How to leverage networking to maximise chances of MBB first rounds?

Hello, 

thanks a lot for the question. :) 

First of all big congratulations for your accomplishments! 

I would suggest you to follow 3 main steps: 

1) Identify the right professionals to contact:  

• Pass through your existing network →Reach out professionals you already know working in MBB or past consultants. They may put in contacts with interesting colleagues. It would be ideal to have their email. If not, go for LinkedIn. 
• Create your own network → Identify and study the LinkedIn profile of the best consultants already working there based on the following criteria: 
  • Same seniority
  • Similar academic and, potentially, work related background 
  • Already extensive experience in the firm

2) Contact them by email (preferred option) or LinkedIn. It is very important to write a customised message made up of the following components: 

• Presentation of yourself → Focus on who you are, your main achievements and why you are interested specifically in that firm 
• Reason for contact → Explain why you reached out him/her (e.g., leverage some features of his/her profile)  and show interest in knowing more both about his/her experience and the firm itself 
• Call request → Kindly ask for some time in order to know each other better and make the whole process more efficient

3) Setup for a call → Prepare yourself for the call. Reinstate in deeper terms what you wrote by email.  Be kind and try to understand indirectly if there is the possibility of a potential referral

Generally speaking, keep in mind that consultants are internally incentivised to make referrals with the highest possibility of success. Focus on making the best possible impression showing determination, curiosity, proactivity. It quite often happens that they will propose you to make the referral. If not do not push to much because it can be counterproductive. 

Do not hesitate to reach out me in case of further questions! I am currently offering a free coaching session.  

Good luck!

Matteo

Hello, 

Congratulations on the tremendous experience. In your situation, I would: 

1. Keep an open mind at the Big 4: You may enjoy the team and work :-)
2. Hedge your bets and engage directly with the recruiters of each office at each firm. You should have from what I gather relevant experience 
3. Ask the MBB consultants you engaged with - whether they are at their respective firm or not - if they can refer you (even if they are from another office) (they can write their local HR from their office who can then forward it on to the relevant office) 
4. I would also ask the MBB consultants if they know anyone from the firm that lives in the geographic area that you wish to work so that they can connect you so you can learn more about the local office 
5. Work on your CV and cover letter. Do not underestimate this piece as a well crafted story and CV can be just as powerful as a referral 
6. Learn about the local office you are targeting (what industries / functions do they primarily serve) as this can help you get to the right people 

Hope this was helpful and glad to connect and chat more. 

Daniel. 

 

Hi there,

To find a referral, you should follow three main steps:

1. Identify the people that can help you
2. Write them a customized email
3. Have a call and indirectly ask for a referral

As general tips:

• Don’t use LinkedIn for your communication – emails work better. You should target 30% conversion for your messages; if you are not achieving that, there is space for improvement
• When sending emails, your goal should be to organize a call, not to ask questions – you can then use the call for the questions
• You need to close the call with an indirect request for a referral – don’t leave that to chances. There are specific ways to phrase it

You should prepare three main things before the call:

• Your own pitch. 3-4 lines should be enough
• 3-4 questions on the personal experiences of the person. Avoid to ask questions about the company
• A closing question for the referral. It should be an indirect request to avoid being too pushy

You can find more on referrals here:

▶ How to Get an MBB Interview

If you need help please feel free to PM me, I do a 30min session on referrals, including scripts and all the steps to follow, at 50% discount. I used this process myself and got 6 invitations out of 6 applications – including all MBB.

Best,

Francesco

Hey there,

Try to get a referral in the following order:

1. Event participation. Try to get invited to recruiting events of MBB. While there, talk to current consultants of the firm. If all goes well, these contacts will naturally translate into referrals
2. Cold outreach via Linkedin. Focus on consultants who have a similar background (e.g., same school, same hometown, same previous employer). Reach out politely and state that you are interested in working at Firm X and have a couple of questions. If they reply, take the conversation from there and try to get a referral.

Generally, the referral is better

• the more senior the person
• if you have more than one

Fingers crossed!

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

Sounds like you have a solid background and your priorities straight!

As for your questions:

• Converting existing contacts into referrals is best done by getting to a point where enquiring about this directly wouldn't be awkward. They should know about your interest and have you pegged as a good fit, at which point a referral is also in their interest (MBB incentivize this). However, don't be too pushy!
• Making contacts in the first place is a bit trickier. However, once you have a couple of contacts, they naturally lead to the next one e.g. some Associate in location X connects you to an Associate in location Y. It doesn't always have to be at Partner level (often makes it a bit more difficult, actually). A referral from a Senior Consultant is worth a lot, too! If you have no contacts, that's where you need to get busy on linkedin to cross reference school alumni currently in MBB and start sending out some messages. If you have common contacts, ask for an introduction. Alternatively, MBB host all kinds of networking events for different groups e.g. students, women, engineers, etc.

Note: Location isn't so important, unless we're talking completely different countries. However, within a given country, it really doesn't matter so much.

The most important thing is to be determined but never aggressive and pushy! Being a friendly and simply likeable person goes a long way.

Hope this helps a bit! Best of luck!

Hi there,

For contacts you already have:

1) Hint at a referral - Say you're definitely going to be applying in x weeks and were wondering if they have any advice/tips for you

2) Play Tag - Ask them to put you in touch with someone (x office, role, industry, function) so that you can learn more (as it relates to your interests/goals). From that new contact you can aim for a referral.

Good luck!

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/MBA if not too late

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

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Hi there, 

A key point is not to get desperate (and if you do, to not show it). 

Contact people through your personal network or cold via LinkedIn. Prepare for the conversations by having actual genuine questions that you're interested in. I'm sure there are lots of things that you want to know about the job and the industry and which you cannot get answers to over the internet. Then at the end of the conversation say that you are very keen on applying and ask whether there is a possibility of them supporting your application with a referral. 

Don't worry too much about asking directly. There's nothing shameful about it. Referrals are also beneficial to those who give them because they receive a bonus if you actually get the job. That's it. Be curious, honest and straight about it and don't get discouraged if it's difficult to get on a call with people.