Rules
- Write like a colleague. Short. Specific. Under 125 words.
- Five parts: connection point, one-line intro, why this person, a 15–30 minute ask, a clean close.
- No attachment of your case tree on a first email.
- Send the thank-you the evening of. Not three days later with 'sorry for the delay'.
- Referral later, only if they opened the door.
University of Chicago and Dartmouth career offices teach the same skeleton: how you found them, your interest, specific availability, a respectful close. UC Berkeley frames informational interviews as 20–30 minutes. That is the right scale.
How many to send
Networking is high-quality personalized volume, not spam. Warm, well-targeted consulting outreach (alumni, shared connections, people you met) often replies in the 20–40% range, so 20–40 people per firm can yield 5–15 conversations. Colder emails with no shared connection often sit at 1–5%. A list of 20–40 well-chosen contacts per firm beats 200 generic ones.
Do one thing before the first send: grade the resume a referrer will forward. A 30-second screen should not embarrass the person who vouched for you.
Which email, when
| Situation | Goal | Ask | Mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold alumni | Informational interview | Perspective, 20–30 min | Asking for a referral immediately |
| Current consultant | Understand the real role | Brief advice chat | Reading like a job application |
| Post-event | Be remembered | One narrow next question | Generic thanks |
| Coffee thank-you | Show you listened | One easy next step | A favor too soon |
| Referral | Internal flag | If comfortable, refer | Making it sound owed |
| No-response nudge | Close the loop | Ask once, 5–7 business days later | Sounding impatient |
| Recruiter | Process clarity | One process question | Treating them as a mentor |
Cold alumni
Subject: LSE alum interested in consulting at BCG London Hi Priya, I am Amira, an LSE economics student preparing for consulting recruiting. I noticed your path from LSE to the London office, especially the UK retail work. I am trying to understand how first-years get staffed on consumer cases, and your perspective would be useful. Would you be open to 20 minutes in the next few weeks? I am looking for advice, not a job ask. Thank you, Amira
Current consultant
Subject: Quick question on London consumer staffing Hi Priya, I saw your work on UK retail and I am applying to BCG London. I want to understand what the first six months actually look like beyond the website. Would you be open to a brief conversation about what strong candidates usually misunderstand? Thanks, Amira
Same day, after coffee
Hi Priya, Thank you for the 20 minutes today. The point about London retail staffing (how first-years still sit on store P&Ls) is the bit I will actually use. If it is easy: is there someone on the UK consumer team who would take 15 minutes on how cases get staffed in the first six months? Thanks again, Amira
Why it works: one specific thing they said, one easy ask, no resume attached, no 'I would love any referrals you can spare'.
Three days later, only if you have something
Do not invent a 'thought you might find this interesting' from a generic McKinsey article.
Hi Priya, Short follow-up. You mentioned first-years still see store P&Ls. I ran a grocery-margin case this week and the whole case died in mix, not traffic. That matched what you described. No need to reply. If the intro is still possible I am around Thursday or Friday morning. Amira
Referral, only if they offered a path
If they said 'send me your resume and I will pass it on', then send it. If they did not, do not.
Hi Priya, As you suggested, resume attached (one page). I am applying to London BA, September cycle. The office line in the letter is the grocery project, not a generic 'I love London'. Happy to send the portal ID if that helps your referral form. Thanks, Amira
After a no
You still write. You do not argue the decision.
Hi Priya, Heard from recruiting this morning. Not this round. I am still aiming at the London office next cycle and the grocery work still stands. If you are ever willing to do 15 minutes on what you would have wanted in the case, I will take it. If not, thank you for the coffee. I will not clog your inbox. Amira
Nudge and recruiter
No reply, once, after 5–7 business days
Hi Priya, Quick bump on my note last week about first-year staffing in London consumer. Still happy to work around your calendar. If now is a bad time I will leave it. Amira
Recruiter, process only
Hi Jordan, Thank you for the office-hours session on Tuesday. One process question: for London BA, is the resume screen still closing 12 September, and should referrals land before or after the portal submit? Thanks, Amira
Never send
- A framework you 'thought they would enjoy'
- A six-paragraph autobiography
- 'Per my last email' after 36 hours
- A LinkedIn voice note
- The same message to 40 alumni with the name mail-merged
Contact log
Four columns: name, firm, date, last specific thing they said. If you cannot remember the specific thing, you were not in the coffee. You were performing.
| Name | Firm / office | Date | Last specific thing they said | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priya N. | BCG London | 12 Aug | First-years still sit on store P&Ls | Intro to consumer? |
Before the next send
Firm and office this week
Connection point for this person
The 15-minute ask
Date sent
Put firms on the CoachNed application tracker. This log holds people.