I Left My Dream Job at Mckinsey: Here's Why

Summary

The speaker reflects on their experience working at McKinsey, highlighting both the firm's prestige and the challenges of consulting. They discuss reasons for leaving, such as the grueling travel schedule, working with slow-moving corporations, and feeling disconnected from the impact of their work. While McKinsey provided valuable skills and opportunities, the speaker realized they preferred the fast-paced, hands-on nature of startups and venture capital. Ultimately, they express gratitude for the experience but encourage others to pursue paths that better align with their passions and talents.

Takeaways

• 😲 McKenzie has strict standards, such as using no font sizes larger than 10, which can feel excessively focused on appearance.
• ✈️ While consulting offers glamorous travel, it often involves visiting less appealing, remote locations, which can hinder personal life and routines.
• 👨‍👩‍👧 Consulting travel schedules make it challenging to settle down, build friendships, or start a family, as it demands frequent time away from home.
• 🏢 The work often focuses on optimizing large, slow-moving corporations, which can feel less exciting than working in fast-growing startups.
• 💼 The speaker did not want to pursue partnership at McKenzie, as selling consulting work did not feel authentic or fulfilling.
• 📊 There's no real feedback loop at McKenzie; consultants don’t see the direct impact of their work since they leave before execution happens.
• 🚀 Working with startups was more exhilarating for the speaker, offering faster growth and more hands-on execution, unlike McKenzie's focus on strategy.
• 💭 Consulting made the speaker feel more transactional and rushed, which led to a less positive personal transformation over time.
• 🏆 Despite the drawbacks, McKenzie helped the speaker develop strong communication skills and opened doors to prestigious opportunities, like Harvard Business School.
• 💡 The speaker encourages ambitious individuals to consider riskier, more fulfilling career options, like startups, instead of defaulting to prestigious but potentially ill-fitting firms like McKenzie.

Q & A

What was the initial issue the speaker faced with their presentation at McKenzie?

The speaker's manager criticized the use of font sizes larger than 10 and requested a revision of the presentation to reduce font size and fill in blank spaces.

How does the speaker describe the work culture at McKenzie, especially regarding attention to detail?

The speaker mentions that consultants at McKenzie agonize over small details like font size, focusing heavily on presentation aesthetics, which can frustrate those who prefer to focus on getting work done.

Why does the speaker believe McKenzie is not for everyone, despite its prestigious reputation?

The speaker feels that while McKenzie is highly ranked and offers prestige, the lifestyle and nature of the work are not suitable for everyone, especially those who prefer more hands-on or impactful work.

What is one of the major downsides of the travel lifestyle in consulting, according to the speaker?

The speaker mentions that frequent travel disrupts personal life, making it hard to build friendships, settle down, or maintain a routine, and it can also lead to being an absentee parent.

How does the speaker compare the work in consulting to working in startups?

The speaker prefers working in startups because it offers a chance to be part of fast-growing businesses, with more tangible results and less bureaucracy compared to optimizing large corporations for minimal growth.

Why did the speaker not aspire to become a partner at McKenzie?

The speaker couldn't see themselves authentically selling consulting services and didn't admire the lifestyle or skill set involved in being a partner at McKenzie.

What does the speaker find frustrating about the feedback loop in consulting?

The speaker finds it frustrating that consultants often don't see the results of their work, as they don't own the execution and move on to new projects before outcomes are known.

How did working at McKenzie impact the speaker’s personality, and why was this a concern?

The speaker felt that the constant rush and transactional nature of consulting made them a ruder and less kind person, which they disliked and found concerning.

What career realization did the speaker come to after working at McKenzie?

The speaker realized they preferred working in startups and venture capital, where they could see the real-world impact of their work and found it more fulfilling than consulting.

What positive aspects of McKenzie does the speaker acknowledge despite leaving the firm?

The speaker appreciates the smart, kind people at McKenzie and credits the firm with helping them develop communication skills, opening doors to other opportunities like Harvard Business School, and leading them to their passion for startups.