Hi there, 

Ideally you'd be going for someone who is at least at the same seniority level as the position you're applying for. 

I wrote an article on PrepLounge regarding how you can connect better with consultants in order to get such referrals. You can check it out HERE.

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

Love Pedro's answer!

Your focus should be getting ONE referral - this is what makes the difference. 

From my personal, purely observational data set, it makes little difference if the referral comes from BA up to EM level. APs/Junior Partner/ Principal referrals and higher do weigh more. 

If you score a Senior Partner referral, I would say that its almost guaranteed that you will be interviewed; then again, I have never seen a Sr. Partner give a referral or know someone who has received one…

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

In my experience, it doesn't make much of a difference whether you're being referred by an Associate or an Associate Partner if you applied for a BA position, for example. Hence, if you have a referral lined up already and are generally ready to apply, go for it!

The only good reason to wait, in my estimation. would be a legitimate shot at getting a Partner referral. However, if you haven't been networking with this goal in mind, this might take some time, which you may or may not have.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

Moritz

I have a slightly different take. While a referral is always better than no referral, it makes a significant difference if it is from a partner vs an EM. A partner referral to HR (especially with a personalized note) has a very high chance of leading to an interview invite.

0,9 * “Having a referral” + 0,1 * “Rank of the referee”

What really makes the difference is having a referral.

HI there,

I have to disagree with most here (and agree with Udayan).

A Partner/Principal referral is much more imppactful to an analyst referral. 

That said, you should be very happy to get any referral period.

Aim to get a higher one, but be glad you have the one you have (if you can't get higher, don't kill yourself trying to do so)