Hey, could anyone here help me with a referral to McKinsey or BCG? US office, NY

Hello!

This is not the way it works, if you are serious referrer, you only refer people who you genuinely think that will be great assets for the company, and you cannot do so for someone you don´t know. 

Clara

Hi there, 

It's actually quite easy to get a referral, but this is not the way :)

Try connecting with a few people from your target firm and office (it weighs more if they happen to be active consultants within that specific firm and office than if it's alumni or people from other geographies), ask them questions, try and connect with them and at the end ask for a referral. They get a bonus if you get in so they have all the interest in the world to refer you - it's not like recommending you to enter the mafia. 

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

Unfortunately, at least for McKinsey you need to be a current member of the firm to refer. Most people on here will be alumni, so probably better to go via your network as the referral will likely be more meaningful too :)

Cheers!

Hi there,

Q: Could anyone here help me with a referral to McKinsey or BCG?

Technically a coach cannot refer you, as just a current employee can do so (you cannot act as a paid coach if you are still employed). They could put in touch with their network if it makes sense though.

In my program, I do a referral session where I teach you how to get referrals on your own, including all the scripts your need. This is the same method I followed and landed me 6 invitations out of 6 applications. 

You can find more on that here:

▶ The Exact Steps to Get an MBB Referral

Best,

Francesco

Hi there, 

this is a good question. I would suggest doing

1. A little research who in your network has eventually someone from MBB in their connections
2. Join some of the MBB events to connect with the firm
3. Ask help your career service at the university

BUT, I wouldn't be obsessed with referrals. They do help make sure your CV will be checked, but all candidates are treated equally, even if you have a referral but your CV doesn't fit, you won't get far. Having said that, I would rather recommend focusing the energy on preparing the winning CV and cover letter for the interview. 

I wish you all the best,

Lucie

Was this answer helpful?

PS: Even Alumni can refer you

Hi there,

Sorry, a referral is us saying “this candidate will be excellent for the firm”.

I will never say yes to a stranger!

This is one main point of networking: Reach out to people, have conversations, and see if you can get a referral.

When you do reach out and have those calls, please don't lead in with “can you help me with a referral”. That's a sure-fire way to have them block you from the beginning!

You have to network your way to a referral. No one that doesn't know you will give you a referral.

Hello,

Referrals should come from current employees, and current employees are prohibited from working as coaches, so unfortunately this is probably not the place to go. If you feel like you don't have any connections to those firms, I recommend looking for some firm events in your area or even just searching up people on LinkedIn and reaching out by email.