What is McKinsey & Company?

At McKinsey & Company we advise the top management of leading Finnish and international companies as well as institutions on issues of strategy, organizational structures, technology, and operations. Our consultants work closely with our clients every step of the way to test conclusions and assess the feasibility of answers. At the same time, we build their skills so they can make lasting change in their organization's performance.

The Helsinki office has been growing since it opened in 1988, and now employs more than 50 people. Consultants based here cover a wide range of geographical and functional areas in their careers, whether through working on client studies abroad, participating in global transfer programs, or joining one of our specialist practices.

Our primary mission is two-fold: To help our clients achieve substantial, lasting improvements in their performance and at the same time be dedicated to attracting, developing, exciting, and retaining exceptional people as our consultants and support staff. But we’re more than a mission statement. We are a global network of leaders who are:

Passionate. We enjoy what we do. We thrive on the challenges, people, and ideas we work with every day. At McKinsey, we have the freedom to pursue our deepest interests.

Supportive. We stand with our people. We foster potential by providing training, resources, and mentoring. We challenge each other to stretch our abilities and achieve our aspirations.

Collaborative. Teamwork sharpens our skills and fortifies our solutions. We succeed by working as partners with our clients and each other to share our knowledge, insights, and experience.

Diverse. We come from all academic and professional backgrounds and life experiences. We represent more than 100 countries and speak more than 120 languages.

Global. We serve thousands of clients across all industries, with more than 80 offices in over 50 countries.

Professional. We put our clients’ interests first. We are respectful and objective, but we’re not afraid to disagree if it’s best for our client.

A career as a management consultant?

At the Helsinki office we are continuously looking for distinctive candidates to join us. For students at HSE we offer the Helsinki Internship Program and the International Internship Program. As an Intern you will receive valuable work experience through being a member of a real project team during 8-12 weeks. Application periods are during the fall, check exact dates and requirements on our web site.

Many people join the firm as a Junior Associate. If you have less than a year to graduation (M.Sc.) you can apply for a Junior Associate position. Feel free to apply any time of the year. For further information on career opportunities at McKinsey & Company, please visit www.mckinsey.fi or contact Recruiter Mira Tverin, tel. 09 6157 100.

McKinsey Management Consultant Profile

Erika Ottela, Associate
While still a finance student at HSE, my understanding of management consulting was as vague as for many others. The idea of working with top management in wide variety of challenges appealed to me though, and I applied for an internship in 2006. After only a month in the job I had no doubt that I had made the right choice, so I started as Junior Associate later that year.

The thing that excites me most in working at McKinsey is the fact that I can choose every few months what I want to do next. I’ve served clients in several industries from basic materials to retail. The focus of the projects has also varied from developing long term strategy to changing the organizational structure to improving operational efficiency. There is no typical day in consulting, but my tasks often involve doing different analysis and brainstorming new solutions. Coaching the client through different workshops or in everyday project work is also an integral part of my work.

During 2008-2009 I’ll be taking part in a global rotation program; I’ll spend at least 6 months in the Philadelphia office and another 6 months in an Asian location. This is one example on how everyone can choose their own path at the Firm and make their own McKinsey, so to say. Besides exciting professional possibilities, McKinsey is simply a fun place to work. My colleagues are young, highly intelligent and enthusiastic people who have fun together, also outside the office.

Learn more about management consulting and the people at McKinsey Helsinki office on www.mckinsey.fi.