Odds of Interview from Partner Referral

Hi there,

That's a great opportunity. 

Basically, now you need to make sure that the rest of your application is as good as it can be (CV & Cover Letter). 

Even if you don't have any amazing experiences in your CV, it's still critical how you get to present and position them, which is where you'd get an amazing ROI from working with a coach. 

With the cover letter, make sure that you try and tell your ‘story beyond the CV’ instead of rehashing the same experiences. Use the CL to allow them to get to know you and your interests better.

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

Q: I was curious what the consensus was on the odds of securing an interview from a partner referral, especially considering I don't go to a target school. 

A partner referral increases the chance to be considered for interviews, however doesn’t guarantee one. If you have optimized your CV/Cover and got a partner referral, you have done in any case the best you could for your application.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

there is no guarantee to get invited, but the more senior the career level of the referrer, the more likely this will yield an invite.

• If by Junior Partner you mean Bain's Partner level (= equity partner to the firm), then the referral is typically very promising - in my experience, the vast majority of such referrals get through, but of course this is also subject to current macro and hiring situation in the relevant office / region.
• If by Junior Partner you mean Associate Partner (= not an equity partner - it's a senior project leadership role), the weight of that referral, while still good, is definitely lower.

Hope this helps. Feel free to share more details about your target geo and profile, if you'd like more specific advice.

Regards, Andi

Hi there,

Honestly, we don't know.

A Partner Referral is the best short term move you can make to icnrease your chances.

However, it's by no means a gaurentee. You have to be viewed by the team as a strong candidate.

Yes, you've greatly upped your chances (which were probably very very low before). Yes, it may not be enough or it might be enough.

Fingers crossed for you!

It's not a guarantee, but increases significantly your chances, particularly in your situation. 

It's for people like you that referrals were created (people who don't have the “expected” CV, but have great quality).

Since you were referred, HR will screen more carefully before deciding it is a “no”. If you have a good story, make sure that story is in your Cover Letter, as most certainly it will be read. 

And since there is no real negative to the consulting firm, they will likely invite to the online tests. Make sure you go very well prepared for that.

Taking these 4 things in consideration: CV+CL+Recomendation+Online test, they will make a final decision on interviewing. You have checked the box on one of them, make sure you are as strong as possible in the other 3.

Getting a referral from a partner will significantly increase your chances of getting an interview - it's the most helpful thing you can have in your application at this stage! Of course, it is no guarantee: you still need to have a good CV and cover letter, etc. But yes, you have improved your chances by a lot!