Networking & Referrals for MBB

Hi There,

I am a former BCG principal and also secured a McKinsey offer. I have also coached many to secure MBB offers. There are several ways to get into the interview stage:

• Apply on the site : here you will need to pass the automatic screening before a human will ever read your CV. Critical elements: knowing the language of the office, school, GPA, internships. Only after this will an HR person review your file
• Networking: finding a senior partner that is willing to refer you is key. There are several ways to get in touch with them and i am happy to discuss offline. Regarding cross office refferals, they only work if the person reffering  is senior and if you speak the local language of the office of your choice 

If you would like to strategize on how to secure an interview based on your individual case, chat me anytime 

Hi there,

The recruiting process is the following: 
(1) You chose the appropriate mean of application depending on your seniority level (e.g.: on campus for recent grad or post MBA if you're in a target school, directly through the website or LinkedIn if you're an experienced hire/lateral applicant). 
(2) You get OR NOT a referral before actually applying - this is not a deal breaker, it only helps you CV to be evaluated, which is actually a big deal considering the high volume of applicants. 
(3) You submit your CV, Cover Letter and use the referral (sometimes the offices will reach out to you by saying they have already processed the referral that the consultant gave to you). This is a crucial step, having a consulting ready CV is the most key step to get to next phase and most candidates get it wrong thinking that job titles and fancy brands are enough. Happy to evaluate yours (free of charge) to see if you hit the bar.
(4) If your CV is approved, you then do a pre-interview assessment, each MBB has one such as McKinsey Solve and BCG Casey/Chatbot. Sometimes, this is preceded by an screening call with HR to check your background, why you want to join that particular company and some behavioral questions.
(5) Your CV and the result of the assessment will be evaluated together. If you're approved, you go to the interview rounds. 
(6) Round 1 of interviews, 2 interviews with different interviewers covering behavioral and business case, both equaly important. These 2 people will talk about your case and give the recommendation for you to move forward to the next round.
(7) Round 2 of interviews, same thing but with more senior consultants. If there isn't aligment between the interviewers on weather you should move on/get an offer, you may do a 3rd interview.

The other questions were answered within the points above.
"And lastly, does referrals cross office works?"
Hm, good question, I believe it doesn't but I'll let other coaches respond to that with more certainty.

Best regards,
Mari

Other coaches have broadly covered it but one thing to highlight is that it’s worth receiving a referral before you apply.

As an example: if a McK consultant refers you, you get sent a special application link which is connected to that referral, rather than just submitting a general referral.

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your questions:

• First of all, you can still be invited to interviews without a referral. However, since you are applying to a US office, I would strongly advise you to secure a referral, which is not difficult.
• Moreover, to my knowledge, cross-office referrals work, but they are naturally weaker considering the local nature of consulting hiring in the US.
• Lastly, while I understand your desire to know every detail of the application process, I would advise you to focus your energy on what matters. Ultimately, it doesn't matter if the recruiter, a consultant, or anyone else conducts the screening phase.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your application files, for your upcoming pre-interview assessments and/or interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

So who makes the decision - long time ago it was not uncommon for consultants to screen CVs. This still happens in some very small offices, but in many instances this is done using software and recruiting team is trained enough to screen CVs.

You do not need a referral to get an interview.

Referrals can be made cross-office if the firms processes allow for it (at least for BCG it does work)

Hey there :)

Totally get it — MBB recruiting can feel like a black box. In most cases, recruiters lead the initial screening, especially for generalist roles. But strong referrals from consultants can influence their decision, especially if the consultant writes a note or directly flags your profile. That said, not having a referral doesn’t mean you won’t get an interview — plenty of candidates get through with a strong CV and clear story.

Referrals usually carry more weight within the same office or region, but a great one from another office can still help. And don’t overanalyze every coffee chat — if you showed genuine interest and curiosity, that already puts you ahead of many.

Happy to look at your CV or help with outreach strategy if helpful!

best,
Alessa :)