Need Advice on networking before FT

Rising junior who signed a 2025 SA offer at a  UMM/MF shop that has low return offer rates (about 50%). After reading some stuff on here about the difficulties of full time, should I be networking with people now since my firm has such low return rates? I don’t know if that looks bad but also don’t know how I would network with people during the internship. Am I just fucked if i don’t get the return for FT?  I likely will be working long hours and won’t be able to recruit during the internship so if I don’t get the return I’d have to start mid august (when my internship ends)

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This is a common problem and there's no good answer... you have to network during the summer (no earlier than week 3 or so, so it looks like you gave it a chance) and people are not likely to want to be on networking calls outside of 9-5

It does look bad to your current firm to be recruiting during the summer. If you have any WFH days, stack calls up then. Otherwise just have to keep them light (during lunch, grab coffees in person with people whose offices are physically nearby, etc) + only with people you really connected with well last year. Don't say "hey reaching just in case I don't get an offer", say you're keeping your options open and considering doing XYZ instead

FT recruiting won't start in earnest after you're done with the internship, so you can also plan to network in August but that is cutting it a bit short. 

 

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