Networking with Head of Office MBB

Having a networking call with a senior leader is a fantastic opportunity! Here are some tips to help you prepare:

Do Your Homework: Research the person you'll be speaking with - understand their background, areas of expertise, and recent work. This will give you some idea of what topics might be of interest to them and enable you to ask more informed questions.

Be Prepared: Prepare your own 'story' or introduction. Be able to clearly and succinctly explain who you are, what your background is, and why you're interested in consulting and their particular firm.

Ask Thoughtful Questions: At this level, you should aim to have deeper discussions. Questions might be about their personal experience in the firm, their views on the future of consulting, or trends impacting their industry specialization.

Keep it Conversational: While it's important to be prepared and professional, try to also keep the conversation natural and engaging. They should feel like they're talking to a potential colleague, not conducting an interview.

Value Their Time: Be mindful of the time - leaders are usually very busy. Keep your questions succinct, listen attentively, and be respectful of the time limit.

Follow-up: A thank-you note after your conversation is always appreciated. It not only demonstrates your good manners, but also allows you to reinforce a key discussion point from your conversation.

Remember, the goal is to build a genuine relationship, so be yourself and show genuine interest in the conversation. Best of luck!

Hi there,

Q: I have a networking call with the head of an MBB office. Is there anything different I should do to make sure the call goes well.

Is your goal to get a referral? If so, I would recommend 3 main things for the call:

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

Before the call, I would recommend to have your CV and Cover ready – in this way you can send them right away if the person wants to refer you.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there, 

Great to hear!

Yes - a few things to pay attention to:

1. Don't seek to impress. Seek to connect and have a conversation instead. Don't go on and on about your qualifications. It's not like they're going to hire you on the spot. Also don't see to ask ‘smart’ questions because it might end up reflecting badly on you. Instead, show genuine curiosity in their track. At the end of the day, this is a more experienced person who is a few years down the line from where you'd want to go. Use that and learn from it.

2. Be to the point and have a personal pitch. Try to be concise and not blabber to me. Most senior people don't have a lot of time and they appreciate when people are straight to the point. Develop also short personal pitch that gives a sense of who you are, what is it that you have experience in and what are you genuinely interested in.

3. Ask questions. Ask about their own experience and seek to learn from them how you can be successful in the recruitment process. Avoid asking questions that are either too technical or which you could answer yourself with google. 

You can also leverage the following free resource I've created for candidates on how to conduct such chats:

• Your Guide to Consulting Coffee Chats

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

Well done!

This might ask as a sort of screening call for them.

Make sure you're ready to discuss your background, to explain why you're a strong candidate, and to articulate why you're interested in consulting and their firm.

Practice live with others, and make sure you're prepared to answer any question that comes your way, but naturally. Don't forget to ask insightful, genuine questions as well!

Dear A,

Congratulations on scheduling the call. It's not always easy, and it demonstrates your strong communication skills!

Let me share some tips with you:

1. Start by introducing yourself in 1-1.5 minutes. Keep it concise and engaging. This introduction will come in handy during your interviews as well, so be sure to prepare it beforehand.
2. Ask specific questions. Avoid starting the conversation by simply stating that you wanted to meet them and making it seem like a casual chat. Consultants are extremely busy and prefer interacting with individuals who know what they want and need. Otherwise, they may feel that their time is being wasted.
3. They are aware that you are seeking a referral, so don't make it awkward by directly asking for it. In most cases, if they like you, they will offer to provide a referral. However, if you still wish to ask, frame your question like this: "Do you think having a referral is necessary for my CV to be reviewed, or can I submit my application through the website and still have a chance to be considered?" By phrasing it this way, you give them the opportunity to kindly offer a referral.
4. Keep the conversation as concise as possible. If you run out of questions, be honest and let them know that you don't have any additional inquiries. Express your appreciation for their time and willingness to speak with you.
5. Show understanding of their busy schedule and express your appreciation for them taking the time to answer your questions.
6. After the call, send a follow-up thank-you message.

That's all from me! I hope these tips are helpful. 

Best of luck with everything!

Hello,

Congratulations, that is super impressive! I would just stick to what's been working for you in networking so far: prepare a quick pitch on yourself and why you are interested in joining the company, prepare a couple of questions for them, and be ready to talk about any of your experiences. Hope the call goes well!