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
Hi,
Yes they can submit a referral on your behalf. However, just entering your name into the system is not that helpful to secure an interview especially in the current hiring environment. What you ideally want is someone who will advocate for your by emailing HR and speaking to partners that are involved in recruiting. I would work to network with more senior people at McKinsey who can do that for you and help get you your first round interview.
Best,
Udayan
Hello,
Orphoz is part of the McKinsey ecosystem but operates a bit separately as you said. So yes, a manager from Orphoz can refer you, and the referral will still go through the McKinsey system, but it usually carries slightly less weight than one from a core consulting service line. Still, it’s definitely better than no referral at all, especially if they can speak to your skills or fit with the firm.
Hey there
Yes, a referral from an Orphoz manager can help, but it usually carries less weight than one from a McKinsey consultant in the core practice. It still signals internal endorsement and can get your application noticed, especially if the manager knows you well and writes a strong recommendation. If you can, try to combine it with networking inside the main McKinsey teams too.
Best,
Alessa
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
