Hi there,

Sorry to hear about the rejection. In terms of your question:

Q: I was expecting a referral from a senior partner at the office I applied for since April, but nothing really came through, so I decided to apply directly on the website. 
Would the referral still be valuable at this stage? Note that I was asked to re-apply within 12-18 months minimum

You won’t be able to be considered for the position right now, even with a referral. 

However, you may connect with the partner in a few months (I would wait for at least 6) and he/she may be able to check if the ban period may be reduced in case you have relevant improvements in your CV.

In the meantime, I would focus on the other consulting firms.

Best,

Francesco

Hi there,

I'm sorry but the assessment is not all that matters!

Your application is reviewed in the context of the assessment performance, your general background, the strength of your resume, your cover letter and your networking/referral strength.

Alas, the partner referral won't be viable now. You cannot re-apply for the next 12-18 months.

In 12-18 months you can absolutely re-apply and definitely use that Partner's referral!

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. It's important to remember that your test score is not the only thing that determines your outcome at this stage - your test score will be taken into account together with your CV, cover letter, and other application materials.

Unfortunately, since you have already been rejected, you will be subject to the ban, even if the partner is willing to write you a referral (although they could potentially help shorten the ban period for you). I would highly recommend reapplying after the ban is over if you are still interested in the position, and go directly via the referral route when you do! A referral from a senior partner will hold considerable weight.

Don't let that discourage you for you further recruiting process.

If you can get referrals, make sure to have them in place before you begin the application process. It just serves as a boost towards the initial interview stage but not as a reversal of performance data already logged in.

Also try to apply to many consulting firms since some things can always go wrong and sometimes it's only nuances that decide.

All the best

I'm sorry to hear this - I know how disappointing it is to receive a rejection. Unfortunately at this point there isn't much that you can do - a referral isn't going to reverse the decision. It may make you feel better to know that a referral wouldn't have got you through this stage either - it helps to get your CV screened and to take you to the application stage but not much beyond that. Focus on the other firms and making your application as strong as possible - you may also want some help shaping your resume to give you the best chance in the future. 

May I know which office you applied to?