As someone who successfully transitioned from science, I hope my experience encourages people with diverse backgrounds to consider McKinsey.
Choosing McKinsey
When I was conducting chemistry research in lab, I enjoyed tackling new challenges. However, I began to feel that I could spend years on the same problem before my work scaled up enough to make a tangible contribution to society. McKinsey was the only place that convinced me I could work on the world’s toughest problems and, at the same time, have an impact out there. Two years later, I am not disappointed.
Expectations for McKinsey
I feel there is a preconceived notion that consultants are all freshly minted MBAs in suits who speak business jargon. This is both intimidating and inaccurate. This is why, when I first joined McKinsey, I was concerned that my background in science would prevent me from making meaningful contributions to the team. It was never an issue. McKinsey’s emphasis on collaboration and mentorship allowed me to contribute while getting up to speed.
Diversity of colleagues
I was relieved to find that not all my colleagues at McKinsey have a business background; they come from diverse backgrounds—including science, engineering, law, politics, and industry. Despite those differences, what we do share is the drive to solve really tough problems and mentor, coach, and support others around us. I found that the diversity of opinions enriches the solutions that we bring to our clients. As someone who successfully transitioned from science, I hope my experience encourages people with diverse backgrounds to consider McKinsey.
Rewarding, meaningful experiences
Since joining the firm, my background has helped me tackle many diverse client contexts: I helped launch a new digital product in Central Europe, defined the strategy for a real-estate client in the Middle East, and introduced new ways of working at a telco in Western Europe. My favorite part of a recent project was helping a client develop and pitch a market-launch strategy. She was very knowledgeable and bright but struggled to convey her knowledge to top management. We worked together to hone and practice those skills. Ultimately, she did such a great job presenting to the CEO and board that she received a promotion.
Education
California Institute of TechnologyBS, chemical engineering