Incoming SA with no network
I recently signed an offer for the 2023 summer at a bank I do not have a network within. I connected with an alumni at the bank early on in the process, but didn't maintain the relationship as I had no idea what I was doing and he was one of the first people I ever got on the phone with. Besides him, I have no contacts in the bank. Fast forward, I end up with a first round where I got along with my analyst and ended up at a SD. Ended up with an offer, and given that my contacts at other banks said I couldn't accelerate my app, I took the offer. Now I am wondering if I need to start networking within the bank before next summer? I was told group placement occurs in the spring where you network with groups before being placed. Am I at a disadvantage going into the summer since I don't have relationships with those within? Should I reach out to those in groups I am interested in prior to the 'placement process'? Just trying my best to get a return offer, so any sort of experience / advice is appreciated.
Yes, you are at a disadvantage going in if you don't have an alumni network. This is like asking, "If I show up to a house party and don't know anybody, am I at a disadvantage?".
Do not wait for the "official" group placement process to start networking. The official networking process is a farce, it's just the non-targets fighting for scraps. The target kids and alumni kids have already locked in their placements long before then. Group placement and getting a return offer are two different things. You could bomb the placement process and get placed in a "bad" group, but then perform well and get a return offer. Either way, it will help you to start establishing connections in the bank and to express early interest in a particular group(s). The group you express interest for should "make sense" and it's best to be realistic to avoid wasting time cold-emailing and on pointless calls. Don't target GS TMT if you have no alumni and no previous displayed interest in TMT. What I mean by "make sense" is you should craft a genuine narrative as to why you want to be in that group. Get on the phone with the people, be likeable and push the narrative.
Got it, thank you.
Being that I already signed, do you have any recommendations for how to go about it while reaching out to groups at the bank? Like what's the best way to not come off like an idiot who signed a generalist offer without an explicit interest in a certain group at the bank? Considering that the placement process isn't for 9 months, is it inappropriate to start networking strictly for group placement now?
Bump. In a similar situation
You can’t count on luck, but luck counts. Just continue working on networking. You got this.
Bump - how does one network post-acceptance of an offer? Like obviously I could say I am interested in learning more about their specific group, but does that not come off idiotic that I am now trying to learn about a group after signing the offer?
Wondering the same thing. I feel like now that I’ve gotten the offer there’s no good enough reason to contact them and I don’t want to be annnoying
Once you get the offer, you can network with the team by telling them that you recently accepted an offer and your looking for a quick chat. Use this opportunity to introduce yourself and learn more about the product/industry. Keep it brief and of course thank them for their time.
If they are cool enough during the call you can go into a brief talk about future goals.
How often should you contact them before starting the position if that’s still around 1 year away? Or am I wasting their time if I regularly ask them for chats/meetings lol
Dolor eum saepe qui veniam possimus et quis et. Vero dicta aut qui minima. Est quos optio saepe illo fugit corrupti optio. Eos aut corrupti vel unde exercitationem.
Nesciunt eius temporibus id autem laboriosam magni facere iusto. Quia aliquam est eligendi quasi reiciendis pariatur magnam. Officia animi sunt quod labore.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...