Networking--help after first round?
IB
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(Baboon, 174
Points)
on 11/12/12 at 6:25am
Does networking help you land an internship/offer after it helps you get the 1st round interview? Just asking because it always seemed to me that your interviewer had ultimate say of whether you moved onto the next round or not.
If this were true, however, it seems to me that there's hardly any point of networking if you could land an interview by yourself. Say you went to an ivy, had a 3.8+ GPA, and had prior consulting experience. Is it still worth it to network?






Once you're at the interview
Once you're at the interview who you know matters zilch. The people you know will not interview you, nor will they "put in a good word" for you, and even if they did this would not influence decisions.
Some people are natural networkers, and some people are not - given your question I suspect you belong to the latter category. For you there may not be much point in it. For people in the prior category, networking can gain you access to useful hints and tips, and a good understanding of what the culture of each firm may be like.
baykus: Once you're at the
Once you're at the interview who you know matters zilch. The people you know will not interview you, nor will they "put in a good word" for you, and even if they did this would not influence decisions.
This was not my experience.
Prior to second-rounds, is it
Prior to second-rounds, is it okay to reach out to members of the firm to ask questions regarding the firm in general?
We can't rely on anyone these days, we just have to do things ourselves don't we?
Pre-first-rounds: Networking
Pre-first-rounds: Networking can help you land an interview
Post-first-rounds: Following up with your "connections" can help get you an insider's perspective on what they're looking for, the office culture, leadership etc. which can be helpful during the interview
ToxicSushi: Pre-first-rounds:
Pre-first-rounds: Networking can help you land an interview
Post-first-rounds: Following up with your "connections" can help get you an insider's perspective on what they're looking for, the office culture, leadership etc. which can be helpful during the interview
That said, if your connection is a partner, especially a partner in the office that you're applying for, and for some reason they want to give you a little extra help beyond just landing an interview, then I can't imagine why that wouldn't positively influence your final-round interviews.