Prior to joining McKinsey, Kiera had been working in the marketing and advertising sectors. She joined McKinsey’s London office on a full-time basis in 2014, upon earning her MBA.
BusinessBecause interviewed Kiera to learn about her experience at McKinsey, and how her MBA helped her to switch careers.
How would you describe the culture at McKinsey?
McKinsey is an incredibly diverse place. I’ve worked with inspiring and fun people from all over the world, who differ in culture, mind-set, and pre-McKinsey background.
I’ve worked in the private and public sector in several industries (media, financial services) and functions (strategy, organisational design, M&A), which has been incredibly exciting and helped me build a much broader skill-set than I expected.
I’ve also been involved in initiatives outside client work, such as the McKinsey Work Ready program (in partnership with ThamesReach), which helps homeless and at-risk individuals re-enter the workplace, and the London Office Challenge, which brings the office together to support a social cause (in the past, we’ve hosted a circus, run a restaurant for a week, and published books written and illustrated by local school children).
I’m building my own path here – making my own McKinsey – and there are tons of people helping me along the way.
In what ways has your MBA been of value to McKinsey?
Tuck helped to prepare me for McKinsey in several ways. Tuck’s culture was very similar. Tuck is a very open and diverse place with talented, driven and fun people. Professors at Tuck went out of their way to help me find interesting projects, just as McKinsey partners and professional development managers have done.
I’ve also put my classwork to good use. The core classes at Tuck covered most of the business basics, so I was very comfortable from day one as a summer associate.
In my second year at Tuck, I took electives that helped me practice my on-the-spot group problem solving; I debated the economic benefits of wind farming in my sustainable business class; and created a strategic marketing plan in [my] international strategy and marketing [class] in an environment of constant change.
What advice do you have for business school students hoping to work at McKinsey?
Be open about your strengths and passions and how you might bring them to McKinsey. Speak to consultants who work in the industries, functions or geographies in which you’re interested [in], to better understand the opportunities.
How powerful a tool was your business school network in the recruitment process?
Tuckies were absolutely wonderful while I was recruiting. We had a close-knit culture at Tuck; my classmates of all ages and from all over the world went out of their way to help me, always making time to talk about their experiences and my goals.
Often they introduced me to other interesting people, and the effect was invaluable. As an alumnus now, I will always try to help the next generation of Tuckies!
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