HDVC at McKinsey Taipei Office

It's not even a week since returning from the mini-BCR in HK, got an email from the McKinsey Professional Development team based in Shanghai, notifying us of a HDVC, or High Definition Video Conference for today. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the staffing and PD team to us Summer BAs and Summer Associates.

So, it was a very nice Wednesday, finally the rain that has been seriously pissing me off for the past week has stopped today. There wasn't much sun, but as long as there's no rain, I'm very happy and content. After spending the morning reading the 'McKinsey's Marvin Bower', a book on how the firm first got started, its vision and other interesting anecdotes, it is a good read. Near noon, had to rush to Mgmt Building 1 for a meaningless Service III Interview. It was a complete waste of time and resources, I was in the room at 13:00, she asked me one question 'what did u do in World Vision Taiwan?', I replied, 'Translating' - and that was it, I was out of the room by 13:01 and soon on a 650 bus headed for McKinsey's Taipei office at 101 building.

I was actually the first to arrive (I think San was already in the office, since he's already on board and started work this Monday). Tiffany came a while later. San led us to the video conference room where the meeting would be held. As we wined down the corridors past that locked door, it's the first time I realize how big Taipei office really is. I used to think it was a very very tiny office, but apparently the last time I was here I'd only saw the point where the corridor took a turn. There are so many other rooms past that turn, another snack bar with cookies and drinks (where I grabbed something for lunch). 

The HDVC room itself is very much like the interview room where we'd all undergone the rigorous selection process. With the exception there are two huge flatscreen plasma TVs mounted to the wall, and a rotating camera positioned on top. At 2pm, the screen came alive and we could see the staffing and PD team in Shaghai on one screen, and ourselves on the other. This system is newly installed in TPO, and the broadband connection offered almost no-lagging real time video conference quality! 

After initial introductions, we were told what is expected of the Summer Associates and Summer BAs, what we should focus on during our program, how to be successful during our first engagement and ultimately to clinch the full time offer by the end of the program. It was a novel experience for me and Tiffany to use this kind of video conferencing, and after the meeting, it only deepened my impression how much emphasis they place on this summer program. It is definitely far more than an ordinary internship, we are really the potential pool of talent that they hope future BAs or Associates will come from. Looking at the listed criteria, it's gonna be an very exciting summer (nevertheless a daunting challenge), I can't wait to get over with all my finals and start work at McKinsey!!!!!