IB Networking mistake?
I'm an upcoming masters student in London. Before I move and start the recruitment process in London I've been sending out cold emails to alumni to learn more about the industry and hopefully secure some referrals. I've had good success with people replying and been able to get 15 bankers on the phone (using WhatsApp for calls because I am not in the country). I've had mostly good chats where they shared about their background, some tips on how to prepare, interview processes ect. Most calls were 30min or 30min - 1h. After every call I sent a thank you email where I said that I would appreciate if they'd recommend someone else from their team/bank to speak to. Despite the good calls I've gotten only two responses on those follow ups. Am I asking too soon? Should I have followed up on WhatsApp since that is where the conversation moved to? Should I have been asking during the calls? Where am I going wrong? A couple of people even offered to refer me on the call but didn't reply afterwards. Looking for advice from professionals - how do you like students who are interested in learning/connecting to approach you? And what should I do with the people who didn't reply: follow up email after a few weeks, follow up WhatsApp message?
Thank you for the advice!
Networking in the UK can be a hit or miss, not sure if it's UK culture or what. Unfortunately HR seems to make all the decisions with early recruitment, so at this point I'm not even sure if networking will pay dividends.
Agree with this. Since networking/referring isn't done as much in the UK as in the US, the people you're talking to probably didn't network to get a job themselves and thus feel less obligated to follow up. No harm shooting your shot though, just know that the hoop is smaller.
Hey OP could you share the guide on how you do it. I’m in the same boat as you. I’m planning on doing a msc next year.
Not sure I'm the best to give advice given what I've shared, but here's how I do it. Search for alumni that work in IB on linked in. Look at their profile and experience and find something in common (I already have this because of the uni) and something interesting or specific about their experience that I want to learn about. I have one generic email that I tailor based on the person. I find their work email using hunterio, or if I can't their email is usually on their linkedin. I also attach my CV. I have a tracker for everyone I have contacted, their position, bank, date of contact, if I received a response ect. For those who don't respond I follow up a week later on Fridays (found out people are much more likely to respond on a Friday). I always write notes during the call and this is crucial - you won't remember as much as you'd think after a few weeks. On the call I give a little introduction about myself and then ask as much as I can about their experience and if they have any tips on the recruiting process. It's also very important to feel it out - are they more casual or professional and adjust accordingly. Oh and I go for people less senior - analysts/associates, they are much more likely to remember what it was like a few years ago and to want to help you.
Thank you so much :)
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