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Keep In Touch! Networking Template
 

valuationGURU's picture
CF
 
Points)
 on 10/2/12 at 11:30pm
monkey on phone

Moderator Note (Andy): this was originally posted on 8/22/12

As much as it may be stated on this site, networking is one of the key factors in the success of most young professionals in finance. Whether it is gaining valuable advice, or getting a leg up in the hiring process, networking opens doors and knowledge that would otherwise be hard to find. As you meet contacts in finance and build your network, you will need to track and monitor your relationships with these individuals. It is important not to let a relationship die off, and it is also critical to remember certain key components of conversations of the past.

This may be easy to do with 10 contacts, but when you are over 100 and more, it will not be easy. Attached is a networking template which helps you determine when you need to reach out to contacts, and helps keep track of your database better than Linkedin.

My person contact list is broken up between “Senior Level”, “Junior Level”, “Coworkers”, “In College”, and “Family”. To me, it is important to differentiate your contact levels. For one, it is ideal to keep your senior to junior level contacts around 50/50 in order to maintain experienced mature employees whom may retire in the next 10-15 years, and those that will grow with you in your career for the rest of your life. I also break out current coworkers, because it is not important to remember the last time you caught up with them. Generally speaking, this should happen at work at some point. I have several contacts, who are still in college or are in my family (in finance careers), so I like to break those two groups out as well.

I created a column in the contact list to break out current company and previous employers. In case at some point in the future you have an interview for a particular company, it is beneficial to be able to track down any contacts you may have which would have an insider’s perspective to the company, or very well may be able to reference you to the people hiring.

You will notice in two of the columns, there is a differentiation between “Last contacted” and “Last in contact”. The difference between the two (and if you can come up with better header descriptions let me know) is last contacted is the date in which you wrote last, and last in contact is the last time they actually replied to you. Specifically for the senior level contacts, you may not always receive an email or phone call back write away, or at all.

My general rule of thumb for following up with contacts is to have at least spoken to them in the last 6 months. Some may want it shorter or longer, but that is the way I have it set up right now. The months since last contact column will turn red when the last contact is more than 6 months. This lets me know to email or call them soon.

I hope this helps set up a basic framework for each of your contact lists. Personally, this helps me make sure to stay on top of staying in touch with everyone I know. If anyone has any ideas on features which should be added, please share.

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Comments

Neighbor's picture

Wow, thanks for sharing.

IB
(King Kong, 1,236
 
Points)
 on 8/22/12 at 5:22pm

Wow, thanks for sharing. This is good stuff.

I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

SlikRick's picture

Threw you an SB. Thanks.

CO
 
Points)
 on 8/22/12 at 5:46pm

Threw you an SB. Thanks.

shark-monkey's picture

Good Stuff, I take notes in

HF
 
Points)
 on 8/22/12 at 5:47pm

Good Stuff, I take notes in the name cell by typing shift+F2. This way your spreadsheet doesn't get out of control with long comments distorting the cells. Also, include if you didn't get a hold of them or didn't respond you can put a details in the "last contacted" cell.

What else do you monkeys use?

Fear is the greatest motivator. Motivation is what it takes to find profit.

valuationGURU's picture

shark-monkey: Good Stuff, I

CF
 
Points)
 on 8/22/12 at 5:52pm
shark-monkey:

Good Stuff, I take notes in the name cell by typing shift+F2. This way your spreadsheet doesn't get out of control with long comments distorting the cells. Also, include if you didn't get a hold of them or didn't respond you can put a details in the "last contacted" cell.

What else do you monkeys use?

Good stuff. I am interested in finding out what the other monkeys do as well.

See my other WSO blog posts

WalMartShopper's picture

Thanks! Now if you want more

 
Points)
 on 8/22/12 at 5:56pm

Thanks! Now if you want more sb's send me yours fully filled out :D

If the glove don't fit, you must acquit!

valuationGURU's picture

WalMartShopper: Thanks! Now

CF
 
Points)
 on 8/22/12 at 5:57pm
WalMartShopper:

Thanks! Now if you want more sb's send me yours fully filled out :D

How many SBs will I get...?

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WalMartShopper's picture

I only have 4...any others

 
Points)
 on 8/22/12 at 6:24pm

I only have 4...any others care to join? We can make it a banaorgy in here...

If the glove don't fit, you must acquit!

oowij's picture

Thanks for this. Would throw

 
Points)
 on 8/22/12 at 7:31pm

Thanks for this. Would throw you a SB if I had one though

options24's picture

Much appreciated

(Monkey, 41
 
Points)
 on 8/22/12 at 9:21pm

Much appreciated

killerkl0wn's picture

Good work Josh

IB
 
Points)
 on 8/22/12 at 9:41pm

Good work Josh

INR's picture

Thanks, very useful

(Monkey, 55
 
Points)
 on 8/22/12 at 9:49pm

Thanks, very useful

orangebull's picture

This is nice. Has anyone

 
Points)
 on 8/22/12 at 10:27pm

This is nice.

Has anyone tried to supplement lists like this with a calendar? I use a calendar to keep tabs on my networking. It is not as convenient as an actual list but it helps me in the process of both researching and planning. I set dates when I will contact people again if I have something concrete and its very easy to look back at past months to see who I have been in contact with recently and who I have not.

eleutheros's picture

Thanks you've been a real

IB
 
Points)
 on 8/22/12 at 10:54pm

Thanks you've been a real resource on WSO!

aempirei's picture

I've got a similar

IB
(Gorilla, 726
 
Points)
 on 8/23/12 at 12:38am

I've got a similar spreadsheet. I also added columns for "Total times contacted" and "Education (undergrad/mba)."

