How important are internal referrals for candidates from non-target schools?

Hi there,

A referral is just a door opener such that the recruiting team will look through your application more thoroughly. Depending on the seniority, tenure and advocacy of the person referring you, you have a better chance of getting a first round interview. The more senior the person referring you is, the better. The longer the tenure of that person with the firm is, the better.

The reason is that such voices carry more weight than referrals coming from super junior or brand new people. They typically know the HR folks better and have been involved in recruiting activities for a while so it is usually assumed that they have a good grasp of what types of candidates with which sets of qualifications the firm needs. However, any referral is ultimately better than no referral. Also for candidates who come from target schools.

Ideally, you get a referral from someone from the same office (or same country) you are applying to. But again, a referral from someone within the same firm but different office or country organization is still better than no referral.

A direct rejection after the CV screening stage can still happen - even with a referral. In that case the recruiting team usually provides some feedback to the person having given the referral. So you should follow up with them to better understand the rationale in case that happens. On the flipside, you can still get an interview invite when you just apply online without a referral - the probability is just lower - particularly when your CV is not “stellar” on a standalone basis.

And as always, factors such as economic conditions and headcount/budget planning of the individual firm also matter significantly in these decisions - but they are not within your control.

Best

Hi Anonymous,

referrals are always important, whether you are coming from a target school or not; however the more your CV is different from the “ideal standard”, the more it could be useful. This doesn’t mean you cannot get into consulting without a referral if you are coming from a non-target school – just that referrals make things easier.

In terms of the number, one single referral in general is enough. Ideally you want to target people in the middle of the internal hierarchy (project leaders/principals) in order to obtain a referral strong enough (entry level positions do not have much influence, partners are usually too busy unless you know one of them well).

Best,
Francesco

One referral is enough. 

It's not like they're more likely to get you pass screening if you have more.

Here are a couple of resources on how to get referrals:

• Expert Guide: How To Handle Networking Calls and Get Referrals
• Expert Guide: How To Get Referrals Via LinkedIn? 

Best,
Cristian

Hi,

I will try to explain how it works. Generally, in hat way you may get your “partner referral” which normally brings you to the pole position for the interview. You may compare it to “skipping the line for business class” at the airport.

By referrals I've helped many candidates to get their positions. I would like to explain you the mechanics how referrals usually work:

My mentee sends me the documents (CV and cover letter) for a specific company.

I have a very wide network of friends, former colleagues and ex-mentees on high
positions in consulting (partners, principals and managers) across the world. I chat
with them individually praising your competences and skills. Afterwards, I ask them to
follow your documents on their behalf directly to their HR ladies while putting a word
for you.

Feel free to ask any further questions

Best,
André
 

In US, quite critical to pass the initial resume screening. Especially if no/little work experience.

Only one referral, if really want to have more, make sure they know of each other and they are coordinated.

Andrea

Hi,

There are two types of referrals related to schools:

1. Unofficial referrals from your classmates - they are not counted as the official referral, but when the company is recruiting on campus, they take these referrals into account. In that case, you may have even many referrals.
2. Official referrals through the system - these are not related to your school, and you need just one to pass the resume screening.

There are certain criteria for the referral:

1. The consultant makes you a reference in the system and uploads your resume. Usually, he has to indicate why he thinks you are a good candidate
2. You skip some steps in the recruiting process (CV screening at McK, Test at Bain)
3. The consultant gets referral bonus ($) if you get a job offer

As you can see simply mentioning a person in your CL does not change the process at all.

The conversion to reference will be higher among consultant / manager level people who are still interested in the referral bonus. The basic idea is to ask these people for a mock interview.

Here are some tips on how you can do that:

1) Leverage your own network - find friends or friends of friends who can practice cases with you or make you a reference.

2) Attend company events. Consulting companies do a lot of events both for graduates and experienced hires. Find the social network groups related to consulting or websites, subscribe to newsletters and stay tuned. Also, check if they have events in your University since you are a PHD.

While some of the events will be open to everyone, others will require a resume and a cover letter, so make sure to prep.

3) Talk to people on the events and send Thank You notes. After each event, there is a Q&A session where you can talk to consultants 1 on 1 or in a group. Ask for contact info or send a thank you note after the event ("I just wanted to thank you for visiting our University... It was especially interesting to hear about... Would be happy to keep in touch and apply in the nearest future.). Alternatively, you may use linkedin for that. If you are an experienced hire I strongly suggest to ask for a 1 on 1 meeting in a thank you note.

4) 1 on 1 meetings. All people like giving an advice. So don't hesitate to ask consultants for a career advice. Tell your story and ask how consulting fits into it

5) Mock interview Depending on where you are in your prep process you may ask a consultant for a mock interview. Consultants are very much opened to help even if it is a cold call e-mail. The main problem is a lack of time on their side. So don't be afraid to remind about yourself if the consultant has already committed but finds it hard to find the time

6) Talking to partners If you are an experienced hire I suggest to talk directly to the partners in your industry or the partner responsible for experienced hires (in consulting partners also have additional roles). Get an intro from the HR or from your friends working there. Partners care a lot about experienced hires with relevant industry expertise. Chances to get referral are much lower though. They also will not be interested in giving mock interviews.

7) If you are an MBA graduate Just talk to your section mates and ask for a reference or a mock interview - they will be happy to help. Make sure you attend all the consulting events.

Good luck!

Hi there!

Referrals are always important, so you definitely need to prepare it, because they can secure your interview invite. You need 1 referral for 1 application in 1 firm.

All the best,
Gaurav

It definitely makes a huge difference for non-target school candidates as the education background often doesn't speak for itself when the CV is being screened by a recruiter. However, it's less about the number and more about getting a credible person (e.g., a consultant who is actively invovled with recruting, etc.) to send your CV to the recruitment team.