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Assuming you go to a , your first networking in banking experience will be on-campus, and so the question invariably pops up “Is it a strategy worth pursuing?”

Well, for sure – because just like the fat walking-challenged birthday boy, all you have to do is sit around on-campus and wait for everyone (banks, college, clubs) to come to you.  It’s just so easy!

The will hold investment banking information sessions, canapé-n-drink fueled networking chats and even interview you on campus, however informally.

Your will lay on financial career fairs, banking career talks and other industry crutch-grabbing shindigs.

Meanwhile will put on mixers for students interested in becoming investment banking analysts, giving you even more contacts and knowledge.

But the catch is you’re not the only birthday boy at this party.  In fact your entire year level will be joining you and you’re really not that special.

So the unique quality that makes investment banking networking on-campus so attractive – being how accessible it is – is also its downfall.  In fact, it’s so easy to attend that even students with barely-there hard-ons for investment banking will come to these sessions.  and almost no barriers to entry.

No wonder then that these investment banking networking events (with or without bankers) are more likely to resemble the killing fields depicted in a National Geographic Serengetti Special rather than a Professional Career Event.

There are to get a fistful of business cards, half-assed answers to lame questions and a couple cups of complimentary liquor.

The final potential death knell is that these events often take place so close to – sometimes even just days before – that they’re unlikely to help you establish any long lived relationships with bankers (unless you are a junior).

Our end conclusion is “, but don’t make this the last stop on your networking ways”.

They are the most gaff-filled event on Earth and yet we still think you should go, so let us explain ourselves.

There’s significant talk out there amongst banking bloggers that on-campus information sessions / mixers are really .  And certainly, in some respect they can do more harm than good.

We are talking about events where the sheer number of students trying to stand out and impress bankers is enough to have you bolting for the exits after all – the x-rated is enough to make you reach for the freaking sick bag at times.  And with the downright awful, maybe these events should be no gos.

But you get into investment banking.  Think bank presentations, 5-1 student-banker conversations, and most of all speaking to fellow grads in the know.  And since these are amongst the top 15 goals of networking in banking, on-campus events are worth a shot.

Plus if you take the initiative to make contacts with bankers via very brief intelligent questions and comments, and you (this is the key), you’ll have a rocking time.

(1) we took away pages of valuable scribbled notes and advice, (2) met dozens of high-quality people; both bankers, HR & fellow switched on students, (3) racked up multiple resume passes and (4) received many requests to call and interview outside normal recruiting.

And think about the .  We racked up all this courtesy of barely a handful of afternoons and evenings spent on-campus (probably a collective 20 hours in total…that’s it!).  The message I’m trying to scream is that on-campus networking is rewarding, painless and efficient.  The freaking bankers are coming to you remember…and in droves!

Thankfully if your on-campus networking efforts end worse than my recent Ghanaian-goldmine speculative play there’s still a consolation prize to cushion the blow.

  Oh, and perhaps a little lukewarm canapé too?

Check out the complete guide on invesment banking networking on-campus.

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