I’m going to be honest: I don’t have anyone in banking. Like, literally no one. My parents aren’t in finance, my school doesn’t have some elite recruiting pipeline, and my last internship was at a tech startup. So when people talk about their alumni network and warm intros, I’m sitting here wondering if I’m already behind.
I know the standard advice is “start with your network” but what does that even mean when your network is nowhere? Do I message random people on LinkedIn? Go to networking events? Cold email analysts I’ve never met? All of the above?
I’m getting ready for next cycle and I want to be strategic about this instead of just hoping something works. I’ve got time to build real relationships, but I don’t know if I should be starting with people at target banks, or if there’s some other way to get warm intros first. Like, should I be networking with other people trying to break in?
I’m genuinely trying to map out a plan here, not just throwing spaghetti at the wall. What’s the actual first move when you’re starting from absolutely zero?
start with ppl u DO know—professors, old colleagues, anyone tangentially in finance. ask them to intro you! even small warmth helps. then events and cold outreach. you’re not behind, just need to get the ball rolling! 
Beginning from zero requires a phased approach. Start by identifying warm-adjacent contacts—professors who’ve worked in banking, alumni advisors, former colleagues from adjacent industries. These require minimal credibility barriers and can provide initial warm intros. Simultaneously, attend industry events and firm-hosted recruiting panels where you can initiate conversations in natural settings. Your first 3-5 conversations should focus on information gathering rather than asks, building familiarity and credibility. Only after establishing baseline credibility through these channels should you transition to more direct asks or references to specific recruiting cycles. This compounds your network systematically rather than creating awkward cold outreach from complete strangers.
nah ur not behind. ppl who had connections started earlier—thats it. u gotta work harder but its doable. hit up ur school’s career office, see if they have any alumni working in banking. those intros are golden bc they filter out a tier of randos. then cold email specific analysts at ur target banks—mention target school, relevant internship experience, specifc role interest. 5-10% will respond and thats ur entry point.
Starting from zero requires targeting specific channels with higher conversion potential. First, leverage alumni databases (even loose ones) to identify university graduates at target firms—intra-university connections show 3-4x higher response rates than pure cold outreach. Second, attend 8-12 recruiting events at target banks over 6 months to build familiarity and multiple touchpoints. Third, engage substantively on finance-oriented LinkedIn content and forums to build credibility signals before outreach. Finally, segment your cold outreach efforts: 30% to alumni, 30% to event contacts with follow-up, 40% to targeted cold emails with high specificity.
You’re actually in a great position to build genuine relationships! Start with what you have, attend events, and show real interest. People love helping someone who’s hungry and authentic! 
i was literally in your boat and it was intimidating af. but i found my schools alumni linkedin list and just started reaching out to ppl at my target banks with “hey we both went to [school], im exploring banking and would love to hear about ur path.” sounds corny but like 15% responded. one actually spent time with me and eventually referred me. zero magic, just systematic.
also dont waste energy trying to network with other broken kids looking for internships. network with ppl who can actually help u. thats the first filter.