Investment Banking Networking Question

Hey everyone, I have a networking question. I'm a student from a non-target on the West coast with no connections. I have a 3.95 GPA with a Major in Math and Finance. An extracurricular position as the VP of Finance for a school finance program. An internship on the NYSE (it was for an institutional brokerage and I don't want anything to do with that field so it didn't benefit me much). I also got a scholarship for CFA level 1 so I should be graduating in Spring w/ that completed.

I'll be in NY for a week next month. Is there anyway to setup meetings with HR people or do anything without knowing anyone? What is my best move for talking to people in NY without much of a network?

Thanks guys, I appreciate any advice.

 
Best Response

You have to start out by building your network. You can't just expect to walk into a bank and expect to get anywhere. You just can't "do anything without knowing anyone".

There are bound to be some alumni who work in finance in NY. Start building out your network there. Reach out to them and see if they'd be down to meet up and chat. Then see if they'd be willing to refer you to some of their coworkers, and you'll gradually build a wider and wider network.

When your trip comes up, see if you can schedule some meetings with these guys. You have to be willing to hustle, especially if you're from a nontarget. I know from firsthand experience. Start reaching out and network hard. It'll pay dividends when recruiting rolls around, cause you're not just another schmuck looking for a job.

Feel free to pm me if you have any specific questions. Would be happy to try my best to help out

 

I'm in your same boat (Non-target/West-coast) except i'm a rising Junior. I made a trip to New York not too long ago for about a week and was able to meet with a couple bankers. What I did was set up informational phone calls with people about a month before I flew in and mentioned I would be there at the end of the month.

Honestly, just make sure you accommodate their schedule. If you do that, there should be no reason why they can't meet for a coffee/lunch. It might be tougher emailing them last minute, so I would start reaching out now.

Note: The people I reached out too, was completely cold-email. No prior relationships or similar connections. It can be done!

 

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