when should freshman start networking?

I am an incoming freshman in semi target in NYC and i am really passionate about breaking into IB. I know that networking is essential and i should target alumni from my school that currently work in investment banks. But since i am not going to harvard or wharton there is no an endless number of them and i should value each one of them. So here is the question: i am really excited about the networking and reaching out to all of them but isn’t it too early to start doing it in my freshman year when i do not really know a lot about the sphere? Is it still worth to contact them now and be in touch with them throughout the next years? Wont they think that i am not qualified enough yet and should not be contacting them so early and should focus on studying the basics? Thanks in advance for all the answers and other advices where and how to start are also welcome!

5 Comments
 

Would not recommend contacting anyone in banking before September of your sophomore year. You can definitely reach out to upperclassmen at ur school regarding clubs, though. Also around November, you can start networking for an internship your freshman summer, but save the networking for your junior summer until later.

I get the sense from your post ("semitarget in NYC") that you're going to NYU. Clubs are huge here - focus on that throughout freshman year. If you don't go to Stern, try to get a 4.0 GPA semester 1 and internally transfer in. Ignore this if you don't go to NYU and I misunderstood your post.

 

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