Hi everyone!
I was recently referred to McKinsey, but I’m running into a few complications and would really appreciate some insights.
I received a referral link that mentioned it would be valid for 30 days. I’ve already opened the link and started my application (so it now shows as “saved,” but not yet submitted). However, the referral was unfortunately for the wrong position (full time instead of internship), and my home office doesn’t appear in the system when selecting preferred offices. It seems they do not have any openings as of now.
To make things more complicated, the person who referred me seems quite busy and hasn’t been responsive lately, so I can’t ask them for a new referral. The deadline for the link is up in a couple days, and I don't feel like my resume is quite ready to be handed in as of now as well.
My main questions are:
If the referral link expires after 30 days, does that mean I need to fully submit the application before then for the referral to count, or is saving the application after filling a few fields enough to keep it active?
If I apply using the saved version after 30 days, will the referral still be associated with my application?
Would it be smarter to go ahead and apply now (even with the errors) and then reach out to HR to fix the office/position details later? Or would it be better to not apply and ask HR for an extension on the deadline and/or fix the referral with them to use it at an appropriate time when they have openings?
I’d really appreciate any guidance from people who’ve dealt with a similar McKinsey referral situation — especially around how these 30-day links work.
Thanks in advance!
Would you recommend me still applying with what I currently have to make use of the referral and update my information after submitting to refine parts of my applications I didn't have the time to do yet? Or would it be better to just not apply and let it expire, reaching out to HR for an extension. I do not believe there's a chance of HR replying in time before the deadline.