Hello All,
Applying to SA 2020 spots now but I know that the applications themselves are a black hole. I've been networking for a while and really want to understand how I can leverage my network to get a position. How do I go about asking them to push my resume to their firm. Would something like "I'm interested in your firm, and was wondering what I should be doing to put my best foot forward" or something more direct.
For people I'm speaking with the first time now, I'm not sure if I should be approaching this differently. I've seen the other threads but still no luck with that advice.
Would love some insight.
Depends on the relationship with the person you've been speaking to. With people I'm not particularly close with, and have only spoken with once or twice, I ask them if there's anything I can do to make my resume stand out and hope they offer to push it for me. If they don't, then I'm less subtle and directly ask. For people that I have a good relationship with and are less formal with, I've just straight up sent an email saying that I've enjoyed speaking with them and x other people at the firm and that it's my top choice and if there's anyway they can bump my resume up. I've only been that direct with people I am informal with. Usually It's somewhere in between the two, where I ask about the recruiting timeline and ask if they have any advice to bump my application. In most cases I'd be subtle with the initial ask and if they don't respond just straight up ask for it. No one will blacklist you for being direct, worst case is you lose a contact that wouldn't bump you anyways.
Oh and you still have time assuming this is for SA2020. I don't know much about FT2020 but I'm pretty sure you still have the same amount of time as well. The two biggest pieces of advice that I can give you that have immensely helped in my SA2020 process are that you should target VPs, especially alumni, as they have pull when it comes to getting you in the application process. Other piece of advice is that, if you can, make a two day NY trip and cram your schedule with coffee chats as through that I figured out which contacts I got along best with and which banks I could see myself working at best.
Appreciate the response. Yes, this is SA2020. This is good advice, do you do the less direct response on the first call or a few weeks after? I will use your guidelines for the more direct approach for my longer connections. Appreciate the help!
I'd wait at least a week just to be polite after the first call. PM me if you need to ask anything else. Good luck!
Just be direct and ask.
When I was in banking, I used to get tons of informational interview requests from people. I know why you are reaching out to me. It's not like I'm going to say: "Oh, I didn't realize that you reached out to me because you were interested in a job here. I thought we were just chatting about how great my firm was for the fun of it."
Nor will someone think: "Oh, I can't believe that you didn't wait at least a week after our initial chat before asking me for a job. I'm going to ding you because you were a little too forward for my tastes."
People know what you want so there is no need to go through some secret mating dance that you invented in your head (i.e., email first, have informational chat, send follow up thank you note, wait a week, see if stars are aligned, and then send follow-up email asking about job).
At the end of your informational chat, just say: "This has been really helpful and corroborates a lot of what I have read and learned about your firm. I'm really interested in applying for the SA program there. I go to a school where you guys don't come to campus, unfortunately. Would you be able to help direct my resume to the right person?"
Assuming that the interview went well, he will say "I'd be happy to help. Send your resume to me and I'll make sure it gets to the right person."
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