Hi Anonymous,
even if you don’t know anyone in the office now, you can definitely connect with someone there (ideally alumni of your university) to obtain some information. This would also offer the advantage to potentially receive a referral from the person, in case you still have to apply.
You can find below some tips to connect with people for information/referrals:
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/hey-everyonehope-all-is-well-3176
In terms of general topics of why you should work for a specific company/office, potential options to mention include:
- Company/office potential: how much the company grew in the last year, which is a good guarantee for your future career as well
- Sectors of interest: specific focus of the company/office in areas interesting for you
- People you met and culture: specific people of the company/office you discussed with, and the things they shared on the company
- Your growth opportunities: specific programs of the company/office you heard about to enhance your growth
- Size/reputation of the firm: smaller companies usually offer a more entrepreneurial culture, with higher growth potential internally. Bigger companies have more resources and support staff, and more prestige in terms of exit
Hope this helps,
Francesco