Networking & Soft Skills.
Coffee chats, follow-ups, reading the room.
Networking is judged less on the conversation itself than on the follow-up you send afterward. A strong thirty-minute coffee chat counts for little if the email an hour later is generic. The follow-up is the test.
Open with a question that lets the banker tell a story ("What's the deal you're proudest of?" beats "Tell me about your typical day"). Ask about the team and the work, not about you. End with a clear ask: "Would it be reasonable to have a second conversation in two weeks once I've read X?" Then send a follow-up email the same day that references one specific thing they said and either delivers value (a relevant article) or closes the loop on the next ask.
How would you follow up after a 30-minute coffee chat?
"Hi Sarah, really enjoyed our conversation today. Your point about how the consumer team uses precedent transactions to anchor management discussions stuck with me, and I read the piece you mentioned in The Economist on private credit margins on the train home. If it's reasonable, I'd love a 15-minute follow-up in two weeks once I've made it through the FT's M&A Year-in-Review you flagged. No pressure if not, and thank you again for the time. Best, Julian."
"Hi Sarah, Thanks so much for taking the time to meet with me today, I really enjoyed our conversation and learned a lot about Goldman. I was wondering if you could possibly introduce me to anyone else on your team who might be willing to chat, and also if you have any advice on how to break into IB? Thanks!"
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