Bain

You probably can use it — just don’t overestimate it.

A back-office connection is obviously different from knowing a consultant or partner, but it can still help:

• understanding the office culture
• getting practical recruiting insights
• maybe understanding timelines / processes
• potentially connecting you with someone on the consulting side if the relationship is strong

What I would not do is immediately ask:
“Can you refer me?”

Instead, approach it naturally:

• ask your sister to introduce you
• have an informal conversation
• ask about the office, recruiting, how people break in, etc.

If the conversation goes well, then you can later ask:
“Do you think there’s someone on the consulting side you’d recommend I speak with?”

That’s a much smoother approach.

Also, small point: in places like Bain & Company Riyadh, relationships and internal visibility do matter more than people sometimes think. So even indirect connections can become useful over time.

hey!

You can use this connection, but keep it light and professional. The cleanest move is to ask her friend for a warm intro to someone on the consulting side, not for a favor. A warm intro makes it far more likely a consultant will actually speak with you. In that chat, keep it short, curious, and focused on learning about the office. After that, you can naturally ask for application advice or whether they’d be open to referring you when the time comes. 

Alessa

A back office contact at Bain Riyadh has limited but real value.

They can't formally refer you, that's usually consultants and above. But they can share intel on the hiring mood, introduce you to consultants in the office, and informally flag your CV to recruiters.

Start with a coffee chat, not a referral ask. Build the relationship first. Then make a specific request, "I'm targeting Associate Consultant this cycle, can you introduce me to 2 or 3 consultants."

In parallel, apply through the portal and reach out to consultants directly on LinkedIn.

Good luck.

Hi there, 

Have an intro call with them. 

The way in which this can be advantageous is that since you have a connection to this person, they are more likely to have an intro call with you. 

Since they're more likely to do that, you can get a better understanding of the firm, the role, and how best to prepare to get an offer. Additionally, if the call goes well, this person might offer a referral. 

I've built two resources on this topic of coffee chats and referrals and sharing them here in case they are helpful for you:

Expert Guide: How To Handle Networking Calls and Get Referrals

Expert Guide: How To Get Referrals Via LinkedIn?

Best,
Cristian