Dear Consultants
I have connections at McKinsey, BCG, and Bain who can send my resume for referrals. All are associate/business analyst level. I tried to connect with other seniors to get a referral but was not successful yet!
Knowing for sure BCG and McKinsey are currently hiring in ME region. Should I send my resume through the online application or send it to the associates at BCG/McK? Does their referral have an impact?
Thank you 🙏🏻
(edited)
Hi!
That's great to hear that you have these contacts.
You need to ask them directly how the referral process works in their office. Some offices have a referral database where they would submit your application, whereas other offices do it over email.
But yes, referrals do increase your chances of passing screening, which is where most people fail anyway.
Best,
Cristian
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Hi there,
Q: Should I send my resume through the online application or send it to the associates at BCG/McK? Does their referral have an impact?
Any referral is better than no referral. So even if the person doesn’t have much experience with the firm, I would recommend leveraging the connection so that they can refer you.
You can ask them the steps to follow so that they can refer you (sometimes you have to fill in the application with their name, while sometimes they have to act from their side first, depending on the firm/office).
Good luck!
Francesco
Referrals will always carry some impact but if it is not from a partner it carries a lot less weight, especially in times like these where hiring is extremely slow.
I would recommend asking your friends to not just refer you in the system but actively reach out to the hiring team (of both HR and consultants) to talk about how amazing you are and why they should interview you. Simply putting you in the system does not help much.
Hi there,
Nice work on the referrals!
Look, the biggest difference maker is having a referral. Period. The other biggest difference maker is applying when there are roles available.
You've got both :) I would apply while they're hiring for your target role.
Hi there,
Use the referrals. They help to accelerate the screening process.
You can check how the recruiting process works from an internal MBB perspective here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/mbb-hiring-hacks-behind-the-curtain-secrets
Best,
Alberto
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Hi there,
in general, applying with a referral will increase the likelihood for a first round interview compared to the standard “anonymous” application through the portal.
When it comes to referrals, the more senior the person referring you is and the longer of a tenure they have with the firm, the more impactful their referral will be.
In your case, the people referring you are at a fairly junior level. However, if you want to apply now, it is still better to make use of the referrals you have rather than applying without them.
Good luck
Yes, those referrals have an impact and you should use them.
Go with the referrals you have, better than nothing and ME still has a good hiring velocity with my coachees right now. Warm regards, Freddy
