Are referrals a thing in the London offices?

Hi,

Having a referral is an additional element they consider when screening your application. There is not difference between the UK vs other EU offices. Some managers/partners are less prone to give a referral to candidates they do not know well. So I would advice only requesting a referral from someone you know already for a longer time.

Good luck!

Mattijs

From a BCG perspective, a generalist referral only gets your CV infront of the screening team, it does not guarantee you an interview. For a partner to say something like that, it could be that they interpreted the request to dictate to recruiting that you get a first round interview. Or perhaps they just did not want to help you (for whatever reason). 

Hi there,

Q: Are referrals a thing in the London offices?

I am helping a candidate applying to the London office who just got a BCG referral, so it is possible to get referrals also in London. Sometimes some consultants provide the reply you mentioned when they don’t want to refer you – I would simply look for someone else who might help in that case.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

Referrals are also a reality in UK/London office. The consultant may not have granted it to you because he didn’t know you so well to endorse your candidacy. Make sure to reach out to other people and prepare for a coffee chat before asking for the referral.

Good luck!

Best,

Mari

Hi,

• Referrals in London are still helpful, but they generally carry less direct weight than in smaller offices due to high applicant volume
• Partners  in London are often cautious about referrals as the process is designed to stay very standardized (e.g., to avoid unfairly influencing who gets interviewed, esp. if others don't have a chance to get such support)
• Focus on strong connections (e.g., consultants, managers) rather than expecting partners to refer; consultant-level referrals still improve your chances noticeably

Best of luck!

Referrals happen in virtually every office. And yes, they are a reality in London.

But they are much more common in the US.

However, please understand that >90% of the people who get an interview do not have a referral. It helps, but it is far from being a requirement.