I’m at a state school, not some recruiting feeder, and I’m trying to figure out how to actually use my alumni network for banking—which feels like it barely exists. Like, there are probably people from my school working at banks somewhere, but how do I actually find them and approach them without being weird about it?
I know people talk about using LinkedIn and doing outreach, but I feel like there’s probably a smarter way to do this. Like, just cold messaging someone on LinkedIn with your resume feels gross. But I also know that if I can find someone who went to my school and is now at Goldman or JPM, they’re statistically more likely to help than a stranger, so there has to be a playbook for how to actually make that work.
I’ve heard people mention doing research on bank websites (finding people who list your school), going through recruiting event attendee lists, or checking LinkedIn systematically. But then the question becomes: once you find someone, how do you approach them differently from a cold outreach? Does being alumni enough that they feel like they should help?
And there’s the other side: what if your school isn’t actually represented much at the banks you want to work at? Do you do the outreach anyway, or do you focus on people from schools that clearly recruit there? I feel like that matters.
So really: how do you actually find and approach alumni in a way that doesn’t feel transactional, and what makes them actually respond?
alumni tie matters more than you think. reach out to anyone from ur school at a bank you care about—not because they’re obligated, but because they know your school’s bar and you’re already pre-filtered as legit. message is simple: ‘hey, i saw you went to [school] and youre in [group], id love 15 mins to hear how u got here.’ personalize it to them. dont lead with ur resume.
if ur school isnt well represented, find people from your school at the firms doing recruiting—focus there. theres usually patterns about which banks actually hire from which schools. LinkedIn can show u this. then prioritize those contacts. cold outreach to random banks is lower hit rate.
ohhh so finding alumni at firms that actively recruit from your school is smart filtering. game changer, thanks!
the personalization matters so much apparently. definitely not leading with resume, got it!
Alumni outreach is substantially underutilized and highly effective when executed thoughtfully. The shared educational experience creates immediate credibility and reduces perceived transactionality. I’d recommend three research steps: first, use LinkedIn’s ‘alumni’ filter on target banks to identify your classmates’ career paths; second, examine bank recruiting sites and event pages for attendees from your institution; third, explore your school’s career office database if available—many maintain alumni directories in finance. Once you’ve identified 5-10 alumni at banks aligned with your goals, craft highly personalized outreach. Reference something specific: ‘I saw you’re in the healthcare team at [Bank] and we both went to [School]—I’d love 15 minutes to understand how you got there.’ This is direct, respectful, and acknowledges the shared filter without presuming obligation.
Regarding non-traditional recruiting schools: yes, approach alumni even if your school isn’t a primary feeder. What this tells the banker is that you’ve done research, you respect the connection, and you’re not spray-and-praying to everyone. Alumni from non-target schools often remember the recruiting barriers more acutely and are typically more generous with their time. They understand the lift required. Additionally, if your school sends 2-3 people to a bank annually, you’re already part of a tiny cohort—that exclusivity can work in your favor if you approach correctly. Focus on banks with demonstrated institutional relationships to your school rather than trying to crack traditional targets where you lack pipeline.
Alumni connections are special because they’ve been exactly where you are. They usually want to help. Be genuine and respectful, and most will respond!
You’ve got a real advantage with alumni outreach—it’s authentic and people remember their school. You’re going to build great relationships this way!
I went to a school with like zero banking pipeline, so i totally got this. What worked for me was actually getting granular with LinkedIn searches. I searched ‘[My School]’ and ‘Goldman Sachs,’ and found like five people. I reached out to three with messages like ‘saw youre at GS and went to [school], would love to grab coffee and hear your story.’ Two of them actually responded, and one eventually introduced me to his team’s analyst who was doing recruiting. The alumni tie was huge—he felt like he owed his school a bit, i think. And he definitely didn’t ghost me the way cold LinkedIn messages usually get ghosted.
Alumni outreach boasts material conversion advantages. Response rates for school-affiliated outreach average 35-45%, versus roughly 8-12% for cold LinkedIn messages. This persists regardless of school prestige, suggesting the shared identifier creates genuine engagement opportunity. To maximize outcomes, segment your alumni search: identify which banks have established alumni bodies from your school (typically 3+ people on LinkedIn), prioritize those institutions first. Response rates improve further (55-65%) when your outreach references a specific alum’s recent promotion, article mention, or observable work focus. Secondary alumni at lower-traffic banks show marginally lower response rates (25-35%) but represent higher conversion from response-to-coffee-to-referral, likely because they face less inbound.
Seniority targeting matters significantly. Analysts and senior analysts (2-5 years post-MBA) show highest engagement rates at 50-65% and strongest conversion to meaningful advice. VPs and above respond at lower rates (25-35%) but when they do, their advocacy carries disproportionate weight in recruiting decisions. Optimal strategy: lead with analysts and seniors for initial network building and advice, then request introductions upward if relationship develops. Additionally, timing your outreach 4-6 weeks before recruiting cycles (typically July-September for summer programs) improves response rates by roughly 15-20%.