Alice, McKinsey & Company

Business consultant Alice works for Mckinsey & Company. She completed a degree in management studies at the University of Nottingham.

Why consulting?

While at university I attended McKinsey & Company’s two-day taster on strategy consulting. Two days of life as a consultant, learning about their unique approach to problem solving, getting training from a diverse range of communication specialists and getting to meet consultants from all levels, made it seem pretty appealing!

Did you do any other work experience while at university?

I did a summer internship in my second year with another management consultancy. This was a really good way of getting professional experience and it gave me a better idea of what I enjoyed and what I wanted from my career.

In a nutshell, what does your employer do?

We help clients make distinctive, lasting and substantial improvements in their performance and to attract, develop and retain exceptional talent.

How would you describe your role?

My role in the team changes with each project. Currently I am helping to manage the client and the organisation of the project, and also carrying out the data analysis. I have done this through interviews and problem solving with clients and external parties, and also through quantitative data analysis. The role of the business analyst is also to make sure the team gets to do some bonding, through organising team dinners or events.

What’s your training been like?

There are regular formal training sessions on all sorts of topics from how to be heard in meetings to how to improve your Excel modelling. The informal training and support is amazing, whether this is from your project manager giving feedback and coaching on your work or from the other business analysts who are always on hand to give you useful tips.

What particular skills have you picked up?

I’ve gained a great professional toolkit which is essential in being able to move seamlessly between projects. I think my analytical skills and client interactions have developed and improved hugely over the last year or so.

How quickly did you get real responsibility?

You can be in charge of a work stream from day one. At first I was quite daunted by this, but it’s a great opportunity to learn and develop.

Is there life outside work?

McKinsey seems to employ people who have done weird and wacky things with their free time and this doesn’t stop when they start working here! You are expected to work hard, but you can manage your workload – working late one night could mean an early finish the next night.

What are the upsides to your job?

Changing projects every few months is great as it means you have to get up to speed on a new area very quickly and experience a new industry or function. It’s a great way to learn about what interests and excites you.

What are the downsides?

The fast pace of work means that a lot is expected from you, but it does mean you learn incredibly fast in an atmosphere where everyone is helping you to improve and develop.

What gives you a buzz at work?

I think the biggest highlight so far has been being able to phone up and ask the opinion of world experts both within McKinsey and with our clients on a particular subject. I’ve found that they are always more than happy to talk through the problem you are solving. It is also really rewarding to know that the work you are doing will make a big difference to the current status quo and will impact the industry. You can be in charge of a work stream from day one.