MBB applications with or without referral?

Hi,

A referral is a helpful boost, but it doesn't replace the need for a solid application. The core of a solid application are a strong CV, relevant experience included in your cover letter and excellent interview performance.

Mattijs

Hey there, 

Ultimately, you should prioritize having a strong CV and profile! This is what recruiters are looking for when doing the screening of your CV. If your profile and CV don't meet the standards, even a referral won't help. 

But don't get me wrong... a referral - especially from a more senior consultant like a Partner is helpful, as it signifies to the recruiters that leaders in the firm see potential in you, and this would add more weight in the mind and screening process to the recruiters. Also, having referrals can help unblock bottlenecks in your application or help with information sharing (so you won't be in the dark when sometimes things go quiet).

So my biggest advice is definitely to seek a referral, but don't neglect having a strong CV and profile!

All the best!

For BCG, a referral from a consultant means you get your CV screened, which can be advantageous especially if you fall between the cracks/don't fit into traditional hiring routes and thus can be challenging to get your CV reviewed.

Does it help in terms of seniority? Lot's of people will tell you that seniority matters.. there's no hard and fast rule here and its of course very context dependent... but here's my take on it:

• Consultant referred your CV -> recruiting team will review your CV, but maybe they might slip on it and take longer than normal process
• A senior partner referring your CV -> recruiting team will review your CV and definitely not forget about it, they will probably do it faster than the CV that came from the Consultant
• In either scenario above, if your CV is not strong / up to the mark, the screeners are going to reject your profile anyway
• The only way that someone is going to let you through the process EVEN IF your profile is NOT strong/doesnt meet the requirements, is if you are a "relationship hire", and even then these are very rare in consulting versus say the heydays of banking

So unless you are the kid of a CEO that is a key client or potential client of the firm....my take is that getting a referral is better than not having one, if you can't get a senior one, its not the end of the world. But you can't compromise on the strength of your application. 

Hi,

A referral is a helpful boost, but it doesn't replace the need for a solid application. The core of a solid application are a strong CV, relevant experience included in your cover letter and excellent interview performance.

Mattijs