McKinsey isn’t dead, but the glamour of being a professional is

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The reports of McKinsey’s death are greatly exaggerated, despite what The Economist might say . McKinsey isn’t dead. What’s dying is the professional mythos – the belief that your time is inherently valuable. Just as importantly, the glamour once attached to professional life, the sense that years of hard work and study meant you had “made it”, is dying too.

When I was 22, I landed one of those coveted analyst roles at McKinsey London straight out of university. Despite working over 80 hours a week, I felt glamorous about it: business class flights around the world, sampling 5-star hotels in global cities, Michelin star team dinners, getting picked up in a Mercedes S-class at 10pm to be dropped off outside a Mayfair club on Friday nights (anyone remember Mahiki?). Bu