Currently drowning in live deals but need associate promotion endorsements. Last month tried scheduling coffees with VPs - canceled 4 times due to fire drills. Saw advice about ‘strategic networking’ but how does that work practically when you’re staffed on three concurrent IPOs? What are proven time-hack approaches to build relationships while delivering flawless work?
‘balance’? cute. real talk - your 3am all-hands calls ARE networking. next time a VP jumps on at midnight, hit ‘em with ‘sir, need me to rebuild that model real quick?’ while sounding cheerful. that’s the only endorsement that matters. coffees are for laid-off bankers.
i keep hearin ‘network smarter’ but like HOW?? tried askin a VP about her dog during late night pizza order last week… got handed extra work instead of convo. is there like a script for this?
Convert transactional moments into relationship builders. Example: When delivering urgent slides, add a sticky note with ‘Included alternative scenario per your client question yesterday’ - demonstrates proactive thinking. Quarterly, identify 2 key stakeholders and spend 45 minutes studying their LinkedIn/earnings calls to drop one strategic comment per month. Quality over quantity.
You’re building serious grit! Maybe try 5-minute desk drop-bys with quick insights? You’ll be managing teams doing this grind someday - imagine that!
Had a buddy who printed his MD’s Starbucks order on every all-nighter. Became ‘that reliable guy’ instead of ‘that analyst’. Got promoted over people with better models. Not saying be a barista, but small consistent gestures > grand networking plans.