According to the McKinsey careers site, here are the following attributes that they seek in an associate (the level that MBA's would enter)
· Problem solving. Analytical and conceptual reasoning abilities, curiosity, creativity, business judgment, tolerance for ambiguity, and quantitative facility.
· Achievement. Ability to set high aspirations for self, achieve outstanding results, handle obstacles well, show signs of entrepreneurship, and take personal risks.
· Influence skills. Ability to positively influence others, possess self-confidence without arrogance, listen, understand, and respond well to others.
· Interpersonal capabilities. Ability and willingness to take on leadership roles, seize opportunities and take action, help build highly effective teams with a shared vision, be sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of other team members.
Among these attributes, I find "tolerance for ambiguity" quite interesting. I wonder what (ethically?) ambiguous situations associates find themselves in? I know that McKinsey does a lot of work for governments, and they seem to be quite muddled with warring factions. One thing is for sure: I need to do more homework on them before finalizing my cover letter.
Ambiguous terms abound when you review some of their online descriptions. "work-streams", "performance cells" and the like. There is definitely a language of consulting evolving here, and it seems very closely linked to East Coast Business school terms. (such as "leveraging" etc)
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