Networking and referral for someone who shares no school with MBB consultants or has no connection to MBB

Question

I looked at the Q& A here and on the internet on the way to network and get referral for interview. Almost all of them have the same advice as the following:

1. look for people you went to the same university who work at MBB and message them.

2.look for people who work at MBB and you have mutual connection.

3. Don't ask for for referral directly etc

The problem with the above generic advice is some of us have no alumni from our university that work at MBB or if they exist they are very few that the possibility of getting replies is very low. so my question is :

1.what advice do you have for such people who mostly don't have university alumni who work at MBB?

2. how do such people network?

3.does it make sense to just send email or LinkedIn messages to strangers trying to network?

4. what is the best way to network for someone who has no connection to MBB?

Any advice is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Hi,

When it comes to obtaining a referral, what you need to keep in mind is that you want to give people a reason to trust you enough to refer you for a role. Now trust can come from two ways

The easier way - you share meaningful experiences in common with the person referring you. For example you both went to the same University, School or had similar jobs or know the same people etc. Anything that is shared and meaningful here helps because the person has in built trust and is comfortable referring you because they use that experience as a signal of trust. Which is why going to the same school helps. If you did not go to the same school then find other common shared experiences. This list includes
- Common friends or relatives
- Volunteering organizations
- Sports clubs
- Country or City you grew up in etc.
Nothing is perfect or easy but the above can help at least get you a conversation with the person
The harder way is to build the trust from scratch - this is hard because now you have to convince the other person to trust you as a person without any common experiences that help lay the groundwork. At this point what works is asking for advice, following that advice and then constantly keeping them up to date on your progress. So for example if someone who can refer you says you should build your expertise in a particular field, make sure you let them know every time you make progress (such as publishing a white paper for example) and then after a few months when they see you are dedicated and there is a level of trust built then you have earned your right to a referral without any shared common experiences to start with.

Hope this helps,

Udayan

Answer 2

Hi there,

this is a good question. I would suggest doing

1. A little research who in your network has eventually someone from MBB in their connections
2. Join some of the MBB events to connect with the firm
3. Ask help your career service at the university

But, I wouldn't be obsessed with referrals. They do help make sure your CV will be checked, but all candidates are treated equally, even if you have a referral but your CV doesn't fit, you won't get far. Having said that, I would rather recommend focusing the energy on preparing the winning CV and cover letter for the interview.

I wish you all the best,

Lucie

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Answer 3

Hi there,

1) The reason for the generic advice is because the advice is tailored for a generic audience! If you really want tailored advice that is where coaching comes in!

2) You've misinterpreted the advice. Don't limit yourself to only people who went to the same school. Don't limit yourself to only people who only currently work at MBB. And don't limit yourself to not asking for a referral. Rather:

Message anyone similar to you (same country, language, major, religion, race, gender, prior company, interests, etc.) Connect on that way (How? Happy to show you, just shoot a message)
Message people in any role and any office and “ex” MBB. Then, play “tag” (i.e. get them to put you in touch with someone else)
“Hint” at a referral. Let them know you're applying and ask if they have any advice/tips. (How to deliver this? Happy to show you)

Good luck and feel free to message for more specifics on the mechanics of this!

Answer 4

Hello!

First of all, are you sure there aren´t alumni in your uni that work for MBB? That is hard to believe, look for people who have been there in the past, or from other deparments that aren´t yours.

If that fails, I would move to the “friends of friends” strategy, asking for an intro to friends who have friends who work in MBB.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara