Networking

Banks receive far more applications than they can read carefully. A referral from someone inside the group moves your resume from a pile into a short list, and a short list is where interviews come from. Networking is not a social skill test; it is a way of getting a human to vouch that you are serious, prepared and easy to work with.

The goal of every conversation is narrow: learn something specific about the group, leave a good impression in under twenty minutes, and earn permission to follow up. You are not asking for a job in the first call. You are asking to be remembered when the recruiting calendar opens.

Start with the groups you actually want, not the bank logos. Coverage groups (industrials, healthcare, technology) and product groups (M&A, leveraged finance, equity capital markets) hire separately and talk to different people. Use alumni databases, LinkedIn filtered by school and title, and club rosters.

Aim for breadth first: three to five contacts per bank across analyst, associate and vice president levels. Analysts reply most often and remember recruiting best; vice presidents carry more weight in the final decision.

Short wins. Three sentences: who you are, why this person specifically, and a clear, small ask. Mention something real about them — a deal on their group's tombstone page, a shared club. Never attach a resume to a first email unless they ask.

Follow up once after a week if there is no reply, then move on. Silence is usually workload, not rejection. Track every contact in a spreadsheet with date, response, notes and next step; by peak season you will have forty names and will not remember who said what.

Prepare three questions that cannot be answered by the bank's website: how the group staffs deals, what separates top-bucket analysts, what a recent deal was like from the inside. Have a sixty-second story about yourself ready, because the first question is almost always some version of 'tell me about yourself'.

End on time, thank them, and ask one thing: 'Is there anyone else you think I should speak with?' That question turns one contact into two. Send a thank-you note within twenty-four hours that references something specific they said.

Bankers talk to each other. A careless email, a late call or a question about pay in the first conversation can travel quickly. Treat every interaction — including with junior analysts — as part of the interview.