Do you ever wonder how much travel is involved when you work with McKinsey? The answer is, quite a lot. Most companies travel four, five or more days a week and report that they have an average of more than 70 hours a week. Generally, travel is Monday through Thursday and on Friday you return to the home office. However, some companies may travel five days a week as a rule.
When you join McKinsey, you will be expected to develop your basic consulting skills. This includes learning how to make decisions quickly and resolve problems even when you don't have all the information. You will also need strong leadership and communication skills, as well as the ability to address multiple conflicting points of view to resolve complex problems. Your master's degree will be beneficial in this regard, as it will give you additional training and experience.
It is recommended that you visit the different McKinsey offices during the recruitment season so that you can get a better idea of where you would like to be when completing your application. McKinsey works as a meritocracy, where consultants advance based on their own abilities. If you are in the consulting business, you should expect to travel with most companies, although the level of travel will vary depending on the company and project. You will bring the skills and knowledge gained at McKinsey to your chosen field and stay connected as part of McKinsey's global alumni network.
For most of the first year, the goal is to develop and complete core consulting skills that will be important for your long-term success as a consultant. This includes structured problem solving, customer communication, influence, or analysis skills. All McKinsey consultants are encouraged to pursue a variety of interests across different industries and countries. In the case of a large company with a global model, you usually spend about 80% of your time traveling and the other 20% of the time in your office or “on the beach” or “in the bank” developing knowledge or helping with business development.
New McKinsey consultants often directly advise CEOs and other leaders within months of joining the firm.
