Hey there,

If he already agreed to meet, chances are high that he would help you out with a referral. How can you increase your chances for that to happen?

Prepare a short pitch answering the following question: how did your resume lead you to a point of applying to consulting now?

The pitch includes a brief top-down summary of relevant stations in your resume and your motivation to employ for consulting jobs and especially his firm.

Additionally, be curious about his own perspective and use the time to ask a lot of questions:

• What was his journey?
• How has consulting changed now with COVID (client engagements, travel schedule, etc)?
• What is his future outlook?
• What are specific industry trends in his sector?
• ...

Lastly, steer the conversation towards recruiting and job opportunities, again highlighting your interest in the firm.

• How does the interview process work?
• Does he have any special tips to make it through?
• ...

Fingers crossed!

Cheers,

Florian

Have a look at these threads for plenty of tips & advice:

• https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/call-with-a-senior-partner-8357
• https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/networking-call-with-vc-partner-what-questions-should-i-ask-10181

All the best & hope the meeting goes well.

Hi, I would indirectly ask for it, e.g. talking about if it is a good period to apply and how maximize the chance of getting an invitation

best,
Antonello

I would just be open about your interest in the firm and ask for "advice" (i.e., referral). Partners get it where they have loads of people reaching out like you. If they feel you are a good profile, they will do so without you having to explictly ask them.

Hello!

That's an amazing opportunity for you. What you can do is to prepare yourself. Focus on making a good first impression, but at the same time try to be very natural and calm. 
And at the right moment ask the partner for a referral, its completely fine for him to do a favour for you. 
Was it helpful for you? If you need any further help with networking, drop me a line.

Hello!

That is absolutely great, congratulations! It´s a rare ocasion, so use it well!

The best advise that I can give you is to show the genuine interest that you have for the firm, his career, how his journey have been, etc. Without being transactional, this way you will be able to connect much better.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hi there,

So, you can "Hint" at a referral. What I mean is, you can say "Thanks so much for your time. You've definitely confirmed for me that this is a great place to work and I'll be planning to apply in the coming weeks. Are there any tips or pieces of advice you have for me?"

^This is the closest you can get to asking for a referral.

You also have a "Second chance", whereby you can send the Partner an email a few days before applying. Essentially let them know you are applying in the coming days, thank them again for the time.

In terms of how to conduct yourself during the call...

Ask For Yourself

While a coffee chat is a way for you to make a good impression, please remember that it's also about you making sure this job + path are right for you!

To prepare, think about things you'd like to learn about the company. Ask about your person's experience at the firm, where they've come from, if they have any advice for you etc. Be inquisitive and interested in what they have to say, and feel free to ask thoughtful follow-up questions.

Have Your Pitch Ready

In terms of what they'll ask you, make sure you have your 30 second pitch prepared! Who are you in a nutshell and why are you interested in BCG and strategy consulting?

Ask About Them

People love to talk about themselves. Just ask them what they've worked on recently or what their journey at the company has been like. Importantly, do your research beforehand - find out what they've done and try and pick something from their past that looks interesting to you. Tailor your questions just like they tailor their FIT questions to your resume.

"So, how did you end up in the Industrial Goods sector?" "I saw you worked on a big digital transformation for a financial services company - I experienced one myself and it seemed so hard to move such a big organisation. What did you see as the major challenges and breakthrough moments?"