Switch to Engagement Manager at McKinsey

Hi Folks,

I have a question regarding McKinsey's hiring policies for the Engagement Manager role. I have an Ivy League MBA and currently work as a Product Manager at a well-known company. My current role is fairly client-facing but more technical and data-driven. I am interested in having a go at an Engagement Manager role at McKinsey. I would like to know if McKinsey entertains such switches or if they strictly promote people to EMs from within the company's Associate pool. Any insights are much appreciated.

Thanks,
The Duke

2 Comments
 

Ex-McK here. It's rare to hire in someone from industry directly into EM or higher. I did start out with someone in my Associate class who had been a CEO of a mid-size industrial business that had been bought out. Obviously someone with a ton of experience, and he started out as an Associate - though with a very expedited development timeframe. Basically do a case or two as an Associate to learn the consulting business, transition to EM for a bit, and then move up to AP to leverage his CEO-level experience.

 

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