The Networking Hack That Got Me Five Banking Referrals In One Week

March 23, 2025

The Non-Target Playbook 

By Jack Kolb

Face-to-face networking was the sole reason I landed first round interviews in NYC.

The top bulge bracket and elite boutique banks only have two or three non-reserved spots left for kids from no-name schools like me.

My Midwest state school’s academy places ~30 kids into banking every year, but only three or four in NYC. Unlike Chicago, we have no alumni in NYC and those banks don’t take us seriously. I was determined to be one of those three or four kids from our school to successfully secure an internship out in the big apple.

I asked the the Juniors in the class above me how they did it, and they all said the same thing.

In-Person Networking.

Instead of going to Cancun over spring break, they booked flights to Manhattan and spent every weekday converting their best networking calls to first round referrals.

Taking that one extra step in the crucial weeks before banks kick off interviews made them stand out from the pool of other non-targets who blended together as just another voice on the phone.

Physically flying out there and meeting bankers in real life separates you from the pack right away.

Scheduling these in-person chats takes careful planning, so here are the eight simple steps I followed.

STEP 1 - EMAIL REQUESTS 30 DAYS OUT

Your goal is to convert the top 15-25 calls you’ve already done into referrals.

In mid February, I started sending follow-up emails to the 30 bankers I hit it off best with on the phone.

Just reply on the same email chain as the initial networking call with something like this.

This first email needs to have specific dates, even if you haven’t booked your flight yet.

Once they respond, ask their preference on location and time (make sure using ET).

They’ll get back to you with something like this.

STEP 2 - CALENDAR INVITES

I didn’t book my flight until I had five chats on my calendar every weekday.

You should expect ~15-20% of them to fall through since bankers have unpredictable schedules.

Here’s what my Google Calendar looked like for that week.

Manhattan is bigger than it seems, so be careful about planning your commute between banks.

Most are in Midtown, but there’s a cluster in the Financial District which is 30min away by subway.

*Note - Map is slightly outdated. For example, Deutsche Bank is now up in Columbus Circle.

Here are a few tips to make sure you can get to each chat at least 30min early.

  • BUFFER TIME - Have AT LEAST one hour of down time between each 30min chat. Chats that run longer than expected are your best chance at referrals. You don’t want to cut anyone off.

  • AVOID UBERS - Take the subway. It’s 10x faster and cheaper. I bought the seven day unlimited MetroCard for $34. If you switch your Apple / Google Maps to transit mode and plug in the address, it’ll show you exactly where to enter each train.

  • SCOUT OUT COFFEE SHOPS - To send thank-you emails between chats, I’d camp at coffee shops nearby that had restrooms and good seating. Bathrooms can be hard to come by in Manhattan and most Starbucks don’t have seating. Ole & Steen on Park Ave was my go-to (pictured below). Their cinnamon swirl is unbelievable.

     

STEP 3 - BOOK ACCOMODATIONS

I stayed at a $30 / night AirBnb crackhouse in a sketchy neighborhood over in Brooklyn.

Don’t make that same mistake.

There were seven people crammed in that one-bedroom shoebox, with curtains being the only thing separating those twin beds we slept on.

My nationals hockey tournament happened to finish up late on a Sunday, so I had to leave a day later than my friends and book the place solo. Definitely stay with a couple of your peers if you can.

Also, to minimize your daily commute you should stay in Manhattan. Midtown’s a solid option.

STEP 4 - PACK NECESSITIES

I had no clue business casual is a bit more formal in NYC compared to CHI.

My upperclassmen mentor (placed at BofA NYC) said wearing a suit with no tie for these is a solid bet.

Your backpack should also have a couple key items.

  • 30 PRINTED COPIES OF RESUME - I bought a pack of thick resume paper and printed 30 copies of my resume to stuff my padfolio with the day before flying out. You should slide one across the table at the beginning of every chat.

  • DRAFTED THANK-YOU EMAILS - Timeline for sending thank-you emails is much earlier for in-person chats. Instead of waiting till next day like I did with calls, I’d fire them off same day while it was still fresh to maximize the chance they’d submit a referral. I drafted shells of these before my trip so I could fill them in and send off quick in that limited downtime you have between back-to-back chats.

  • CHARGERS - I left my AirBnb at 7:30am and didn’t get back until 11pm most nights. You’ll want a charged phone so you can find your way home.

STEP 5 - SEND EMAIL REMINDERS 

Since these chats are scheduled a month early, double check the time and location still works for them.

Send it as a follow-up on the same email chain the day before.

STEP 6 - EMAIL WHEN YOU GET THERE 

When you get to the coffee shop ~30min early, follow-up on the same chain again with something like this.

“Hi Mark,

I got to Ole & Steen a bit early and grabbed one of the small round tables by the windows after you walk in to the left. I’m wearing a light blue button down with a navy blazer and have my backpack on the bench next to me.

Looking forward to our chat and see you soon!

Best,

Jack”

STEP 7 - WALK TO COUNTER WITH THEM 

You shouldn’t be kicked back scrolling through Instagram when they walk through the door.

Keep your eyes peeled and stand up to go shake their hand after they walk in.

Always walk up to the counter with them to order.

This is a crucial opportunity to spark up some small talk that can deepen the personal connection.

Also make sure to at least order something.

You should make the gesture and offer to pay, even though they’ll never end up letting you.

STEP 8 - ASK FOR THE REFERRAL 

You need to capitalize on the in-person opportunity and directly ask for what you really want.

Bringing it up can feel awkward though, so you have to segway into it with some smooth talk.

Around the 20-25min mark, I’d wait for whatever topic we were discussing to fizzle out, then say

“I’ve been meaning to ask too…since first rounds are coming up soon…do you happen to have any insight on when you guys might be formally kicking off? No worries if not…I just wanted to see if you had an idea of the timeline for your guys’ process…”

They were in your shoes once too and know the whole reason you’re networking is to get that referral.

So - don’t be shy!

If you’ve already hit it off over the phone with them and had the chance to deepen that connection face-to-face for another 20min, you can be confident they’re rooting for your success in their bank’s process too and would love to potentially have you as a co-worker someday.

At this point, my in-person chats typically took the lead and told me when I should expect to receive that first round invite in my inbox.

A couple even took me up for an office tour after the chat.

My BEST chat even invited me to happy hour later that night. Safe to say that one led to a referral...

Cheers 🥂

- Jack