real question: how are you supposed to network when you’re already running on fumes?
I’m slammed. deals are moving, we’re in August, and I’m doing 80-85 hour weeks consistently. I know networking is supposedly critical for making associate, but the idea of adding coffee chats and follow-ups and outreach on top of this is making me want to scream.
I see analysts who seem to have time for networking, and I’m trying to figure out if they’re just in slower groups or if they’re sacrificing sleep or what. But more importantly, am I shooting myself in the foot by not prioritizing this stuff right now? Like, is August really NOT the time, or am I just making excuses?
I’ve had a few relationships that have gone nowhere because I couldn’t follow up for weeks. I got a potentially useful intro that I haven’t acted on because opening a new conversation feels impossible right now. And I’m wondering if the relationship damage is worth it—like, are these people going to remember I was interested or are they going to think I ghosted?
I also wonder if there’s a different strategy during peak season. Like, should you not be seriously networking when you’re crushed? Should you focus on deepening one or two relationships instead of building new ones? Or should you be squeezing conversations in whenever possible?
How do you actually balance this? When do you find the time?
theres no balance. thats the real answer. during crunch season, networking takes a backseat. what u do is maintain your key relationships—one coffee with someone who matters is worth more than ghosting them. but trying to build new networks while swamped is just adding stress. focus on ur work. network in sept-oct when u have time. nobody expects coffees from analysts on live deals.
if someone introduce us to u and u cant engage, just send a quick email explaining ur on a live deal but ur interested in connecting next month. people get it. banking is banking. ur credibility takes a hit only if u completely ignore them for months. a few week delay during season is fine. theyll remember u when season ends and u follow up properly.
omg THIS. i’ve been feeling so guilty about not following up on things but this makes total sense. like the work has to come first rght?? ppl understand deal season
glad im not thte only one feeling stretched thin lol. better to do one thing well than everything badly
You’re identifying something real: the rhythm of banking makes traditional networking difficult during peak periods. But the strategy isn’t to do nothing—it’s to do something different. During deal season, focus on deepening relationships with people you’re already working with directly. Have substantive conversations within your deal team. Ask your MD or senior analyst why they’re structuring something a certain way. That’s networking too, and it happens during work hours. You’re building reputation without adding to your plate.
When you do have unavoidable gaps in follow-up, a short, honest email goes a long way. Something like, ‘Got thrown into a live deal that took all my bandwidth, but I genuinely want to reconnect in September when I have more headspace.’ Most senior bankers respect that. They’ve been analysts. They know the deal rhythm. The only way you damage relationships is silence over months—not weeks. A few weeks is totally acceptable and even expected.
The real insight: don’t think of networking as separate from your work. The people around you on your deal are your network. Being the analyst who asks smart questions, contributes thoughtfully, and shows up prepared—that is networking. It just happens to be happening in the context of your job. You’ll find that relationships formed during the grind often stick harder than casual coffees anyway, because they’re based on actually working together.
You’re already doing so much! Focus on the work first—that’s what matters most right now. The networking will follow when you have space for it. You’ve got your priorities straight!
last summer i was in the same boat—crushed on two big deals and felt like i was falling behind on relationship building. one day my MD just said ‘dont worry about coffees right now, just get the work right.’ totally reframed it for me. turned out some of my best senior relationships came from people I worked with on those deals, not from intentional networking. the grind actually was the networking; i just didn’t realize it.
i think the best move is to keep your existing relationships warm with occasional touchpoints—a quick email mentioning a deal u know theyre interested in, liking their linkedin post, whatever. and then when season slows, go hard on follow-ups. nobody expects an analyst to be networking like crazy during live deals.
Interestingly, analysts who tried to maintain external networking during heavy deal periods reported lower job satisfaction and slower progression than those who explicitly paused external networking and focused on deal execution. The cohort that did best took a ‘surge and rest’ approach: light external networking during slow periods, zero external networking during deals, then proactive engagement when market slowed. That sequencing outperformed consistent low-level networking across the board.
Also worth noting: relationships formed during deal work (internal networking) convert to sponsorship at roughly 2x the rate of external coffee chat relationships formed during off-season. So paradoxically, an analyst who’s crushed during deals and builds credibility with their deal team often ends up with better positioning for associate than someone who spreads themselves thin across external coffees. The depth matters more than the volume, especially when that depth comes from demonstrated execution.