Networking with a C-Suite?

Hey guys!

As of recent, I've been ramping up my networking so that I can land a decent IB internship next summer. Seeing as how I am a non-target and didn't start early enough to get in contact with any of the EB's, I went ahead and sought out connections within middle-market banks. Unfortunately (or actually quite fortunately), I shot so hard that I was able to receive an informational interview with the CFO of a well known bank. I have only 20 minutes with this person, so my question is how do I make the most of it? I've networked with VPs and even a couple MDs, but nothing on this scale. What questions would even make sense to ask a C-Suite? Thanks for the help!

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I actually had almost the exact same experience and I believe this is the only reason I got into banking.

Do not, i repeat do not, ask about day to day stuff or anything an associate could tell you. Go on the bank’s website. Read about the culture. Read their financial statements. Has their growth spiked over the last few years? Ask what do you think was the driver. Ask about why they’ve stayed in banking for that long. Ask about how they’ve dealt with conflicts. Just don’t make it seem like you’re throwing out questions - make it all natural so it feels like a real conversation.

And, I could not stress this enough, most importantly stalk them before your meeting. I’m talking press releases, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. Find out what team they root for / what they like to cook and then suavely weave your interest that matches theirs into their conversation. You’ll be surprised how well that works!

 

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