Networking means making friends

Companies are made up of people.

First and foremost, keep in mind you never join a company but a group of people. Remember when you where at the kindergarden, when someone wanted to be your friend, you didn't judge him on his school grade or class level or even its ability to read while you didn't even know how to read but you selected him naturally on his appeareace (physical) and its interests. The same works with the companies you target. You will join people you'll be working with for never ended hours so trust me you should be friend and they want you to be their friend.
Okay, the rules of the game have changed and are different from the kindergarden's one. But the difference is tiny and make not so much difference in the end : the screening.

But remember, in the kindergarden, their was also a sreening before joining a group of friend : be enrolled in the school where the people you can be friend with are. And to be franckly, friendship that last are often between people coming from the same school or same social background. So it is for long relationship with you colleagues. So consider your high degree and your will to join them as an evidence showing you have the potential to join the groupe of people.

Then comes making friend.
The easy part. Be aware of the trend on going in the financial world (martial arts are trendy among finance guy nowaday), read wall street oasis, business insiders, zero hedge), learn how to talk their language. Remember at the kindergarden when your mother couldn't understand a word when you were talking about video games with your friends. This was your language, and it was difficult to follow a conversation with you and your friends when one was'nt part of your game. It works the same for the finance guy. They talk their own language. Learn it. Use linkedin to established a first contact with a guy who will agree to share its experience with you by phone of Skype. Ask him what's his vision of the world, of business, of his company and his colleagues's thoughts. The idea is to correspond to the criteria they expect from a new comer : be like them. They will spot it during the itw and eager to see you then by their side in the office or at a break.

I would suggest you to build your network long before you attemps to apply. This way you will be able to use the name dropping technique - drop some names of people in the target company - then you will impress during itw and make them aware of your determination and ability to fit with their culture.

I wish this post shows you how to understand the recruitment process which is far from the one companies want you to think it is. It aims at facilitating the process by demistifying it. Take it easy and make friends. What's left is only redtape.

Hope it helps