A critical part of our mission is to attract, retain and excite great people. McKinsey is structured to provide and support many opportunities for you to fulfill that mission:
Broad range of projects
The global size of McKinsey means there is an enormous range of opportunities. In 2011, McKinsey was involved in almost 11,000 projects in more than 57 countries.
Project choice
Which engagements (our term for projects) you are working on depends on your interests, development needs, and project availability. Three mechanisms make it possible for you to develop yourself as broadly as you want:
- our global intranet, which continually shows what new engagements are starting
- our staffing coordinator in Amsterdam, who is responsible for helping consultants find the projects that best fit their needs. You can indicate your preferences for certain kinds of client work and your staffing coordinator will work with you to help you find the most suitable engagements
- your own network, which you develop as you meet ever more people in your engagements, your training programs and Amsterdam's social events
Based on their experiences, our consultants over time usually focus on a specific function or industry that ignites their interest and passion.
Dozens of industry and topic areas
McKinsey is organized into practices, our term for our capability areas, focused on either an industry or topic (also known as a functional capability). The broad range of practices reflects the broad range of work we do.
- Industry practices
McKinsey maintains practices for 18 global industries. We understand these industries from the inside out and continuously strengthen our expertise by working with many of the leading organizations in each sector. Their leaders rely on us to help them identify and respond to market dynamics, emerging trends, advances in technology and other forces shaping their business.
- Functional practices
McKinsey has seven practices dedicated to core business disciplines. We make significant investments annually to remain at the forefront of these specialties through research, talking to experts, and developing new insights. We apply this expertise to help leaders transform the performance of their organizations.
Learn more about our practices
Working around the world
With more than 100 offices in over 55 countries, McKinsey offers plenty of opportunities to live abroad and work on our clients' most important problems. Working abroad is a great opportunity for professional and personal growth—bolstering cross-cultural problem-solving and people skills, and allowing you to craft a career that reflects your interests.
Here are a few ways we support mobility:
- Engagement loan. You can relocate to another office or client location for a period of six months or less to participate as a team member on a specific engagement. In 2009, 42 percent of our non-partner consultants worldwide worked abroad via an engagement loan. Meet some of our people who recently worked abroad.
- Global Rotation Program. You can undertake two 6- to 12-month international transfers, usually in sequence. After the rotation, you’ll return to your home office. Read more about the McKinsey Global Rotation Program on McKinsey's main careers site.
- One-year transfer. If you want to see what another office is like, you can move there for a year.
- Long-term or permanent transfer. If you’d like to settle down somewhere for professional or personal reasons, you can move to a new office permanently.
Dedicated team to help you go abroad
Whichever mobility option you choose, we provide the resources you need to help make your move a success. Our dedicated mobility team will advise you on your move, ease your transition and coordinate with your receiving office.
Flexibility for personal fulfillment
McKinsey's Amsterdam office supports flexible working arrangements. Worldwide, more than 170 consultants are working on a part-time program and more than 800 have taken advantage of our flexibility options at some point in their career at the firm.
Flexibility and choices
If you need a more flexible program, we can work with you to develop one. You might choose to work fewer days per week or fewer weeks per year, take a leave of absence, or switch to another role, either temporarily or permanently. As a consultant, you can explore these options through McKinsey’s internal Flexibility Web site or through one-on-one guidance at our Flexibility Center.
Although some tradeoffs may be necessary, choosing a flexible or reduced program doesn’t mean your career will suffer at McKinsey. All of our offices worldwide support career flexibility. To date, more than 30 partners and two directors have been elected on part-time programs.
Learn more about the opportunities to “make your own McKinsey” on the main careers site.