I heard that referal is not as important at MBB, it can only get your CV to be viewed by the recruiter. Is that true?

Hi Anonymous,

This is a great question. 

A referral can definitely help you to accelerate your application, and can indeed give you an additional nudge to get invited to the interview.

Once the interview starts though, you are back to square one, and you'll need to prove that you have what it takes to become a consultant. Whether you have a referral or not when you are sitting in that interview chair, won't make a difference anymore.

Cheers,

Pascal

Hey there, referrals are important and can definitely give an extra nudge specially when it comes from someone senior and/or someone trusted in the company. But not having one is not a deal breaker. My advice will be to always try and get one if you can given how competitive it has become these days. As a general guidance, dont go by hearsay and always think which extra things will make your application stand out.

Have a look at these threads which precisely discuss this topic:

• https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-important-are-internal-referrals-for-candidates-from-non-target-schools-1692
• https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/importance-of-referrals-and-office-of-referrer-us-mbb-7269
• https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/do-i-need-mbb-referrals-7475

I would largely agree. At McKinsey, there are three types of referrals, i) headhunters especially for specific profiles, ii) employee incentive programme where the consultant will get a cash sum if their candidate gets an offer, or iii) consultant emails a CV to the recruiting team. It will increase the chances of your CV being read but the process led by the recruiting team is followed rigorously to avoid preferential treatment (e.g., a senior partner trying to get their client CEO's daughter in, etc.). The real value from networking is more to better understand what the firm is looking for throughout the selection process and get some meaingful advice from someone who is an interviewer and/or has gone through the process successfully themselves.

Hi there,

Well, of course it can only get your CV to be viewed! That's how all referrals work.

If your CV is garbage, of course you won't get past the screening phase.

Remember, referrals are upsides, but no gaurentees. With that...ther'es no downside to a referral.

So, no, referrals will not gaurentee you an interview. And, no, referrals will not make the interviews easier/more lenient (this has been asked).

But, they dramatically improve your odds of getting past screening!

A referral does more. All CVs get viewed by a recruiter, but with a referral, you have a very high (in some firms even guaranteed) likelyhood to get an interview. Beyond that, the referral doesn't help. To get an offer you will need to perform in the interviews.

And that's the same in all firms, MBB and T2.

Yes, totally true. 

Does not guarantee anything else. 

Good luck!

Hello!
You still need a referral as well as a polished CV and a strong cover letter to secure the interview invites.
A referral can be a great instrument that helps you secure an interview invite.
However, it is not a 100% guarantee that you eventually get an offer,

But the question is: How much do you want to get the job? Without any doubt, it is better to provide yourself with a referral for the targeted firm. Otherwise, you can not even get invited.
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