McKinsey Recruiting Will Return to OCS

After a year of exile, McKinsey & Company, a top global consulting firm, will be allowed to participate in the recruiting program offered by the Office of Career Services (OCS) next fall.

McKinsey was banned from the recruiting program, which helps interested upperclass students find jobs with a variety of companies, for conducting some of its 1999 interviews off-campus, in violation of OCS policy.

"Now that McKinsey has agreed to our rules, they are coming back on campus," said Judy Murray, the director of recruiting at OCS. "[Hosting students off-campus] wasn't fair to other companies."

The recruiting program generally attracts nearly 400 companies and hosts about 6,000 interviews on campus each year.

Murray welcomed McKinsey back to campus.

"We have a very good relationship with them," she said. "We respect McKinsey and we know that students love to work with them."

Harvard students apparently love the firm so much that its off-campus status this past year mattered little, if at all.

Rachel L. Brown '01, who will be working next year in McKinsey's Atlanta office, said she was not affected by the extra travel time.

"It was kind of burdensome having to go across the river," she said, "but McKinsey did a really good job of accommodating us. But being at the DoubleTree really didn't affect students."

Murray said the firm was able to attract students with advertisements and local presentations.

"Basically McKinsey does a really good job of marketing itself as a learning experience," Brown said. "That was what I was looking for. It doesn't matter if they are on campus. It's only an inconvenience for a few hours of your time."

Matthew C. Ebbel '01, recruited and signed to the Silicon Valley office, actually preferred the way McKinsey worked this past year.

"I liked the idea of going to a hotel," he said. "It was more formal and professional. With OCS, you feel like you're going to class."

Andrew Giangola, a spokesperson for McKinsey, said the company would enjoy being back on campus.

"I imagine we're quite pleased," he said.