I break mine down by IB, PE, HF, etc. Maybe it's better to do Senior/Junior. I'll look into it.

My name is Nicky, but you can call me Dre.

valuationGURU's picture

Thanks El. I have never tried

CF
 
Points)
 on 8/23/12 at 8:37am

Thanks El.
I have never tried a calendar.
I think if you use senior and junior, you can do a quick sort based on industry.

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Bobb's picture

I've got a very similiar one

AM
 
Points)
 on 8/23/12 at 9:16am
eignenvector's picture

Nice.... SB

AM
 
Points)
 on 8/23/12 at 10:03am

"When you expect things to happen - strangely enough - they do happen."
- JP Morgan

KozzAndEffect's picture

Great template...making note

(Monkey, 30
 
Points)
 on 8/23/12 at 10:15am
sanjose04's picture

Thanks for the advice. I

IB
(Orangutan, 335
 
Points)
 on 8/23/12 at 10:37am
Sandhurst's picture

I've been doing this for

IB
(King Kong, 1,242
 
Points)
 on 8/23/12 at 2:43pm

"There are three ways to make a living in this business: be first, be smarter, or cheat."

valuationGURU's picture

Sandhurst: I've been doing

CF
 
Points)
 on 8/23/12 at 3:16pm

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BTbanker's picture

I think that "city" is a good

IB
 
Points)
 on 8/23/12 at 6:46pm

"A man generally has two reasons for doing anything. One that sounds good, and the real one." - J.P. Morgan

huanleshalemei's picture

SB'ed. I will add one more

(Gorilla, 519
 
Points)
 on 8/23/12 at 8:28pm

The Auto Show

Boreed's picture

Awesome! SB'd!

PE
 
Points)
 on 8/23/12 at 8:56pm

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Wanderlust's picture

thanks for the hard work

(Chimp, 12
 
Points)
 on 8/24/12 at 3:28pm
lifted's picture

+1 SB, thanks!

 
Points)
 on 8/24/12 at 4:03pm
Yekrut's picture

Excellent template! I've just

(Baboon, 102
 
Points)
 on 8/24/12 at 4:58pm
valuationGURU's picture

Yekrut: Excellent template!

CF
 
Points)
 on 8/24/12 at 8:45pm

See my other WSO blog posts

celestial's picture

good one

(Chimp, 14
 
Points)
 on 8/25/12 at 6:09am
tangent style's picture

Great template. Better than

(Baboon, 142
 
Points)
 on 8/25/12 at 2:53pm

"Do not go gentle into that good night"

she_monkey's picture

awesome. thank you!

 
Points)
 on 8/25/12 at 3:20pm

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valuationGURU's picture

tangent style: Great

CF
 
Points)
 on 8/26/12 at 2:29pm

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street_smart's picture

Just switched to this new

(Chimp, 2
 
Points)
 on 8/26/12 at 6:15pm
ChrisHansen's picture

Very good. I also have a

(Gorilla, 534
 
Points)
 on 8/27/12 at 5:57pm

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world, and when I die I want to come back as me."
-Mark Cuban

OB23's picture

I also have a column for the

RE
 
Points)
 on 9/16/12 at 10:04am
dogboo's picture

Thanks for the template SB

 
Points)
 on 9/16/12 at 1:39pm
Thucydides's picture

Thanks!

(Chimp, 1
 
Points)
 on 9/16/12 at 2:04pm
Cola Coca's picture

valuationGURU: Thanks El. I

O
(Orangutan, 321
 
Points)
 on 9/16/12 at 2:37pm
ytinifni's picture

This is brilliant. I've just

(Baboon, 103
 
Points)
 on 9/17/12 at 12:48am

"Pessimism is your friend, euphoria is the enemy."

DELETED_ACCOUNT's picture

shark-monkey: I take notes

 
Points)
 on 9/17/12 at 3:48pm

DELETED_ACCOUNT

Toshi83's picture

This is something I

CO
 
Points)
 on 9/19/12 at 2:46pm
billyfink's picture

Thanks for sharing! Major

(Monkey, 32
 
Points)
 on 9/21/12 at 4:46pm
hokiefan757's picture

this is great

(Chimp, 10
 
Points)
 on 10/2/12 at 10:32pm
PEchick's picture

Thanks this is great. One

PE
 
Points)
 on 10/3/12 at 10:01am

"Know what you own, and know why you own it." - Peter Lynch

rufiolove's picture

throw an MROUND in that

IB
(Neanderthal, 3,412
 
Points)
 on 10/3/12 at 10:44am

1/2 of the WSO Bash Brothers
"Licensed to Ill It"
We all know Bro J did it...

valuationGURU's picture

PEchick: Thanks this is

CF
 
Points)
 on 10/3/12 at 3:51pm

See my other WSO blog posts

A2Allegiance's picture

I have been networking like

 
Points)
 on 10/3/12 at 8:10pm
baabaablacksheep's picture

You are awesome.

(Baboon, 107
 
Points)
 on 10/3/12 at 10:21pm
baabaablacksheep's picture

You are awesome.

(Baboon, 107
 
Points)
 on 10/3/12 at 10:21pm
PeterEvers's picture

Respect

(Chimp, 9
 
Points)
 on 10/5/12 at 11:26pm

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