Hi, I recently joined MbB. I want to get to know more people especially on Partner/Leadership level. to get to know them and potentially join their project.
what is the best way to approach them ? Currently my office is still hybrid. So let’s assume it’s WFH and I want to start by emailing.
in that email, what components should I have ? Thank you
I would use a few possible approaches.
1. Network with the leadership on your cases, and learn about their practices and the work they do.
2. Network by email/ zooms with partners in areas that you are very interested in. Understand the work they do and the value you can add to their practice
3. Use your mentors to connect you to partners/ LT in your interest areas
4. Use extracurriculars to connect with leadership on a more personal level. I use the south Asians and cycling group to meet leadership and it is very nice in an offline setting.
Hi - great question.
A few approaches you can take:
- Get involved in extra-curricular activities e.g. societies or causes that exist within the firm. This will immediately get you visibility and give you an excuse to talk to any partners involved
- If there are any partners working in areas that are of interest to you, they will always appreciate someone reaching out to talk about the content (just make sure you are genuinely interested and have a view on the topic, it will show if you don't care)
- Over time, formal staffed work with partners will build your profile with them. Make sure above all you do a great job on the work assigned to you and ensure you find ways to participate in internal sessions with the partners so they get to know you (e.g. rather than your manager always leading the sessions and you staying quiet)
Once you are at MBB, networking is both key and a natural part of the growth process within the firm, so it is a great thing you are thinking about.
In terms of how to do it
Hope the above help and all the best with your time at the firm!
Udayan
(edited)
When you are new that's the best and also perhaps the easiest phase to network. Setup 15min-30min of introductory calls and position is at New Joiner Intro.
Have your pitch ready i.e. who you are, what have you done and what type of work you want to grow into. Name drop if you got directed by someone you and they know. Keep the convo relaxed, listen well to them and express your desire to work with them or in their area. Ask for more intros from them to other key people to speak to.
Dont over think this and just go ahead and setup those calls/meetings. Meet f2f if you can and if the rules allow, if not virtual is fine as well.
All the best.
Hi there,
The other answers here are spot on.
Frame it as an intro call and have a short/sharp but polite and personalized message for them.
Make sure you genuinely want to their about their practice so that you're not “wasting” their time so to speak.
Make sure to also reach out to Project Leads etc. Importantly, tie it to their work and you wanting to learn more about what they do.
This isn't all that different from the networking you did to get interviews!
Hi there,
Congrats on the fresh start!
I would do two things:
1. Sign up for events and trainings - preferably in-person. These are great opportunities to meet people, seniors included.
2. Ask the contacts that you already have (e.g., Partners that you already know) who they would recommend you reach out to if you are interested in a specific topic / industry. Then reach out to them, mentioning the Partner that recommended them. That will make it more likely that they connect with you.
I'd stay away from cold-calling. Try to leverage your small but existing network instead.
Best,
Cristian
Hi there,
Good question! I did this a lot at McKinsey where I worked fully remote for almost a year…
I always found that Partners are very receptive to 15min introductory/exploratory calls. Just send them a short friendly email indicating your interest in working with them and ask for 15min in their calendar, then book slot with EA.
When it comes to the call, have your story ready i.e. what are you interested in and what can you offer. Simple as that!
That being said, it’s the level below Partners that drives team staffing. In McKinsey, I always made sure to network with APs a lot. I offered my time for random OTB tasks because they appreciate helping hands a lot more due to their crazy workload compared to Partners. When it came to staffing of cool projects, they would then always remember me!
Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck!
(edited)
Hello!
precisely for this hybrid and WFH model, trying to network via email is going to be close to zero efficent… people just don´t have time for everything, and those emails are the first thing to ignore.
Try to do in-person or Zoom meetings, 15 mins long, since it´s they only way that it will yield something.
Hope it helps!
Cheers,
Clara
Show interest in the consulting work they do and ask them for their time for a coffee or a virtual coffee. The relationship goes both ways where leadership are always looking for great consultants who will join their projects.
At the same time, you’ve just joined which gives you more than the permission to cold email people and say you want time for a chat. Consulting is a people business. As much as everyone is busy, most people will always make time to connect with new people!
