How do referral work?

Hi,

Referrals mainly help at the resume screening stage;they can increase the chances that your CV gets reviewed more carefully or passed through the initial filter. However, they don’t give you any major advantage during the interviews; from that point on, it’s all about your performance.

The ideal scenario is to have a direct contact in your target office who can refer you. If you don’t have one, you can still “engineer” it by reaching out to people (e.g., alumni, LinkedIn, events) and building a connection.

If that goes well, you can ask for an internal referral or recommendation, but this needs to be done well in advance of your application, not last minute.

Hope this helps.
If you want further information feel free to DM me
Best,
Franco

Hello!

Adding to Franco's comprehensive comment, three points:

• Referrals aren't necessary for everyone; it heavily depends on your level. For undergrads, recruiters filter thousands of CVs, so referrals are key. For post-MBA or experienced hires, the pool is smaller, so contacting a recruiter directly often works.
• For junior applicants, a referral simply means an insider saying, "I trust this person; they deserve an interview." However, seniority matters: a Senior Partner referral practically guarantees an interview unless your CV has red flags. Referrals from a Principal or below are tougher and depend on specific hiring targets (e.g., they might have enough engineers but need digital or finance profiles)
• Ultimately, sending 10-15 short LinkedIn messages costs nothing and has a huge upside, as many consultants actively enjoy coaching. Keep messages brief, find a connection (same city, university, or an article they wrote), and don't ask for the referral upfront. They know the game and will help if there's genuine interest.

Best!

Tom

PS: Coffee chat culture varies globally. It's generally harder in Southern Europe, but much more common in Northern Europe and the UK, which will impact your response rate.