How to Network When You're New to Finance

In my early career, I thought networking was all about building as many connections as possible. But I quickly learned that effective networking isn't about the quantity of your connections—it's about the quality. Throughout my career, the connections that have truly made a difference weren’t the ones where I just asked for help—they were the ones where I made it easy for others to want to help me. If you want to make others genuinely want to help you, it’s crucial to move beyond simply asking for favors. Instead, focus on creating value and building relationships where both parties benefit. So, how can you do the same? Here are four tactical tips to help you network effectively: ✅ Do Your Homework Before reaching out, research the person or company you’re interested in. Understand their work, challenges, and how you can add value. For instance, instead of asking a connection for job leads, do your own research first. Identify specific roles and companies you’re targeting, and then ask if they can help with an introduction. This approach shows initiative and respect for their time. ✅ Be Specific in Your Ask Whether you’re asking for an introduction, advice, or a referral, be clear and concise about what you need. For example, instead of asking, “Do you know anyone hiring?” say, “I noticed [Company Name] is looking for a [Role]. Would you be open to introducing me to [Person]? I’m happy to send you my resume and a brief write-up you can pass along, too.” This shows that you’ve taken the initiative and makes it easier for your contact to say yes. ✅ Offer Mutual Value When requesting a meeting or advice, frame it as a two-way conversation. Instead of saying, “Can I pick your brain?” try something like, “I’d love to exchange ideas on [specific topic] and share some strategies that have worked for me.” This not only makes your request more compelling but also positions you as someone who brings value to the table. ✅ Follow Up with Gratitude After someone has helped you, don’t just say thank you and disappear. Keep them in the loop on how their help made an impact. Whether you got the job, secured the meeting, or just had a great conversation, let them know. This closes the loop and makes them more inclined to help you in the future. Your network is one of your greatest assets—nurture it well, and it will be there for you when you need it most. What’s one networking tip that’s helped you build stronger connections? *** 📧 Want more tips like these? Join Career Bites - free weekly bite-sized tips to supercharge your career in 3 minutes or less: lorraineklee.com/subscribe 📖 You can also get behind-the-scenes stories, updates, and special gifts for my upcoming book Unforgettable Presence: lorraineklee.com/book

The best piece of advice I was given about networking: Don't give people your resume. Do this instead! When I was 38, a former colleague gave me an unforgettable piece of advice. I was starting to look for a new job after being laid off. I'd been running myself ragged trying to meet people who could help me. But, like most beginners, I was making a lot of mistakes: • Applying online for jobs and never hearing back • Going to useless networking events, and • Cold calling the wrong people, Until one day, my colleague said to me: "𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙏𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙇𝙞𝙨𝙩." That day, my whole approach to networking changed. A Target Company List (TCL) is a list of companies you are interested in learning more about. These are companies where you might want to work. It’s: • A physical, formal list. It doesn’t live “in your head” • Formatted like a resume. You could hand it to someone. • Not laminated. You can make adds and changes to it as you get feedback You create this list by thinking of the type of companies where you want to work. Ask yourself: • Which industry do I want to be in? • What size company do I want to work at? • Which companies have values that align with mine? • Which companies have job postings I’ve applied to? • Which companies are on “Best Places To Work For” lists? Once you create your professionally formatted list, you start giving it to people during networking meetings. Either hand them a physical, paper copy or send it via email. When I got this advice from my colleague, I didn’t understand why the TCL would work, but as I used it over the years, I’ve come to understand why it’s an effective networking tool. When you're in a networking conversation and the other person says, “How can I help you,” most people give them their resume. This makes you hard to help. Who should the person give your resume to? On the other hand, if you give them your TCL and ask, “Do you know anyone who works at one of these companies,” it’s easy for them to say “Yes” or “No.” If they say “Yes,” they can introduce you to the person via email. Now, you know someone at one of your target companies. If they say “No,” you can ask if there are other companies like the ones on the list where they know someone. If they do, you get and introduction at a company you have never considered. If they still don’t know anyone or any companies, let them take the list home. There’s a good chance they’ll think of someone later. The TCL forces you to get specific about how other people can help you. The more specific you are about how someone can help you, the more likely you are to get help. P.S. - This weekend, I'm sharing another tip on Being Easy To Help in 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧. This is my weekly newsletter where I teach you to be a better networker. Not a subscriber? Sign up for FREE when you hit the link under my headline at the top of the post ☝️

