BCG referral question

Question

Hi,

I recently had two somewhat positive experiences with BCG consultants at on-campus recruiting events. For context, I go to a semi-target school and am looking to become an associate intern.

In the first, I met the associate at the info-session. After a couple weeks, he responded to my email and we had a good chat for around 20 minutes about his job. I sent a follow-up email asking to be referred to someone who has done cases more related to my industry of focus and did not receive a response.

In the second, I met the associate at an in-person on campus coffee chat. It was only supposed to be 15 minutes but the conversation was going great (bonded over same major, similar clubs, hometown, etc.) and we went over by double. Afterwards, he responded to my thank you email and said that he would ask the main recruiter to refer me to someone else at BCG who does cases more related to my focus industry. That email was 12 days ago and I have not heard anything from the recruiter since.

Is it possible to follow-up with either of these associates to help get a referral?

Answer 1

Hi there,

Q: Is it possible to follow-up with either of these associates to help get a referral?

I believe you can follow up with the second person without issues. However I don’t think the process you are following is the best one to get a referral as (i) you can target directly the person that can refer you and (ii) you don’t need to be referred by someone related to a specific industry.

I would rather look for someone who is an alumnus of your school, establish a connection and indirectly ask for a referral from that person.

You can find some tips on referrals below:

▶ Steps to Get a Referral in Consulting

Best,

Francesco

Answer 2

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:

First of all, I feel that you may have a misunderstanding of how referrals work. A referral is simply a mild form of acknowledgement that an employee has had a positive experience with you as a potential candidate, regardless of your industry preference. So there is absolutely no need to ask these two consultants to refer you to someone else.
Moreover, as the situation is as strange as it is now, I would still advise you to contact both consultants but leave out the request to be referred to someone else. Perhaps future exchanges will provide an opportunity to ask one of them directly for a referral.
Lastly, if this is not the case, I would advise you to at best contact alumni of your alma mater in order to possibly get a referral.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

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Answer 3

There is absolutely no harm in trying. If you send a politely worded email asking for help they will not be offended. Realistically, people get caught up in their work and other endeavors and often forget to follow up on referrals and such. Many will benefit from the reminder.

Now, if they do not respond to the follow-up email as well it is possible that they changed their mind or have too much going on right now to be able to refer you and you may need to find others for now.

I am not sure why you are only focused on getting a referral from someone who works at BCG in your industry of choice? That is not a requirement to be referred….

Answer 4

Hi there,

Yes, you should follow up with both contacts.

Try to broaden your referral approach. Look for people who can directly refer you. The higher their position in BCG, the better. There is no need they work in the same industry you want to apply.

Best,

Alberto

—

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

Answer 5

Hi there,

you can follow up with both. Remember, you are not a priority in their day-to-day work. They are likely very busy so it is not uncommon that your e-mails end up out of mind once they have been out of sight for a while.

Since you already have a somewhat personal relationship to these individuals, why don't you try to secure a referral directly from them. You don't need them to get you in touch with someone else who focuses on a different industry necessarily. It seems like a rather roundabout way to approach this.

Sure, a referral from someone senior in the firm carries more weight but any referral is better than no referral. Plus the two consultants you mentioned are active in campus recruiting so they likely know the HR team well too. Hence, their referral would be taken just a seriously presumably.

Best

Answer 6

I'm a bit puzzled as to why you asked for ‘someone else at BCG who does cases more related to my focus industry’?

Why did you get a referral from them?

Here's how you can ask for referrals indirectly, if this is what you're struggling with.

Expert Guide: How To Get Referrals Via LinkedIn?

Best,
Cristian

Answer 7

Hello there,

Absolutely, following up in both scenarios is not just possible but advisable. It's important to navigate these interactions with professionalism and tact, ensuring that you express gratitude for their time and assistance while also gently reminding them of your interest and request.

When following up, remember to be patient and understanding that they have busy schedules and competing priorities so they might not be as responsive.

Hope this helps!

Answer 8

It is possible to follow up… in order to see if they can finally get that other person who is more focused on your target industry. That is the natural next step. Then hopefully that other person may give you a referral.

If that doesn't work… try again with another consultant.