I know of only 2 people who have done this. Both women and both super targets (not discrediting women, these girls are as qualified as any, but odds are in their favor).
The prompt for this question comes because this is what I am hoping to accomplish. No networking opportunities for me unfortunately without cold emailing.
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Don't underestimate the power of cold emailing. Send enough emails and you're bound to find some analysts who will want to talk to you and you will get lucky.
Got my current job without any networking at the firm though it was OCR. Every place I networked at I didn't get an interview at ironically though those were also the most sought after places like GS / MS / EVercre
Thanks for the response Richard. Do you think I should send cold emails after receiving HireVues? I believe I have been nailing them, in my opinion. Awaiting phone calls; think the chances are not in my favor. Other candidates who have networked and also nailed HireVues constitute a majority of spots taken for SA classes. Just gotta wait and see.
A broken clock is still right twice a day.
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Friends with both of them. Spoke to them recently about their application experiences. They applied through the black hole application portal regular process for GS/MS without reaching out to anyone in CWM or IBD respectively. They are virtual interns there this summer. Good CVs, GPAs etc.. Both do not study finance, either. Super targets though.
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I'm currently an intern at GS/MS/JPM and I didn't do any networking. Non-target school as well. I just made sure to crush the hirevue and interviews.
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Yes, that is the correct mindset. Networking is like a call option: limited downside (initial investment, i.e. the time you spend emailing) with unlimited upside (networking helps land you an offer, euphoria as high as the sky).
That is great to hear. Thanks for the response. Hope I am in the same boat come next summer.
To give you the full scoop, the reason I didn't network (or in reality attempt to network) was becasue of two reasons. First, I was pretty late to the game. And two, I didn't even know 1/4 the stuff that I know now about recruiting. Since you're miles ahead of me, I'd go ahead and try to network anyway.
You're my idol
It’s so surreal to me that this is a question as someone interning in London. I think people networking/getting flagged for interviews here is definitely the exception, not the rule.
I agree. I go to a U.K. target. Aware of both processes for IB- US and U.K. Friends at uni applying for U.K. divisions and European, no connections and securing offers. Friends in US networking and increasing odds this way. Bizarre system.
As an american, it is stupid how the networking system works. I like the idea of the assessment centre in the U.K. That way, you know that the people you are hiring are the best at what they do. SUre you can argue that networking is a sign of maturity and ability to interact with other professionally but...that's what 2 to 3 day interviews are for.
I just can't see any downside to a little networking. Especially as a student, it's a great way to practice, make a few mistakes, and start building a network. As always, networking is less important the stronger your resume is, and you're probably the best judge of that.
Michael Hess
Non target. Non diversity. no networking. FT at BB IB and currently lining up P.E moves
Tanks for coming on here to brag.
Wait why are people after you??? I just read the personal message on your comment.
Non-diverse male at a target school - landed IB SA role and now FT at a BB without any networking at the firm. That was not at all the norm though at my school
I did zero networking, but I was able to land an IB and an S&T offer.
I did. Applied online from Non target, got the job. However, there was definitely luck going into it. The way I think about networking is like this: without networking and applying, you ABSOLUTELY have a chance at an interview. However, your “expected value” of getting one gets exponentially higher with networking. Getting a job with and without networking is both possible, however your EV goes up significantly if you do network.
Yes, I recruited with a few banks where I networked very heavily and had people pushing for me behind the scenes but got rejected even though I thought my interviews went great. Then I got an offer from a bank I did literally 0 networking with, just straight up went through the normal interview process and didn’t talk to anyone prior or during. I also thought my interviews went terribly. Sometimes things work out in mysterious ways.
Ditto, I interviewed a lot better at banks I cold applied to than banks I spent a lot of time networking at.
I kind of did, in the sense I didn't talk to anyone at my MM until I had already secured a superday. Non-diversity, non-target.
Also did not network. Average guy at a target that slipped into OCR at GS/MS.
Got my first job (MF PE) thanks to a cold email.
story time
Check my past posts - I did an AMA like 4 years back or something.
Nontarget, landed IB SA at MM without any networking there.
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I believe it's quite common for diversity candidates. After all...isn't the point if diversity programs to give opportunities to people without the same networks?
I networked at a ton of different banks, but it ended up being a bank I didn't network at where I got an offer
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