes our camaraderie even stronger.
A place to grow
Being at McKinsey gives me opportunities to work alongside some of the world’s leading business thinkers and tackle some of the biggest challenges organisations face. It’s an environment where people are constantly developing. Perhaps along the way I’ll discover an industry or function that particularly appeals to me and build the rest of my career around it.
Early days
In my first project our team helped a large UK media company work out how to implement its new sales strategy. My second project could hardly have been more different: I was part of a team forecasting the sustainability of a healthcare client under various scenarios.
The contrast between these two projects demonstrates the strength of the business analyst programme. It balances the type of work you do so that you can develop a comprehensive set of skills. With so much variety, there’s no risk of getting bored.
Making a contribution
Being a non-hierarchical organisation is one of McKinsey’s core qualities, and that has real benefits. From day one the whole team, from the business analyst to the partner overseeing the project, works collaboratively to tackle the big strategic questions that our client needs to answer, and we all make a contribution to the solution and the impact.
Working in Dublin
Being based in Dublin offers the best of both worlds: thanks to our close link with London we enjoy the work and social opportunities that a big office provides, and we also get the benefits of being in a small office where we all know each other well. There are a lot of opportunities to take the initiative and make things happen: a while ago I proposed we should bring McKinsey’s social-enterprise competition over here. People in the office liked the idea, and now I’m leading the roll-out of the McKinsey Venture Academy to Irish universities. It’s great to feel you are having an impact in your own country.