A referral from someone who genuinely knows you can still be valuable even if they work in a different practice.

For a generalist role, the referral is usually adding confidence in you as a candidate rather than proving practice fit.

A weak connection in the 'right' practice is not automatically stronger than a credible relationship elsewhere in the firm.

If the role is highly specialized, practice alignment matters more. Otherwise prioritize relationship quality. For more detail on credibility and relevance in referrals, see what makes a strong consulting referral.

My referrer was in a different practice and it didn't seem to matter.