I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. The standard advice is “network on LinkedIn, reach out to people, ask for coffee chats,” but honestly, that feels so generic and probably doesn’t work as well as it used to.
When I was in consulting, networking felt natural because you’re constantly meeting people through clients, firms, and events. You have a built-in entry point. But now I’m looking at corporate strategy roles, and I don’t have that warm introduction ecosystem. I see people I admire working at companies I want to be at, but the path to an actual conversation feels… forced?
I know the old playbook: find someone on LinkedIn, reference something they wrote or a deal they worked on, ask for 15 minutes. But I feel like everyone’s doing this, and it probably comes across as obviously scripted sometimes. On the flip side, if you just push apply through their careers page, your resume probably gets lost.
I’m curious how people who’ve actually broken into corporate strategy roles approached this. Was there a specific angle that felt more authentic? Did you leverage existing relationships from consulting days? Did you go to events? Did you just get lucky?
Also, I’m trying to figure out the timing—like when in the process should you actually start building these relationships? Before you’re even looking, or once you’re actively applying?
What actually worked for you?
real talk: the warm intro is still king. if u don’t know someone at the company who can vouch for u, ur gonna have a bad time. linkedin cold outreach barely works because everyone and their cousin is doing it. your best bet is actually digging through ur old consulting contacts and seeing if anyone moved to corporate. people actually remember consultants who were useful to them.
ohhh this is rly helpful!! so like ur saying the consultant relationship itself is actually the network asset?? i didnt think about it like that but makes total sense!!!
what if u barely worked with anyone at the target company tho?? like how do u find that warm intro then
this question is lowkey the thing i’m most stressed about lol
You’re thinking about this the right way! Focus on genuine connection and real interest in the company, and it’ll come through. People respond to authenticity!
Network early, be genuine, and remember that people want to help others who are thoughtful about their careers. You’ve got this!
So this actually happened to me—I cold-messaged someone at a company I cared about, and instead of the typical “let’s grab coffee” thing, I sent him a note asking what he was most frustrated with in his current role. Sounds weird, but he actually responded because the question was different. We talked about a specific challenge his team was facing, and he basically ended up being my biggest advocate when an opening came up. It wasn’t really networking as much as it was just having an interesting conversation about something I actually cared about.
Studies on job search effectiveness show that referrals account for roughly 40% of hires in corporate strategy roles, while cold applications account for less than 10%. Within the referral category, the strength of the referrer’s relationship to the hiring manager matters significantly. This explains why your consulting network is your most valuable asset—existing relationships carry credibility that cold outreach cannot replicate. However, if you lack direct relationships, the next most effective approach is becoming visible in relevant professional circles before outreach, whether through writing, speaking, or substantive online engagement that demonstrates expertise.
The timing question matters more than most people realize. Research on interview conversion rates shows that candidates who’ve been in conversation with a company for 6+ months before applying have significantly higher offer rates than those applying cold. This suggests that sustained, early relationship building creates a compounding advantage. Rather than thinking of networking as something you do when you’re job hunting, treat it as continuous professional development. Build relationships when you don’t need them, and they’re available when you do.