When to start Networking for BB IB FT

I have a SA at a BB this summer, but also want to shoot for a top shop like GS JPM and MS for FT

1st. When would you guys recommend to start networking? (I'm assuming the job will be busy in the summer and I can't just take 30-minute breaks to call other banking analysts) 

2nd. How would you guys recommend going about networking? What do I say is the reason for the call if I didn't even give my current SA a chance? What should I talk about during the call? I want to seem like I'm interested in the FT job but not overstepping.

17 Comments
 

I'm in the same boat as well. I've been told that it's safer to start reaching back out to warm contacts from SA recruiting pre-internship and cold email mid-summer. Curious to hear other thoughts as well! 

 
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Having recently gone through the process (went from irrelevant balance sheet bank summer to solid BB FT), do all of your networking in the spring before your internship since you won't have time in the summer. Reach back out to your best connections mid-summer to formally express your interest in being considered if they run a FT process. Reach out again at the end of the summer once you have a return offer secured from your internship and see where things might stand with that bank at FT hiring. 

I can't stress the last point enough–getting a return offer is absolutely essential if you want to recruit full-time. Any amount of networking and interview prep won't offset not getting one, so that should be your number one priority going into and during the summer. 

 

How did you phrase your emails in the spring when you were networking? Would people think you're not giving your internship a fair shot if you're emailing too early?

 

Just say you'd like to learn more about their work in 'X' group at 'Y' bank. 

 

Incoming Analyst in IB - Gen

Having recently gone through the process (went from irrelevant balance sheet bank summer to solid BB FT), do all of your networking in the spring before your internship since you won't have time in the summer. Reach back out to your best connections mid-summer to formally express your interest in being considered if they run a FT process. Reach out again at the end of the summer once you have a return offer secured from your internship and see where things might stand with that bank at FT hiring. 

I can't stress the last point enough–getting a return offer is absolutely essential if you want to recruit full-time. Any amount of networking and interview prep won't offset not getting one, so that should be your number one priority going into and during the summer. 

How'd you balance the timelines of the FT interview processes of other banks and your return offer expiring? Or did you just have to accept the return offer at the old bank and renege, or decline the offer and hope you get a full-time offer somewhere else?

 

As long as you are upfront and honest about what your deadlines regarding offer(s) with the other banks you are trying to recruit with FT, then you don't have to worry about anything. 

For example, a top MM I interviewed with told me in case they couldn't get back to me before my summer bank's offer deadline, then I should sign that other offer and more or less implied I wouldn't face any issues on their end if I had to renege. Thankfully I got an offer from the BB I'm headed to FT a day later, so I never had to renege from anywhere. 

Given how non-standard timelines for the FT process are, they seem to be somewhat understanding of these sorts of things. 

 

What if you didn't network before the summer? Would early-mid July (2nd or 3rd week) be the best thing to do at this point? 

 

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