Is This a Goldmine or a Valuable Resource?
I have come into contact with a distant relative who is currently the CFO of a startup company, I'm not exactly sure what they do, but a google search revealed nothing, so I'm assuming they are small. Before the financial crisis he was an Executive Director in the IBD of a BB firm. I recently spent over an hour on the phone with him asking questions along the lines of what classes I should take, what my major should be, what books/newspapers I should be reading, what college I should transfer to, etc...
I didn't feel comfortable asking for job connections or any available internships at the time, because I have very little finance experience as a freshman at a non-target, and in all honesty I'm not ready for it. When I asked him about college major and the schools that I'm considering transferring to he replied "It all comes down to who you know and what you know." Basically my question is, is it likely that a former Executive Director at a BB firm be able to score me a lowly analyst position at a BB firm, or does everyone at the firm turn their backs on him once he starts working elsewhere?
He told you that if you know your stuff, he'll hook you up. Study hard. Be evil.
Yes I agree with this.
Yes. I agree with this too.
I think perhaps that the underlying items here are that (1) you're going to need to prove yourself to him that you're not going to embarrass him if he does provide a reference for you; and (2) put yourself in his shoes... why should he pass you along?
In particular... given that he's 'distant' I think you're probably going to need to do more proving.
Most likely he will know higher ups at other BBs that will pass on your resume for him which will likely score you interviews. However, chances are he won't want to do that unless your resume is worth passing on. If you can get a solid foundation such as transferring to a better school, getting a good GPA, and having relevant work experience, then it'll be appropriate to ask him if he could help you out.
Well I'm sure he's eager to help you out, just that he's got to be thinking about his own network, too. If he busts his ass trying to get you an interview and you bomb terribly, then it's going to look really bad on him.
Family connections= networking, which means the best result (in this economy) is an interview. The. They can grease the wheels and talk you up as the next Vikrim Pandit as you advance through the rounds.
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