Who to contact, what to write, and the 20-minute conversation
Message templates, an agenda, questions to ask, and following up.
Key takeaways
- Networking is not asking for a job; it is asking a few people for 20 minutes to learn about their work, and making it easy for them to say yes.
- Common mistakes: Asking for a referral or a job in the first message.
- Minutes 0 to 2: thank them and confirm the time they have.
- Minutes 2 to 4: your background in three sentences and why you are interested in consulting.
- Minutes 4 to 14: your questions about their work (see below).
Key idea
Networking is not asking for a job; it is asking a few people for 20 minutes to learn about their work, and making it easy for them to say yes.
| Who | Why they reply | How to find them |
|---|---|---|
| Alumni of your school at your target office | Shared background; many like to help | Alumni directory, LinkedIn school page, career office |
| People from your home country or city at the firm | Shared connection | LinkedIn search by office and background |
| People you met at recruiting events | They already know your face | Business cards, event lists |
| Recruiters | They run the process | Firm careers pages and events |
So-what
Start with alumni and people who share something with you. Junior consultants often reply more than partners.
LinkedIn connection notes are limited to 200 characters on free accounts (300 on Premium). Example: "Hi [name], I'm a 2nd-year NUS student exploring consulting and saw you joined the Singapore office after NUS. Could I ask you a few questions in a 20-min call? Thanks, [your name]"
Subject: NUS student, question about your work at [firm]. "Dear [name], I am a second-year business student at NUS, and I am preparing to apply to consulting this year. I read about your work on [topic] and would love to hear how you found your first year at [firm]. Would you have 20 minutes for a short call in the next two weeks? I can work around your schedule. Thank you very much, [your name]."
A 20-minute conversation agenda
- 1Minutes 0 to 2: thank them and confirm the time they have.
- 2Minutes 2 to 4: your background in three sentences and why you are interested in consulting.
- 3Minutes 4 to 14: your questions about their work (see below). Listen more than you talk.
- 4Minutes 14 to 18: ask for advice on preparing and applying.
- 5Minutes 18 to 20: thank them, and ask if there is anyone else they suggest you speak to.
Good questions to ask
- What did a typical week look like on your last project?
- What surprised you most in your first year?
- How does this office differ from others in the firm?
- What kind of people do well here?
- What do you wish you had known when you were applying?
Following up
- Send a thank-you message within 24 hours, naming one thing you learned.
- If they suggested someone, contact that person and mention who referred you.
- Send a short update later (for example when you apply or get an interview). Keep it to two or three lines.
Asking for a referral or a job in the first message. Long messages about yourself. Questions you could answer on the firm's website. Running over the agreed time. Forgetting to say thank you.
Write a LinkedIn connection note to an alumnus at your target firm. Keep it under 200 characters (LinkedIn's limit for free accounts). Then reveal the checklist.
What should your first message ask for?
You agreed a 20-minute call. It is minute 19. What do you do?
When should you send a thank-you message?
Sources for this lesson (1)
- Recognized public explanations of case-interview concepts and terms
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