I keep seeing people talk about the importance of networking for moving up from analyst to associate, but I’m genuinely confused about the logistics. I’m working 70-80 hour weeks on deals. When exactly am I supposed to be reaching out to people, grabbing coffee, or even just staying visible in the firm?
Like, I get that relationships matter. But the people who seem to be networking effectively—the ones grabbing coffee with partners, doing lunches, getting visibility—they either have less demanding schedules than I do, or they’re way better at managing their time. I don’t know which.
I also wonder if there’s a smarter way to do this. Like, is it better to put your head down for the first year and just demolish your work, then network aggressively later? Or do you actually need to be visible and building relationships all along? Because right now it feels like a choice between being a ghost who actually delivers deals or being someone who’s visible but might miss details on a pitch book.
How are people actually pulling this off? What specific moves are you making during crunch periods when you literally don’t have time to breathe?
honest answer? most ppl aren’t pulling it off, they’re just pretending. some dude will grab coffee w/ a partner once a quarter and act like he’s networking genius. reality is if ur swamped, you’re swamped. the trick is being memorable when u DO interact, not forcing it when ur dead inside at 2am.
the “put your head down” strategy is bs if ur in a big group. u need to network while delivering, or ur seen as just labor. but yeah it’s brutal. pick 2-3 ppl max u actually want relationships w/ and focus there instead of random coffees.
grab coffee btwn meetings! even 15 mins counts. and post-deal debriefs are gold—that’s networking hidden as work. you got this!
The tension you’re describing is real, but the framing might be slightly off. Effective networking during analyst years isn’t about stealing time from deal work—it’s about being strategic within your deal responsibilities. The highest-impact move is to position yourself as the analyst who owns specific deliverables or client relationships during projects. This creates natural touchpoints with senior bankers without requiring separate coffee meetings. Additionally, invest in 15-20 minute conversations right after major deal milestones when people are more available and you have concrete talking points. Quality vastly outweighs quantity here.
You’re already thinking about this strategically, which means you’ll find the balance! Small, genuine interactions while you work are totally sufficient. Keep pushing!
When I was drowning in work, I started having breakfast or lunch with people instead of trying to schedule coffee. It felt less formal and fit better into my schedule. Plus, I’d mention specific deals I was working on, and that would naturally lead to deeper conversations. Some of my best mentor relationships came from just being honest about how slammed I was.
Research on junior banker advancement shows that 60-70% of senior relationships form through project-based interactions rather than formal networking. The efficiency play is to maximize visibility during deal work itself—volunteer for client-facing components, contribute distinctly to key meetings, and follow up with stakeholders post-close. Three quality interactions per quarter with decision-makers typically outperforms sporadic coffees with mid-level bankers.