Applying to Bain and Co. in Bengaluru, India (Referral vs. Direct Approach)

Question

Hi Community,

I'm from a non-target school, and going to complete a year in an IT firm as a QA Engineer. I do plan on applying to Bain via the online application but I read here that a referral from a senior member would help secure the chances of getting an interview.

The problem is, the Bain office in Bengaluru opened in 2015 and is still quite recent for a college alumni to be present there. However, I did find a Senior Consultant who used to work in the same IT firm that I'm currently working in. Also, I did find the email address of a Partner of the Bengaluru office. How should I proceed?

Thanks for the advice in advance, guys!

Answer 1

Dear A,

I would definitely recommend you to apply through the referral, since you are not from the target school. So pin to the partner or senior consultant and see, who response to you.

Good luck,
André

Answer 2

Hi,

I don't believe that cold calling the partner will help you with a referral. Unless you have a super exciting background that you can share. Thus talk to your friend, ask him for advice about the process, ask to practice a case with him and he'll make you a referral

Best!

Answer 3

The issue is that MBB (at least in India) usually only picks up candidates for top colleges (IIT, IIM, ISB). You could lateral but that usually happens from comparable firms (eg working in OW/LEK/ATK). Also, the work function is important as well. You are not in Consulting right now which makes it more difficult.

Your biggest hurdle is to get an interview. You could try getting in touch with the partner but there has to be something very exciting on your CV from him/her to put his reputation at stake to refer you.

You said you are from a non-target school. Do you mean undergraduate or MBA?

Answer 4

Hi there,

A referral can be a great instrument that helps you secure an interview invite.

However, it is not a 100% guarantee that you eventually get an offer because some points and effort must be given from your side as well.
The question is: How much do you really want to get the job? Of course, it is better to provide yourself with a referral for the targeted firm. Otherwise, you can not even get invited.

Don’t ask directly about a referral. I would recommend you to reach out on LinkedIn and try to get a call. Try to find something in common and mention it correctly. Learning a LinkedIn profile will help you with this.

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