Too deep to quit, too early to win
I’m a sophomore at a non-target. I landed a Summer 2025 internship, and I thought it would make junior summer recruiting easier. So far, it hasn’t.
Recruiting for Summer 2026 has been discouraging. I’ve had a few calls, but they haven’t gone well. I’ve been told my answers were "nothing burgers," that my technicals need work, and that I lack critical thinking. One person even said I come off as “too happy” or “too outgoing” for IB. I’ve never seen that as a flaw—I think it’s what makes me different. I’m not trying to be a robot on these calls. I enjoy talking to people, and I think that should count for something.
After getting that feedback, I’ve decided to slow down my networking pace. Not because I’m giving up, but because there’s no point in flooding inboxes if I’m not presenting my best self. Right now, I’m trying to fix the things I’ve been called out on. Technicals, communication, clarity—everything.
That said, it's the beginning of April, and it’s hard not to feel behind. I keep hearing that people are sending 40 to 80 networking emails a week. That could be fluff, but even if it’s only half true, I’m not even close. I don’t feel ahead. I don’t even feel like I’m moving.
I’m not writing this to complain. I’m trying to figure out if this feeling is normal—or if it’s a sign I should be rethinking everything. At what point do you pivot? At what point do you stop chasing a path that might not be for you?
If anyone’s been here before, I’d appreciate any perspective.
Some people exaggerate # of emails they send and if they don't, that many shouldn't be necessary. Focus on simple/concise networking emails with the intention for high quality chats to differentiate yourself, rather than a mass quantity of calls going through the motions. A few calls a week can be fine as long as you're having conversations that seem to go well. If the feedback hasn't been positive, try to adjust your approach in terms of questions you ask. Usually an easy way to differentiate yourself is to ask well thought out / relevant questions related to their role / group, in a way that show's you're competent/interested but not trying too hard to look technical. Still have the general small talk at start and end of calls, but you can lead it into questions about their specific role and day to day to get an understanding of their work. For ex, if they're in healthcare coverage banking, you can try to briefly familiarize yourself with the possible sub sectors and then ask the type of companies they typically deal with and whether most time is spent on capital raise deals vs M&A, how they got interested in their sector/sub-sector, etc. Usually just coming across as interested in what they do and serious enough to familiarize yourself with their type of work can help. You'll always have some bad calls just due to catching person on a bad day, but in the end it should even out
My gut tells me that you need to learn to be more succinct. That could well be the cause of some of the comments you've gotten, including the technicals feedback. You might well know the answer but aren't getting to it in a focused straight forward manner.
I get it...I tend to ramble, even just in friendly conversations. Getting better at being succinct helped me a lot over my career as that isn't my natural tendency.
Don’t be discouraged. We are on the same boat.
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