Partner referral

Hi there,

A referral is just a door opener such that the recruiting team will look through your application more thoroughly. Depending on the seniority, tenure and advocacy of the person referring you, you have a better chance of getting a first round interview. The more senior the person referring you is, the better. The longer the tenure of that person with the firm is, the better.

The reason is that such voices carry more weight than referrals coming from super junior or brand new people. They typically know the HR folks better and have been involved in recruiting activities for a while so it is usually assumed that they have a good grasp of what types of candidates with which sets of qualifications the firm needs. However, any referral is ultimately better than no referral. 

Ideally, you get a referral from someone from the same office (or same country) you are applying to. But again, a referral from someone within the same firm but different office or country organization is still better than no referral.

A direct rejection after the CV screening stage can still happen - even with a referral. In that case the recruiting team usually provides some feedback to the person having given the referral. So you should follow up with them to better understand the rationale in case that happens. On the flipside, you can still get an interview invite when you just apply online without a referral - the probability is just lower - particularly when your CV is not “stellar” on a standalone basis.

And as always, factors such as economic conditions and headcount/budget planning of the individual firm also matter significantly in these decisions - but they are not within your control.

Best

Hey,

I'm not sure about Strategy & as a specific example, but generally speaking:

Referrals make it easier to get to the interview stage, but you still have to 'meet the bar' at interview to get an offer. I.e., a Partner referral should not make it 'easier' to pass your interviews.

Best of luck.

Hi, 

Referrals generally help put your cv at the top of the pile - they boost your chances of receiving an interview invitation. But that’s where their impact usually ends.

Once you're in the interview process, you're evaluated just like any other candidate, whether you had a referral or not.

good luck and happy to chat!

Hello ! If the firm is transparent (which I suppose it is), you still go through a normal hiring process, regardless of who referred you. The referral though has a big impact on whether or not your CV will go through. Being referred by a partner I think gives you much higher chances than applying through the website for example.

Hi there!

No referral, regardless of whether it's from a Partner, guarantees that you pass screening.

But they all help increase the chances of you passing screening. They are like a tap on the shoulder of the recruiter, telling them you're a strong candidate that's worth a close look.

Aside from the referral, make sure that you write a great CV and cover letter, and also validate with the interviewer that they are actually hiring at the moment.

You might find the following guide useful:

• Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

hey! 

A partner referral definitely give your application a strong boost. While it usually doesn’t mean you’ll skip formal steps like interviews, it can increase the chances that your application gets serious attention and moves faster through the process.

Having a partner vouch for you can also positively influence the interview experience, as interviewers may already have some confidence in your fit. Overall, it improves your probability of acceptance but doesn’t guarantee it—you’ll still need to perform well in interviews.

If you want, I can share tips on how to make the most of a referral!

Alessa

It just increases the chance of being invited to interview, assuming you have a strong profile. It does not guarantee an interview and gives not other advantage once you are in the process.