Can you tell us about your career journey as a management consultant?
Whilst I am still very early in my career as a management consultant, having joined McKinsey and Co in February this year, it has already offered me the experiences and learning that I had hoped for after graduating from university. From designing leadership programs for non-for-profit organisations to supporting a medical product supplier through a supply chain transformation, I have had the opportunity to work with a diversity of teams and clients on a variety of problems. This has required me to make some big mindset shifts. For example, being entirely unafraid of expressing my perspective and ideas on often unfamiliar topics to my team, even if I might be wrong. McKinsey’s emphasis on creating a safe, positive team environment has really helped me build the confidence to give things a go.
What does your typical workday look like?
A typical workday largely revolves around team and client meetings. We have “check-ins” to prioritise outcomes each day, which are also a nice opportunity to strengthen team/client relationships and understand where everyone’s heads are at. Then, we use longer “problem-solving sessions” to solve tricky questions, learn from experts or test new ideas with our teams. As we often communicate through stories as slides, I enjoy taking the time between meetings to think carefully about how I can best capture the important messages.
How do your Biomed/STEM skills align with your current role?
At university, I studied immunology as well as broadening units in health law and ethics. Prior to starting work, I thought that I would have limited opportunities to exercise my Biomedicine/STEM skills. However, I have been pleasantly surprised by how useful not only the content and terminology but also analytical and communication skills that I learnt during my degree have been in my role. Some example situations where my STEM skills have helped me include interviewing global experts about medical product manufacturing, coaching clients to develop a visual data ‘dashboard’ for supply chain performance and helping my team members to better understand immunological pathways and treatments.
What has been a highlight so far, as a consultant at McKinsey?
A highlight for me was attending a leadership program that I helped to design for board directors of not-for-profit organisations. The program involved discussion around strategic mindsets, psychological safety, and difficult conversations. I was inspired by the willingness of the leaders, who represented organisations supporting environmental sustainability through to opportunities for youth employment, to share their vulnerabilities and offer each other advice and creative ways to navigate challenges.
What is one piece of practical advice you would give to someone starting out in their career?
The best piece of advice I have received, that I think is important to pass on, is the “professional relationships are built on personal ones”. It is so important to your personal well-being, and the well-being of those around you, to foster an environment that allows people to bring their whole selves to work and speak up when they need support. Taking the extra five minutes at the start of a call to get to know a team member or client is not only super fun but also creates better results. I also believe there is enormous value in investing time into finding and building strong relationships with mentors; they provide invaluable support and open your eyes to opportunities that you didn’t even know existed.