Hi,
About a month ago, I received a referral for the Bain Associate position, but I haven’t received any email or update since then. I don’t want to bother the person who referred me, but I’m wondering what I should do.
Should I go ahead and apply directly through the company’s portal as long as the position is still open, or would it be better to keep waiting? The person who referred me confirmed that they submitted the referral0
I would not hesitate to reach out to the person that offered to refer you. Write them a polite email and state you have not gotten a response. Most people understand the reason you are following up and will take action as needed.
If that does not work and you have no one else to reach out to then you can go ahead and apply.
If I remember correctly from the Bain process, I think you should receive an email asking you to apply. You are best served following up directly and politely, asking for the guidance on the next steps.
There is a non-zero chance there is a system glitch and only HR can sort it out.
Hope it helps!
Hi there,
If it’s been a month with no update, it’s totally reasonable to follow up with the person who referred you. Just send a short, polite message to update them that you haven't received anything, and ask whether there's a way to follow-up with HR.
Hi there, great that you got a referral!
Best to kindly follow up with your referee and they will guide you - if there is no news, jump on that application!
Once HR is in the screening process it should show also that you have been referred.
Good luck!
If the person confirmed they submitted the referral, I would reach out to the recruiter and ask how the process work from now on. You can tell them who you spoke with and told you they referred you, and then clarify whether you should apply directly or not.
Best,
Cristian
Reach out to the recruiter to validate on how to proceed.
Hi there,
A referral is just a door opener such that the recruiting team will look through your application more thoroughly. However, you can't expect someone who doesn't know you to put their name and reputation on the line for a quick referral. It usually takes some time to cultivate this kind of professional relationship. You should have at least an informal "interview" with that person before you can expect something.
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.
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
that why im histant to reach out to my connecation