I have secured a referral from a consultant at MBB, who I've hangout a few times and would be willing to help me on my application process. On the other hand, I also have connection with a junior partner who might be able to refer me. But the cons are he doesn't know me that well.
Should I stick with my current plan - apply to the firm from a consultant who I'm more familiar with? Or, should I try to get the referral from a junior partner who I slightly know?
Best recommendations are from senior consultants and managers, i.e., people who know the job and who actually know you.
So if you have a recommendation from someone who meets this criteria, you have what you need. A partner won't be of further value, and may actually be less interesting.
The seniority does matter.
Perhaps in your situation, its best to stick to your “Consultant friend” as sounds like they are willing to invest time & effort in your application. So, if they can coach you on the application & help sharpen your interview prep, overall this can turn out more effective.
Hi there,
Why not both? Try now for the partner, but keep the consultant close.
If the Partner ends up not referring you, you have a fantastic backup! If he/she does refer you, you can simply tell the consultant “hey, great news: I ended up speaking with x Partner and they offered to refer me. I apprecite your offer to refer but I imagine it would be best if it went through xx?”
No harm in trying!
‘A’ referral is better than no referral
Seniority can matter to an extent that some of your application processes could become non-evaluatory or be even skipped - such as the screening tests/games.
Try to get the senior referral - if not then you can always fall-back on the consultant.
Hello,
I think the advice you got here so far is spot on - seniority does matter, but having a referral in the first place is the most important thing. I would recommend you cultivate the connection with your junior partner to see if they can refer you. Ultimately the partner's referral is just going to carry a lot more weight, even if they know you less well than the consultant does. If a few weeks pass and you feel like you're not getting far with them, I would ask the consultant. In any case, it would still be very useful for you to get the consultant's help and advice on your application and throughout the recruiting process, if they are willing to help you - seems like a great offer on their end.
Hi there,
If you manage to get the referral from the partner, I would go for that. The more senior the person referring you, the better.
If that doesn’t work, you can always go for the consultant.
Hope this helps,
Francesco
Hi!
Seniority matters and therefore I would try to deepen your relationship with the Junior Partner.
Best,
Anto
Seniority does matter, but any referral is better than no referral.
I'd try first to get a referral from the junior partner. If that doesn't work out, it's still good to have a referral from the consultant.
Good luck!
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