Here at Management Consulted, we've been hammering away on networking for the last several weeks because it is critical in times like these.
And by "times like these", I mean "economy-in-trouble, big-firms-like-BCG-tightening-hiring, even-bigger-firms-like-Accenture-cutting-people" times.
Here's the concluding part of our live networking podcast - conducted with yours truly and Brian from Mergers and Inquisitions. You can find part 1 of our networking discussion here. You can download the audio clip right here:
- Download the MP3 [50+ Minutes | 22 MB]
For people who prefer text, here's the 22 page PDF:
- Download the Text Transcript [22 Pages | PDF]
Here are the topics and questions covered in Networking 102:
Networking Internationally
“How do you maintain and continue to develop a network with recruiters, Analysts, MDs, etc. while you’re studying abroad for an extended period of time in a foreign country? How can you make up for the lack of personal interaction?”
“If you work overseas, how do you get to America in both office, transfer, and general recruiting networking?"
Click here for more on international management consulting.
Giving Up
“When do you think it’s time to actually throw in the towel after all of your networking efforts, developing relationships and cold calling, just don’t pay off? Say it’s May and there’s only one month left before Analyst training which effectively closes the window of opportunity. What do you do?”
“What to do when contacts, alumni friend referrals, are really about to vanish or dry up. I’ve scoured different databases and social networks and am really beginning to run out of contacts after holding over 35 informational interviews.”
Fast-Track Networking
"If he’s in a position where he gets a return offer to his summer internship but he still has contacts at the other places that he actually wants to work out, what’s the best way to go about networking and getting into those places?"
Your Own Value Prop
“I don’t quite understand the concept of networking. As an undergraduate, why would an alumni go out of their way to assist you in finding a job? You don’t have anything to offer them so it feels one sided and embarrassing to ask for their help. Establishing a relationship when they’re complete strangers is really difficult so why would they care about helping some undergrad kid looking for a job?”
“Is there a way to differentiate yourself from other networkers by somehow providing some value to the person you are contacting? What, if anything, might a student have to offer that would be of interest or feel like a contribution for an Analyst, Associate, or more senior person? If there is something that would be well received, how would you suggest working it into the dialogue?”
Networking Internally To Different Groups
“What’s the best technique to make contacts with these people in different divisions and how do you go about networking from one group within a bank to a different group?”
Networking As An Intern
"How are you going to be successful when you’re an intern in terms of networking for a full-time offer, being able to get to be part of the team or the group that you want to?"
Click here to learn how to become a rockstar summer consulting intern.
Senior People & Transitions
"As your Analyst years are coming to an end, how do you network effectively for the best exit jobs as well as how do you network intelligently with senior people at your firm?"
Firm Presentations
“How would you prepare for a firm presentation and networking mixer? Would you recommend talking to one or two people for a long time or working the room?"
“For organized networking events, is it appropriate to carry a resume on you? How about meeting industry professionals at events? How do you go from that to then building beneficial relationships that will help with jobs, etc.?”
Click here for a step-by-step guide to information sessions and company presentations.
Finance-Specific Networking
“What sort of advice do you have for someone in small PE firm interested in moving up into the buy-side instead of just the support function in the group?”
“What do you think about non-finance work graduate school, then transitioning through an MBA? What about PhD to MBA to finance?”
Click here for the substantive differences between investment banking and strategy consulting.
Consulting-Specific Questions
“What would be a good networking strategy for ‘on the beach’ time, basically when you’re not on a project and you’ve got a little bit more free time?”
“Is it good for you if the McKinsey recruiter knows you’re applying for BCG, Bain, other consulting firms?”
“What can you do if you have an interview with two of them on the same day at the same time?”
Linked-In Networking
“Hi Kevin, how should you network in LinkedIn? Is it appropriate to send cold messages to the big three guys?"
Click here for my answer to a reader question on how to use LinkedIn for recruiting.
We hope you guys enjoyed it!
While Brian has recently moved to Korea, we plan to continue some type of podcasting collaboration into the future. If there are any topics that interest you, please contact us directly or leave a comment below!