Hi there,

Here's your first problem: "I have tried to connect with MBB consultants in a particular office"

Please don't be so narrow in your networking! The first rule of networking is to cast your net wide! Reach out to literally anyone at any level in any region at the company you're interested in! Then, play "tag" to get closer to your office...if you get a referral before then, fantastic!

Feel free to send me a message and we can talk through my formulaic approach to maximizing your networking efforts!

You are not doing networking right. Before reaching out to the recruiter, take another stab at networking the right way :)

Hey there!

Well, it is always better to network before applying. However, I don't see any problmes here. It is not an obligatory part of the process, just gives you some insigts and useful information. And you always can continue your netwroking during the application process.

Hope it helps!

GB