On January 26 2023, Yale’s Office of Career Strategy (OCS) organized a job trek to New York City, where 35 PhD students and postdocs got the chance to visit the offices of McKinsey and Bain. The event provided an excellent opportunity for Yale students interested in consulting careers to gain insight into the work culture, career paths, and recruitment processes of two of the world’s leading consulting firms.
The site visit at McKinsey started with a program overview presentation, where attendees learned about the firm’s values, culture, and the hiring process for Advanced Professional Degree (APD) candidates. Following the program overview, a panel of McKinsey APD consultants (including Yale alumni: Chun Hu and Danielle Goldman) shared their personal experiences and career paths, providing valuable insights into the transition from completing their PhD in science to consulting at McKinsey. Following the panel, attendees had the opportunity to network with McKinsey consultants and other attendees over lunch. The office tour was also a highlight of the visit, allowing attendees to see the workspace and get a feel for the work atmosphere.
In the afternoon, attendees traveled to the Bain office, where there was a similar program overview presentation, followed by a panel of Bain advanced degree (AD) consultants (including Yale alumni: Hao Xing and Darren Nah) and networking session. In the overview presentation, recruiters discussed Bain’s ADvantage program, a week-long advanced degree program designed to learn first-hand what is it like to be a Bain consultant, and their full-time program for advance degree candidates. Participants also had the chance to explore the office and have smaller group discussions with the panelists.
Overall, the McKinsey and Bain Job Trek provided an excellent opportunity for Yale PhD students and postdocs to gain insight into the consulting industry and the work culture of two leading consulting firms. The site visits allowed students to learn about the different companies’ values, culture, and project opportunities, while the networking opportunities provided a chance to get to know current consultants and ask questions to program recruiters. Panelists also gave advice for current Yale PhD students and postdocs on how to prepare for a career in consulting (see resources from McKinsey and Bain). The event was a valuable experience for students interested in pursuing consulting careers!
Interested in a career in consulting after graduating? Visit the OCS STEM PhD Pathways website for more information! This OCS job trek was led by McDougal Career Fellows in Yale’s Office of Career Strategy, Janani Baskaran (PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering) and Haofan Li (PhD candidate in Immunobiology).
