Can I start networking as a HS senior for ibanking?

Extelleron
Sun, 02 Mar 2014 01:29:07 +0000

I rarely get on here anymore, but every time I do it seems there’s a new thread by you about how to prepare for IBD recruiting or how to pick the right classes to maximize your GPA. As a high school senior admitted to Penn, you should be relaxing and enjoying your life, not worrying about things that are three years away. You are going about college precisely the wrong way.

The answer is no, I would absolutely not try to start networking for banking as a high school student. You would look totally ridiculous and be laughed at, unless it’s a family friend and you are just looking to pick their brain about what their job is like. Moreover, if you reach out to analysts now, they will not even be at the same firm when you’re a junior looking to recruit, as the analyst program is typically 2 years long. As a freshmen at Penn, maybe reach out to some people and try to get some form of internship (won’t be in banking but somehow finance related or even just any office work) as a freshmen. If you can you are already ahead of the curve. I had no internship my freshmen year and as a junior landed a SA position at a great firm.

You also seem very obsessed with Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JP Morgan for some reason as you’ve mentioned these three banks in every thread you started. I don’t know why you are so focused on these three firms.

I really suggest that when you do get to Penn, you don’t come in with the attitude of “I’m here to get a job in IBD at GS/MS.” People are going to instantly label you as too intense and not fun to be around.

Please don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not trying to chew you out and be negative, I’m just trying to help you out here because I think you are way too intense about the hunt for a job in IBD at this stage in your life. I suggest you read more about the industry and see if you like it rather than falling in line with the rest of the sheep looking to work at Goldman. And again, at this stage in your life you don’t need to do anything. Personally, I am perhaps the exception rather than the rule, but I never networked at all [not when I was a senior in HS, not even as a junior going into recruiting season] and landed a position at one of GS/MS/BX.