Networking feels like a chore.. should I reconsider IB/finance?
Hey guys,
I am in the middle of considering a switch to an IB career. The reason for the switch is because I enjoyed the finance classes I took this past year for a minor as much as (maybe even a little more than) the classes for the career path I was originally on. IB was also always on my radar before I started UG
However, I'm having problems with networking for my junior year internship and it's starting to burn me out because it's getting kind of frustrating.
It might be because I have only gotten a few replies (maybe 10% response rate?) and I don't have strong connections with any full time employees (some of my HS friends are summer interns at BBs right now but we're not that close anymore.. would I be able to ask them for some names to contact?). I'm basically cold emailing alumni and hoping for the best. I go to a top 15 non-target/semi target according to someone in another recent thread so my alumni network is okay but not great
Should I take my struggles right now as a sign that I don't have the right skill set for IB or is this a typical networking experience, especially for someone at a non-target school?
Thanks!
If you feel like networking is a chore, it might mean you really aren't that into IB. For me, networking was and is enjoyable for me because I enjoy learning about the career paths of the people I speak to, and I'm genuinely interested in the industry. I think that when you have that underlying interest, it's a lot easier to target the right people to speak to and have a real conversation.
Also, there's always going to be stuff you don't enjoy during any job/job hunt, and if you aren't able to grind through it, you probably won't be successful no matter where you go.
Gotcha, thanks.
I have enjoyed talking with the guys I connected with, but checking my email every morning and getting little to no replys has gotten a little discouraging. It feels like I'm just shooting into the dark hoping to hit something, and it doesn't help that every other person with an internship sounds like they cruised through this
Are you at a target? How many emails are you sending a day? Getting 10%, even with alums, is pretty normal. Tailor your emails more and send more.
I don't think my school is target but someone called my school at least a semi-target on a different thread so I guess I can go with that. I believe BBs do recruit at my school though
I've been sending out only a couple emails a day just in case they all reply (ha..) and I'm not stuck with a schedule conflict but given my past experiences I'll probably increase that number like you said especially since it's pretty deep into the summer
Also what's a good way to personalize the emails? I've been mentioning their firm and position/division but not all of the alums put a lot of detail on their profile page for my school's alumni website. I also cross check with linkedin but they're not always very informational
I sent 25 last week and got 3-4 replies. It's a numbers game
Aut quos asperiores expedita sed porro enim. Adipisci occaecati nulla sed molestiae.
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