“Networking is awkward.” You know what’s more awkward? Graduating in May 2025 and applying to 127 jobs with… zero callbacks. Let’s fix that with networking ideas no one’s talking about. and I mean actionable.. 1. “Reverse Research” Your Way Into a Conversation Instead of asking people what they do, show them what you know about what they’ve done. How to do it: Find someone on LinkedIn in your target company/role Read their posts, podcasts, or panels they’ve been on Then send this message: “Hi [Name], I came across your [talk/article/post] on [topic]—your point about [insight] made me think differently. I’m researching [industry], and would love to hear your take on [specific follow-up]. Would it be okay to connect?” That’s conversation built on respect. 2. Book Club for Industry Geeks Start a virtual book or podcast club for your industry. Invite professionals to speak at the end of each cycle. How to do it: Pick 3 peers + 1 book or podcast Create a simple calendar (4 weeks = 4 touchpoints) End with a “Wrap-Up” Zoom chat—invite a guest Post your takeaways on LinkedIn and tag them Because learning together? Is the strongest way to network. 3. Write A “Public Thank You” Post on LinkedIn You probably learned something cool from someone recently. Now imagine you posted it publicly, gave them a shoutout, and showed how you applied it. How to do it: Tag the person Share what they taught you Share what you did next Ask your network, “What’s something YOU learned from someone this month?” You just gave free visibility, created a loop, and 10 people will want to talk to you after. 4. Turn Informational Chats into Co-Creation Networking chats often stop at “thanks for the time.” What if it didn’t? What to do: After the call, send a note: “Hey [Name], based on our chat about [topic], I drafted a small idea to build on your advice. Would love your thoughts!” Create a graphic, short write-up, or project plan (just 1 page!) Now you’re not just a student. You’re someone they collaborated with. That’s relationship-building, not just networking. 5. The 5-5-5 Strategy Most people get stuck on who to reach out to. Here’s a weekly formula: 5 People You Admire (Founders, creatives) 5 People From Your School Network (Alums, professors, guest speakers) 5 Peers Who Are Also Job Hunting (Build a support circle, swap leads) Message all 15. Repeat weekly. That’s 156 conversations in 3 months. You don’t “find” jobs—you build the path to them. Reminder: Networking isn’t about who has the fanciest title. It’s about who remembers you when an opportunity comes up. Be the person who listened, learned, shared, and followed up. If you’re reading this and job searching— try one new method this week. Not next month. Not when it feels “less scary.” Now. You’re not late. #May2025Grads #NetworkingTips #CreativeCareerMoves #JobSearchStrategy #InternationalStudents #GradJobHunt #BeyondTheResume #HumanConnection #Topmate

I landed 2 internships with zero experience in data. Not by applying. But by learning how to network — one conversation at a time. 📌 If you’re not at from an Ivy college, 80% of companies at your career fair won’t sponsor. That’s not unfair — That’s just how it works. 👉 Your job is to find the 20% that do. I focused only on that 20% at two career fairs. And I walked away with two internships. 📍 How I Started With Zero Network Just arrived from India. No U.S. experience. No connections. No idea how hiring worked. But I was extroverted. And I genuinely cared about people’s stories. So I started with what I had: → Friends from undergrad in the U.S. → Family friends in any industry → My cousin (data scientist in Australia) → Anyone who could connect me to a sponsor-ready company 💬 My cousin gave me advice I’ll never forget: "Stop building Titanic survival analyses. No one cares. Build projects that show how you think like a business person — not just a coder." So I picked real problems from real industries. And I focused on insights that could help teams make actual decisions. My 3-Step Networking Process: ✅ Step 1: Start with warm contacts I listed 15 people I already knew. And booked as many calls as I could. 🎯 One day in class, I gave a thoughtful answer. My professor, Jason Cirilo, said: "That’s a great take. Let me introduce you to someone in the industry." He connected me to Rakshit Goyal! That one intro taught me more than any textbook would. Now he shares great job search content on LinkedIn — go follow him. ✅ Step 2: Attend everything — even irrelevant events I went to every event on campus. Not because they were useful. But because I needed reps. Every awkward conversation made me better. I stopped rambling. I started asking better questions. ✅ Step 3: Use LinkedIn — but do it right → Engage with someone’s posts for 3–4 days → Send a connection request with context → Follow up after they accept with a good question 📬 The Realities of Outreach → 20% response rate is normal → Follow up after 5 days → If no reply after 2 follow-ups, move on — no emotion You don’t need a perfect resume. You need 100 real conversations. Start before you need the job. Because by then, it’s already too late. 👇 What’s your biggest challenge with networking as an international student? Drop it below — I’ll reply to a few directly. 📸 One of the proudest moments from this journey and a bucket list moment: Having my family visit me at American Airlines HQ. They saw where I work. I saw what it meant to them. #InternationalStudents #NetworkingTips #CareerFair #JobSearchStrategy #F1Visa #NetworkingForStudents #CareerAdvice #InternshipSearch #LinkedInNetworking #GradSchoolLife #PersonalBranding