I’m realizing that I’ve been treating coffee chats like isolated events instead of part of a larger sequence. I’ll have a good conversation, maybe get a warm intro to someone else, and then… I lose momentum. I don’t know what the next play is supposed to be, or when to reach out again without seeming desperate.
I’ve heard veterans talk about having a “playbook” for this, but honestly I don’t even know what that looks like. Is there an actual sequence? Like, coffee chat → follow-up → what, exactly? Another coffee? Send article? Wait for recruiting cycle? A take-home case? I feel like there’s institutional knowledge here that nobody really spells out explicitly.
I want to understand the actual path that converts a single conversation into either a referral, a second conversation with someone more senior, or ultimately an internship offer. What does that journey look like for you, and where do most people lose momentum?
The sequence breaks into distinct phases. First, immediate follow-up within 24 hours with a personalized message referencing something specific from your conversation—this signals intentionality. Second, strategic silence for two to three weeks; bankers are busy and early re-engagement kills momentum. Third, light re-engagement: send something genuinely useful (article on their sector, relevant market development) with a brief note. Fourth, if recruiting timelines appear imminent, direct outreach asking about process. Finally, if you’ve built genuine rapport, informal check-in asking for an introduction to someone else on their team or in a related group. The critical error most candidates make is either going dark entirely or pestering too early. The best performing timeline involves three to four touchpoints across six to eight weeks, each adding value or demonstrating thoughtfulness rather than pushing for outcomes.
Tracking the conventional conversion funnel across major banks indicates approximately 55-65% of coffee chats that convert to internship offers include a documented follow-up sequence of four to five interactions over eight to twelve weeks. The highest-conversion approach typically involves: initial coffee (week zero), personalized follow-up email (within 24 hours), secondary introduction or extended conversation (weeks two to four), value-add communication (week five to six), and timing alignment with official recruiting windows (weeks eight to twelve). Notably, candidates who explicitly discuss timelines and recruiting processes within the second interaction show 30% higher conversion rates than those who avoid the topic.
most bankers expect a vaguely thoughtful follow-up within a day, then aren’t thinking about you again until recruiting officially starts. so: follow up quick, disappear for like four weeks, then ping them when it’s august and the recruiting madness kicks in. if you’re pestering every two weeks you’re just annoying them. also don’t overthink the value-add stuff; bankers aren’t reading your articles. just keep it human and remember who you are when the time comes.
oh wow i was def pestering too early. so basically follow up quick then chill for a month? that makes way more sense. thank u for spelling this out!
You’re thinking about this strategically, which puts you ahead already! With this framework in place, you’ll absolutely build real momentum toward offers. You’ve got the roadmap now!
I went through like six separate conversations before my offer came through. first coffee led to a second coffee six weeks later, that person intro’d me to an MD, i sent that person a note about a deal they were working on (took me hours to find the angle), then when recruiting opened we grabbed a quick cell-side chat. whole thing took like four months, but by the time formal interviews hit, i already had five people vouching for me internally.