'Didn't Leave My Desk, Forgot To Eat, And Dropped Tons Of Weight...': Ex-McKinsey Employee On Why He Quit Rs 1.7-Crore Job

The ex-McKinsey employee, who started as an associate in 2021, was aware from the start that his tenure would be "for a bad time, not a long time"

A former associate of the consulting giant McKinsey & Company, who spent one and a half years with the firm, shared insights into his decision to resign despite earning approximately Rs 1.7 crore annually in a recent interview with Business Insider. The associate highlighted that the compensation did not justify the workload and mental strain he endured during his tenure at the company.

The ex-McKinsey employee, who started as an associate in 2021, was aware from the start that his tenure would be "for a bad time, not a long time." Talking about a normal day at the consulting firm, he said, "On a typical day, I worked from 7.30 am or 8 am until 11.30 pm. And it was pedal to the metal—I didn't leave my desk, forgot to eat, and dropped tons of weight. I barely remembered to go to the bathroom. I only remembered to get up when I noticed my dog looking at me all sad.”

"I knew that the work would be challenging, and I also hoped that if I stuck it out, I'd be able to build up my analytical toolkit and learn how to problem-solve really well. But looking back, I regret the way I approached my time at McKinsey," he expressed.

"One of the things I struggled with was the lack of apprenticeship. It's supposed to be a really apprenticeship-heavy culture, but that wasn't my experience. You're expected to start working from day one. I was there to learn, but it was a frustrating experience because no one was there to teach me... I was alone on an island while my manager drowned in her other work. I felt like I wasn't learning anything,” the former McKinsey employee said.

Due to this, he often overheard senior-level employees saying that the new analysts and associates lack in quality due to the absence of apprenticeships.

"The people at McKinsey were both the best and worst parts of my experience. The analysts and associates were all cool, but a few associate partners and partners were mean. They freaked out over mistakes and belittled people's thought processes, he added.

Reflecting on a particular incident, he recalled being publicly screamed at by an associate partner in front of the entire team because he thought he was going to miss a deadline.  "But I knew I could meet it and didn't end up missing it. I ended up crying," he told the publication.

The former employee emphasised that his tenure at McKinsey had a huge negative effect on his mental well-being, that he frequently cried while working there and relied on high doses of anti-anxiety medication. Eventually, it compelled him to take a sabbatical from work.

"After about a year of working at McKinsey, I took a three-month mental health leave. It was literally driving me to the edge. I just couldn't do it anymore. I was crying more and taking anxiety medication at a higher dosage than I had ever needed before joining. The week before I decided to leave, I was oscillating between being way too OK, and then crying, and then being way too stoic,” he said.

"During my break, I tried to pick up new hobbies and realised that I hated every hobby. I tried to get out of the house more but wasn't really successful because of how down I was. Sometimes, I'd have to hire a dog walker even though I was home because I just felt like I couldn't handle it. At some point, I couldn't even care for myself, so my mom came to town to care for me and my dog," he added.

"I decided to officially leave because I realised if working here caused my mental health to deteriorate, why would I stay? Why would I want to be someplace that causes me to be in such a dark place?" the ex-McKinsey employee said.