Hi there, 

If you are targeting entry-level positions (either post-undergrad or post-MBA), I will say networking with partners or even senior partners will not be necessary. If you have found a strong contact who can connect you to a partner on a phone, or say you found a way to make an impression on a partner during an info session, then sure it would be great to keep these partner leads warm and make sure they know your interests in applying to the firm. 

My personal experience is, networking with Project Leaders (Engagement Managers) or Principals at your target office is the most efficient way to get a strong internal referral. They usually have enough tenure (3~5+ years) with the firm and will have a strong influence during recruiting process (usually the lead of recruiting effort will be a Principal). Aside from getting referrals, they will actually know what types of projects you are likely to work on, what's the office dynamics, etc. which are all valuable information to you. 

One thing to note is networking usually is effective only in getting you into interviews and making sure you gain knowledge of the firm/office that you are applying to. Your performances in both behavioral and case interviews will eventually determine whether you receive an offer or not. 

Hope this helps!

(editiert)

Hi there,

as a general rule of thumb, the more senior the referrer, the stronger is the the weight of the referral. 

If you can get a Partner to refer you, that of course is ideal. Given Partners are harder to reach / access, what often works well if you first build relationship with mid-level roles (Project Manager, Principal, Director) and have them either help with a referral or connect you to a Partner. 

Hope that helps. If you want to learn more on how to network effectively with the top firms, feel free to reach out to me.

Cheers, Andi

Hi there,

Absolutely you should try!

You should be casting your net wide. You should be trying to network with any and all levels. More important than seniority is the “excuse” you have in messaging them. Make sure you messages are effective and message a wide range of people!

Hello,

It is definitely worth it if you can get a senior partner on the phone. It is often ‘easier’ to try and connect with more junior levels first, but this is not always the case

As always, the constraints/limitations to networking are:

• The other persons time
  • the more senior they are, the more swamped they are with not just work but personal life e.g. kids
• The motivation/incentive for the other person to talk to you
  • Referrals help of course, but otherwise try and find some sort of shared connection / alumni
• Your own time 

Hi,

as mentioned before, the more senior the better. That being said, unless you know a senior partner personally or through a networking event, you will be unlikely to get one on the phone.

Any kind of referral is extremely helpful, especially BCG has an internal referral program where employees of any level can recommend someone and this person is then more likely to get invited to the interviews.

As an entry-level candidate you will more likely get in touch with another Associate, Consultant or Project Leader through networking events at university or otherwise. Make use of those as these people can also refer you and give you insights into the work and recruiting process which is extremely helpful.

Best

Marvin

Hi there,

you should aim for project manager and higher ideally. A more senior rank and a longer company tenure of the referrer increase the weight their referral carries. 

If you can only get a referral from someone at the consultant level, it's still better than no referral. But if you have some lead time to work with, go for more senior.

Good luck

Hi there,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• Generally speaking, the more senior the person providing the referral, the stronger the referral. Therefore, I would highly advise you to focus on partners, associate partners, and project leaders in the first place.
• Still, reaching out to lower-level consultants can be meaningful, especially to gain authentic insights into the company and the day-to-day life of your (potential) future role.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

(editiert)

I once tried networking with a Senior Partner. It was not a positive interaction. The reason was simply - he was trying to be polite by accepting to have a chat… but simply to busy… meaning that he wanted to cut the conversation as short as possible. So I was getting 20 second answers for every question I made.

So if I had targeted questions for the specific person, it could have made sense - maybe I would get the answers I needed or at least that would be the right person to get the answers from.

But I hadn't. I just wanted to network, and have a general feeling for the office culture, help with picking offices, understanding how to navigate the process… and hopefully a recommendation. Do I need a Senior Partner for that? Not really. 

What I really needed was someone who had been recently in my shoes, could personally understand my situation, etc.

My best interaction was with a manager in a small US office whose background was similar to mine in a couple of points, and I had real questions for him:

• He could relate
• I could feel comfortable with the interaction
• I had a real question to ask / real advice to ask for

Honestly, the rank doesn't matter that much. I usually say that:

Effectiveness = 90% * getting a recomennation + 10% * rank level of person recommending (and you can put a 10% bonus if the person, regardless of the rank, actually knows you well).

So getting a higher rank recommendation is definitely positive. But it is only marginally better than “just” a recommendation and may require significant additional effort. 

Hello A,

In my opinion, the wise thing to do is:

• Speak with some consultants to gain insight into what it's like to work for that particular office.
• Approach Principals, Engagement Managers, and Partners directly to obtain a referral. You'll be amazed at how responsive they can be if you approach them in the right manner.

Best of luck with everything!

Best,

Victoria