Strange Networking Question

Why should you network with Analysts/Associates when trying to land a summer analyst position? If only the VP/MDs can meaningfully help you (give you an interview/move you along), why should you talk to associates and analysts?

Not meaning to be disrespectful or anything, genuine question I had.

3 Comments
 

If your school has OCR, the analysts and associates may run almost all of recruiting.

 
Most Helpful

First off, they can give you valuable insight into the bank/group you're applying to. They can tell you about the culture, what makes the group/bank strong, give you insight into the interviews etc. This will prove valuable in your interviews and it can also help you choose between offers.

Secondly, they can actually help you indirectly. If you mention that you have been speaking to analyst X and associate Y, it will show that you have put your effort in. Likely, they will also be asked about you. "Hey, we got this application from XYZ, he said you two had spoken, what do you think of him?". Most likely they will not go out and give you a strong recommendation if you don't know them. However, just getting a "He seemed really interested in the position and was a nice guy" puts you miles ahead of other candidates who they have no idea about.

Thirdly, they can help you directly by flagging your resume. This is not guaranteed to get you into the process, but at least they might take a closer look at your resume than they usually would. 

Keep in mind that my experience is based on recruiting for Europe. From my understanding, networking might not help you stand out as much in the US as it seems that a majority of candidates network extensively. 

 

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