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.

Hi,

Referrals are useful, but often misunderstood. In practice, it’s actually pretty simple. A referral just means someone inside the firm submits your CV internally or flags you to recruiting. Your application then gets tagged as “referred” and is more likely to be looked at by a human instead of being filtered out early.

That’s really it mechanically.

Where it helps is mainly at the screening stage. Especially if you’re coming from a non-target background, a referral can increase your chances of getting an interview because you’re no longer just another anonymous application.

But it’s important to be realistic about it — a referral won’t “fix” a weak CV. If your profile doesn’t meet the bar, it still won’t go through. Think of it as improving your odds, not guaranteeing anything.

Also, not all referrals are equal. There’s a big difference between someone who just uploads your CV after a quick message, and someone who actually spoke with you and adds a short note like “I recommend this candidate.” The second one carries more weight.

On how to get them — don’t go in asking directly. That’s where most people go wrong.

What works much better is:
reach out to people (alumni, same background, same office), have a short and normal conversation, show that you’ve done your homework. If the interaction goes well, many people will offer to refer you or will be happy to do it if you ask at the end.

One last point — in markets where your university is not a target, referrals and networking matter more. Not because they bypass the system, but because they help you get through the first filter.

If I had to summarize it simply: a referral helps you get seen, not selected.

You still need a strong CV and good interviews to convert.

Best,

Soheil