Referral tips

Hello!

My suggestion is: keep messages brief, find a connection (same city, university, or an article they wrote), explain why you are interested in their firm/work, and don't ask for the referral upfront in a way that might be perceived as too direct (e.g., "Hey! I need a referral for your firm ..."). Don't worry, consultants know the game and will help if there's genuine interest :)

FYI: for junior applicants, a referral simply means an insider saying, "I trust this person; they deserve an interview." However, seniority matters: a Senior Partner referral practically guarantees an interview unless your CV has red flags. 

Best!

Tom

PS: Coffee chat culture (i.e., connecting to discuss your interest in working at someone's company) varies globally. It's generally harder in Southern Europe and MENA, but much more common in Northern Europe and the US, which will impact your response rate.

Hi,

I have been on both sides of this (asking and receiving these messages), and the biggest mistake I see is people asking for a referral too early.

If someone doesn’t know you, it is quite hard for them to refer you confidently — especially in consulting where referrals carry some weight.

What tends to work much better is to treat it as a short conversation first, not a transaction.

You can start with a simple message like: “Hi [Name], I saw you also went to [University] and are now at [Firm]. I’m exploring consulting and would really appreciate 15 minutes to hear about your experience and any advice you might have.”

Keep it simple and easy to say yes to.

If they reply and you have a quick chat, just focus on a normal conversation:
ask about their path, their work, and maybe share briefly what you’re aiming for. No need to push anything.

At the end, you can naturally bring it up: “I am planning to apply soon — do you have any advice on the process?”

A lot of the time, if the conversation went well, they will offer to refer you themselves. If not, you can ask politely:
“Would you feel comfortable referring me?”

At that point, it doesn’t feel awkward anymore.

A couple of small things that make a difference:

• keep messages short (people skim)
• make a clear ask (15-min chat works well)
• follow up once if needed
• target people you have something in common with (same university is perfect)

Also just to set expectations — referrals help you get noticed, but they don’t replace a strong CV.

If I had to put it simply:
start with a conversation, not a referral request. That’s what usually works.

Best,

Soheil

HI, I wouldn’t ask for a referral directly in the first message. It usually doesn’t work well.

Instead:

• start by reaching out mentioning the shared university
• ask about their experience at the firm
• keep it light and genuine

Something like:
“Hi, I saw you also studied at X and are now at Y firm — I’m exploring consulting and would love to hear about your experience if you have 15 min.”

Once they reply, try to move to a quick call.

On the call:

• ask how they find the firm
• what they like / don’t like
• what profiles they look for

Then, if the conversation goes well, you can ask more naturally:
“Do you think my profile could be a fit? And if so, would you be comfortable referring me?”

Much better than asking cold on LinkedIn.

So overall:

• build a bit of connection first
• move to a call
• ask in a natural way

That tends to work much better.

hey there :)

the most important thing is that you shouldn’t treat it as a cold ask. ideally you already have some kind of connection or at least build a bit of rapport first, because a referral is always some level of risk for the consultant and reflects on them.

a simple way is to reach out mentioning the shared university, keep it friendly, and first ask for a short chat to learn about their experience at the firm. if the conversation goes well and there’s a natural fit, you can then ask if they’d feel comfortable referring you.

something like: “hey, I saw you also studied at X and are now at Y, I’d love to hear a bit about your experience and your path into consulting” works well. then only later: “based on our conversation, I’m really interested in applying, would you feel comfortable referring me?”

this way it feels genuine and not transactional, and you give them an easy out if they’re not comfortable.

BR Alessa

Short, honest messages work best. Do not ask for a referral in the first message. Ask for a quick chat first.

A simple structure:

• Line 1. Who you are and the university connection.
• Line 2. What you are doing now and that you are exploring opportunities at their firm.
• Line 3. Ask for 15 minutes to hear about their experience, not for a referral.

Something like this:

"Hi [Name], I came across your profile and saw we both studied at [University]. I am currently [your role or status] and exploring consulting opportunities, and your firm is high on my list. Would you have 15 minutes in the next week or two for a quick chat about your experience there? Would really appreciate it."

A few tips:

• Keep it under 80 words. Long messages get skipped.
• Do not attach your CV in the first message. Share it later if they ask.
• The referral ask comes at the end of the chat, not before. If it goes well, say, "Based on our chat, would you feel comfortable referring me?"
• If they say no or do not reply, move on. Do not follow up more than once.

Good luck.

Hi there,

I personally would not. It's jumping straight into demands. Rather, you want to cleanly and concisely make a connection and draw them in, so to speak (give them a reason to want to speak with you). During the call you can ask. Here are some more tips: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-get-a-consulting-internship-tips-and-tricks

Yes, you can. 

I've actually built a material targeted at this that you might find useful. It takes you through how to build a funnel in LinkedIn in order to identify contacts for coffee chats and potential referrals:

• • Expert Guide: How To Get Referrals Via LinkedIn?

Best,
Cristian