Can I get a referral from a Bain employee while my application is in progress? Specifically while I’m waiting to hear back on my sova test? Also, does it matter if the referral is coming from a Bain consultant in another city/country?
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Hi there,
I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:
- First of all, it is unfortunately impossible to get a referral for an ongoing application. Referrals are used to pass the screening phase of the application process, which you clearly already have.
- Moreover, even if not relevant for you anymore, it does indeed matter if the referral is coming from someone in another office, as it will be perceived weaker. For referrals from another country, it is often not even possible to do so technically.
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 for your upcoming Bain interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
Best,
Hagen
Hi,
If your application is already processed then there is no point in getting a referral. Past the screening stage, you will be solely judged based on the performance in the assessments, whether digital or live case interviews.
The referrals work to get your application screened and are meant to identify candidates with whom the firm can start the interview process with.
All the best!
Hi there,
A referral is just a door opener such that the recruiting team will look through your application more thoroughly. You will need to secure a referral before submitting your application. Once you submit, a referral after the fact won't matter anymore because the application is already going through a different channel.
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 might just be lower - unless your CV is “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
Hi there,
Not at this point, unfortunately. Before the test, it would have made more sense.
Fingers crossed!
Cheers,
Florian
