Resources

Here's a reality that catches most families off guard: investment banking internship recruiting for college juniors begins over a year in advance—with applications opening as early as the winter of sophomore year. While your student celebrates high school graduation, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are already setting their recruiting calendars.

Here are five insider relationship-building tactics that successful business students use to gain competitive advantages before they even step foot on campus:

1. Research Professor Reputations Strategically

• What to look for: Use RateMyProfessor, but focus on specific details about teaching style, not just difficulty ratings. Look for professors who mention "office hours," "networking," or "industry connections" in reviews.
• The insider move: Cross-reference professor LinkedIn profiles with course offerings. Professors with recent industry experience or consulting backgrounds often have the strongest networks and provide the most valuable recommendations.
• How to prep for office hours: Come with specific questions about career paths, not just coursework. Ask: "What trends do you see in [specific industry]?" or "Which of your former students have landed roles at [target company]?"

2. Master Career Services Before Orientation

• What to ask career services: Request a strategic planning session to gather as much intel as possible on recruiting calendars, company visit schedules, and alumni contact lists in your target industries.
• The timing advantage: Reach out in July/August, before the rush. Request informational interviews with 2-3 recent alumni at target firms and engage the Alumni Office for additional support.
• Follow-up strategy: Send monthly check-ins with career services throughout freshman year. They remember proactive students when exclusive opportunities arise.

3. Target Prestigious Clubs Early

• Most valuable clubs for finance: Investment clubs, case competition teams, and business fraternities typically have the strongest recruiting networks.
• Getting an inside track: Research current club leadership on LinkedIn. Reach out for informal coffee chats before formal recruiting begins. Ask about their recruitment process and what they look for in candidates.
• The application edge: Most students apply blindly. Successful candidates attend club events, demonstrate genuine interest, and can name specific club initiatives in their applications.

4. Leverage Department Relationships

• What to ask department chairs: Request guidance on course sequencing, professor recommendations, and emerging specializations. Department chairs know which professors are research active and which courses are most rigorous.
• The networking goldmine: Ask about guest speaker series and department alumni events. These often provide better networking opportunities than large career fairs.
• Long-term payoff: Students who build relationships with department faculty get first access to research opportunities, independent studies, and professor recommendations that carry real weight.

5. Utilize Family Networks Strategically

• Beyond asking for jobs: Use family connections for informational interviews and industry insights, not internship requests. This approach builds genuine relationships without creating awkward dynamics.
• The right questions: Ask about day-to-day responsibilities, skill development, and industry challenges. Avoid asking about specific opportunities in the first conversation.
• Professional follow-up: Send thank-you notes and periodic updates about your academic progress. Many students land opportunities months later because they maintained these relationships professionally.

Why This Approach Works

Students who arrive prepared compound their advantages. They're the ones professors remember, the first to hear about exclusive opportunities, and the candidates who stand out because they understand what those opportunities entail.

In business, timing is everything. While classmates scramble to figure out unspoken rules, prepared students are positioning themselves for sophomore-year recruiting. With strategic relationship-building, every student can transform their freshman year into a launching pad for competitive success.