In this Real Humans: Alumni, David Jaurrieta, Rice Business MBA ’24, shares his journey to becoming an associate at McKinsey & Co. He talks about the value of community, shines a light on the importance of commitment and more. Read on for his story.
David Jaurrieta, Rice Business MBA ’24, Associate at McKinsey & Company
Age: 28
Hometown: Chihuahua, Mexico
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), B.S. in Industrial Engineering
Graduate Business School, Graduation Year and Concentration: Rice Business, 2024, concentrations in strategy and entrepreneurship
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Growth Manager, Aira, 1.5 years, AI Human Resources; Growth Operations Associate, Creze, 1 year, Fintech
Post-MBA Work Experience: Associate, McKinsey & Company, 10 months, Consulting
Why did you choose to attend business school?
I wanted to further develop my business knowledge and understand business and corporate strategy.
Why Rice Business? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
I was motivated by my conversations with alumni, the school’s solid curriculum of strategic classes and its growing entrepreneurial program.
What about your MBA experience prepared you for your current career?
The student-led Consulting Association was fundamental for me to understand what consulting was, what the recruiting process looked like and what I should expect once I land a job in consulting. Additionally, the Career Development Office (CDO) provides multiple resources for you to prepare beyond the training opportunities from the Consulting Association.
What was your internship during business school? How did that inform your post-MBA career choice?
My internship was with McKinsey & Company. Having the opportunity to work at McKinsey during the summer was invaluable in clarifying that McKinsey was the right next step in my career.
Why did you choose your current company? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to work?
McKinsey & Company has a very clear mission: help our clients make distinctive, lasting and substantial improvements in their performance and to build a great firm that attracts, develops, excites and retains exceptional people. This mission resonated with me because it showed that McKinsey thrives when its people do. I wanted to be in a place that would help me grow exponentially, and at McKinsey, I’ve found incredible people who continuously provide opportunities for my growth.
Advice to current MBA students:
—One thing you would absolutely do again as part of the job search?
Prepare, prepare, prepare. I approached every coffee chat and every interaction as if it were an interview. I would refresh my knowledge of the company, I would do some research on the person I was meeting with and I would take note of the conversation. I feel consulting is one of those industries where you must trust colleagues with whom you have never worked — and that is easier if you know they have put the time in to prepare. Feeling prepared has always helped me build trust with my counterparts during recruiting.
—One thing you would change or do differently as part of the job search?
Broaden my scope. When I was recruiting, I was laser-focused on what I wanted, but it might have helped me to look outside of consulting or apply to some boutique consulting firms. However, broadening the scope is not necessarily the same as applying yourself to everything recklessly. The scope of firms needs to be broad enough that it gives you flexibility but small enough that you can commit to recruit intentionally.
—Were there any surprises regarding your current employer’s recruiting process?
No, McKinsey is very straightforward with its recruiting process. They tell you exactly what they expect from you — but that doesn’t mean that it is an easy process.
—What piece of advice do you wish you had been given during your MBA?
Find a solid group of four to five people that are as driven as you and leverage one another to prepare for recruiting. Recruiting takes time, energy and effort, which can take a toll on you mentally and emotionally. Having a group of friends or peers through the journey makes it more enjoyable. Thankfully, this happened for me organically. If possible, interact with another group of people — that way, you can gain other perspectives and multiply opportunities for yourself and for the overall group.
