Hi everyone,
I’m planning to submit my McKinsey application this week, but so far I haven’t been able to secure any referrals. I recently met a manager from Orphoz and was wondering:
Would really appreciate any insights or experiences on this!
Hi there,
Exciting that you're about to submit your application! Best of luck with it!
The answers to your questions:
1. Yes, someone from "a McKinsey company" (e.g., Orphoz) can definitely refer you to any role within the firm. Orphoz employees are still McKinsey employees, and their referral is still meaningful
2. A referral from an Orphoz person is likely to be considered equally relevant as any other internal referral. However, the 2 important caveats are
a. A referral from the office / region that you are applying for, will always carry a bit more weight
b. A referral from a senior person (e.g., Partner or Sr. Partner) also carry a bit more weight
Finally, it is important to highlight that a referral for McKinsey only helps in making it more likely that your application will result in an interview. Once/if you reach the interviews, a referral does not make a difference. At this stage, your performance is all that matters. However, getting that first interview is difficult, so a referral is definitely helpful.
Hope this helps!
Sincerely,
Thor
As long as they are within the McKinsey ecosystem, and especially if they are in a consultant role, then yes, they can support with a referral and yes, it helps.
Would it be better if they were also a generalist? Difficult to assess. Honestly, I don't think it makes a big difference. If anything, it makes a bigger difference whether for that particular office that you're applying for the referral system allows for a more personal, stronger referral, than just a direct, tick-box exercise.
Good luck with the application process!
Best,
Cristian
