On September 2, a special lecture on alumni was held for students in the Department of Global Management. Dana Yeleusszi, a 16-year-old graduate of the Department of Global Management from Kazakhstan, gave a lecture on how she could get a job at McKinsey and what she gained from working for four years. Furthermore, she gave her thoughts on the process of successful MBA admission and the mindset that classmates who are currently listening to the lecture should have, freely responding to questions and answers with classmates, and showing new insights on employment and success.

| The process of applying to McKinsey

Dana started joining McKinsey at Indiana University Kelly School of Business. Her goal at business school was twofold. The first was to gain experience in the United States, where she had never been before, and the second was to be exposed to many different networks. As her goal, she made many friends by interacting with many American professors. Meanwhile, I accidentally connected with an acquaintance who works for McKinsey, and she applied to McKinsey because she was recommended. Through this experience, she emphasized the importance of networks and advised people to be open about different networks because the right networks can come from unexpected places. He said that everything may seem coincidental, but when you look back on your life, you feel that all the connections that extend to where you are now exist.

| McKinsey's employment process

Dana explained that McKinsey's interview process consists of a total of five interviews and is conducted over three rounds. In particular, McKinsey said that case interviews are important, and that the most important thing is problem-solving skills. She said that she intensively trained problem-solving skills to prepare for the interview and practiced as if she were explaining it to someone without background knowledge. In fact, she added that she prepared the interview with an old lady who had different background knowledge, and that she had the interview in two languages, Russian and English. He stressed that the most important thing about the interview is that McKinsey proves why he should hire her.

| McKinsey's strengths and weaknesses

Dana cited McKinsey's strength as having to quickly learn various fields to solve the problem he was commissioned to. In particular, citing his experience in consulting mining companies, he explained that he initially had no knowledge of mining, but he visited a real factory, observed how he worked, and tried to derive optimal consulting results through conversations with people who have worked in mines for a long time. He emphasized the importance of constantly asking questions to learn in this process. Many questions asked to people in various fields are very helpful in solving problems.

However, Dana said she also experiences stress from having to study many different fields on her own. Consultants generally believe they are "unstable overachievers," as most consultants work tirelessly to reach the top and often stay up all night to learn different fields. Nevertheless, she said that this process was interesting and valuable.

| Build unproven parts

Dana felt that she needed to learn more about her ultimate dream, so she applied to MBA's at Stanford, Harvard, and MIT. The first way she was able to pass many prestigious MBA's is through top-down narrative. Dana said that you should show your beliefs and actions by describing a moment that changed you or made you happy in your past days. She said that you should build a perspective on what kind of person you want to become in a few decades based on the past to describe the future on your profile and to effectively reveal the goals you want to reach and the belief systems that underlie those goals.

The second method is to focus on the parts that have not been proven in documents. The transcript or recommendation letter required when filling out the application is a part that has already been proven as a document. In response, Dana said that the application should contain what is not written in the document but must be delivered. For example, although it is not revealed in documents, such as the reason for the decision to enter the MBA and the story and organizing one's thoughts, it is necessary to build a story that can prove itself as a profile.

| Talk about ambition

Finally, she emphasized Be ambitious, dream and talk about your own ambitions. She also feels embarrassed to talk about ambitions, but she says that you should always act ambitiously when you are in a position to challenge. When asked by a classmate what her ambition is, Dana answered that she wants to change the industry by participating in a startup with an entrepreneurial spirit.

The most important thing in your profile is to show your authentic self. You need to create a profile that proves yourself by telling an honest story about what you think, how you live, and what drives you. Talking about your ambitions can be embarrassing, but it is perhaps the most honest and honest way to reveal yourself.

Source: Sungkyun Webzine No. 547 (https://webzine.skku.edu/skkuzine/section/news.do?mode=list&articleNo=120634)