How valuable is an post-MBA (Associate/Consultant at McK/BCG) referral if they just joined the firm?

Hi there,

It's a helpful referral to have!

You have to remember that everything is a choice. If you think you'll need another 10 hours of networking with this firm to get a Partner referral, and in that time you could go from 0 referrals to 3 referrals at 3 other firms, well, then do the latter :)

Or, if that time is needed for a more optimal resume, case prep etc.

Summary: Your referral is good, not great. A higher level would be better. But, is it the best use of time to upgrade? Depends.

Here's some more reading to help: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-get-a-consulting-internship-tips-and-tricks

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/application-tracker

Hi there,

Think about it this way - basically, any referral brings about 90% of the potential / help that a referral can bring. 

The more senior the referral, the better. But the additional improvement is rather small. 

So my advice is to focus on getting any referral and then move on to improving other aspects of your application (such as CV, CL, etc. - a more detailed overview can be found in the article below):

• Free Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

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Hello,

If you have some time before you need to apply, I would advise you to continue networking to try to get a referral from someone more senior. It can make a big difference in your likelihood of getting invited to interview.

If you're already close to application deadlines, having a referral is always much better than not having one, so you should definitely use it. 

It's difficult to quantify the exact amount by which a referral helps in getting an interview, but this is how I would think about it strategically.

Hi there,

Q: In terms of securing an interview, how valuable is a post-MBA (Associate/Consultant at McK/BCG) referral if they just joined the firm?

A referral from a newcomer is better than not having a referral. As mentioned by the other coaches, you have time you can try to network and obtain a referral from senior consultants. 

You can find more on referrals here:

▶ How to Get an MBB Invitation

Good luck! 

Francesco

Hi,

if your alternative is no referral, then this is still valuable of course. However, if you have some time to try and get a referral from someone with either more seniority or a longer tenure at the firm (or ideally both) I would give it a shot. 

Good luck

Hi,

At BCG, a referral by a Consultant is still worth something. HR/recruiting will still look at your CV. I have referred a few candidates before and they were reviewed by HR.

If you can get one by someone who is more senior, great. If not, that's still better than most applicants who do not have a referral.

What's more important now then is to make sure your application is a strong one.

All the best!