Networking after accepting job offer?

Hey guys,

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

I’m a graduating senior right now and accepted a job offer back in October to work at a large Asset Management firm for after I graduate. Since then I’ve been partying, going out, and basically catching up on all of the fun things I missed out on because of recruiting and worrying too much about my GPA.

My question though has to do with networking. I got the initial interview at this company because I cold emailed an alumni and did an informational interview with him.

The office is fairly lean and they only take 1 analyst a year. However, from searching on LinkedIn for people who’ve worked there in the past, it seems like a lot of them are working in asset management or private equity.

Should I try to get in contact with my school alumni right now who worked at this AM firm who are working in the places I want to work in after my analyst stint is over while I'm still in college? I’d probably have to cold email them and they probably know the people I’m going to be working with. I’m also not entirely certain on what I would talk about also since I already have a job lined up.

Thanks.

 
Best Response

Wait until you start or it will just seem weird. Get a feel for your particular office and figure out the best way to navigate future moves. You say large AM firm and small office so I assume your team works outside of the HQ. The LinkedIn alum most likely didn't work in your future office so I'm not even quite sure what you'd reach out and say: "Hi, I'm still in college but I'm starting to work at BigCo where you used to work but in a regional office where you know no one but I wanted to say hi because I'm already trying to leave my job?" If you actually have a connection to someone (you were in the same fraternity or both played the same varsity sport for examples) feel free to send out an email asking what it was like, how to navigate stuff, etc, but a cold email would seem weird to me.

Start working, perform as best and learn as much as you can and then take the temp of the office in terms of exit opps and how to navigate them. Based on friends who work in AM I'm under the impression that it's more likely that you won't be forced out in two years like the traditional IB model so if you like it and they like you, you may not have to or want to look for something else in the short term.

 

Meet them and ask for tips on getting started in your new role. As others on this board have mentioned, networking is long term, so meet these people so you have some additional contacts for the future.

looking for that pick-me-up to power through an all-nighter?
 

Also, a related question. Since summer analyst recruiting just wrapped up, is it appropriate to start/resume networking with alums at other companies (which you may pursue for full-time recruiting) ?

I guess it can be awkward because you haven't even started working at the firm where you're interning this summer. But if you wait till August (post-internship) to network, it may be a little too late for the purposes of full-time recruiting.

At the same time, there is an inherent risk. The alum you network with will likely ask where you'll be working this summer. The street is very small. Every target school kid has friends at pretty much every bank. And if word gets back to your company that you're networking at other places even before starting your internship, that could be disastrous in terms of your summer experience and full-time return offer decision.

Any current college seniors or recent alums have any advice about navigating this full-time networking process?

 

So would it be cool to set up networking phone calls around this time (March-May), potentially grab coffee with them over the summer, and then follow-up with them post-internship in August seeking help with the full-time recruiting process?

 

http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/bofabeardb-summer-to-bb-full-time

Interesting thread from a few years back related to this topic. It seems it may be hard to create new contacts having committed to another bank for the summer. However, you can still leverage former contacts and past interviewers.

But at the end of the day you're basically shopping around after committing, and your current bank will not be happy if they find out. Logically, if a student is already actively seeking out other firms before finishing the current internship, why would you give him/her a full-time offer? And without that full-time offer, you really hurt your recruiting chances with other firms.

 

On a related note, how should one network with previous interviewers after he receives a FT offer? Is it appropriate to email all my previous interviewers and ask them for advice on what I should do to prepare myself for the job? Should I also ask something about group/culture/exit opps/training? Besides getting all the career advice, I also want to be "visible" to all the people who I would be working with soon.

 

SireBakealot, For places where you didn't receive an offer, I think it's fair game to email interviewers and ask for advice (indirectly networking for full time). But for places where you turned down offers, I don't think interviewers would be willing to help you out.

I guess my question relates more to networking with companies outside of places where you interviewed already.

 

Definitely talk to people as much as you can (up to and during your internship) - both to learn more about other banks so you can evaluate where you want to go FT, and also to make your sa more enjoyable ( especially if you're not from the city where you'll be interning). I interned in a different city to where I live and reached out to other bankers that I cold contacted/was put in touch with and that really helped for a couple of reasons - made more friends so my internship was more enjoyable, and I had people at a different bank to bring issues/concerns etc with people who didn't have a vested interest in selling me on my bank. Obviously you also get recruiting benefits should you want or need them.

Finally, I wouldn't be surprised if people were much more receptive to speaking with you given they now know you aren't just trying to hit them up for recruiting help - I found this to be true personally when networking leading up to and during my internship. Nearly every person I tried to contact after mentioning I was interning at xyz firm and hoping to chat to learn more about other banks, general internship advice etc was more than happy to speak to me because I wasn't plainly doing it just for help with recruiting or feigning interest

 
  1. Not dishonest. Go for it, but you may piss off some of your classmates who need it more.

  2. Nope.

  3. It depends on the person. If it comes up, be honest about it though.

 

Hey, first of all congrats on getting your first-choice internship.

As far as your questions are concerned:

  1. I don't see why applying and attending the event would be dishonest. Like you said, it's a networking event, not an internship application.

  2. I wouldn't put "anticipated stuff" on my resume, unless it was sth I was already in progress of - like a degree that I have already started working towards, but I didn't get it yet. The internship hasn't even started yet - so I would skip it.

  3. I'd say that's your choice. I don't see much harm mentioning the internship might do to your networking, nor do I see any specific benefits of mentioning it.

All in all - I would go ahead and apply for the networking event, and attend for sure, once invited.

Good luck!

 

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