Updated October 2026. Originally published April 2021.
Truly Bizarre Networking Mistakes and Common Slip-ups
Investment banking networking used to start at the on-campus bank presentation and cocktail party. When I was a first-year MBA student at NYU, I found most of these events to be stress-filled cattle calls with very low barriers to entry. The more popular the bank, the more crowded the room. I can still remember standing in the hallway, drinking a warm white wine spritzer during the Goldman Sachs presentation. I never even made it inside – I couldn’t fit – toooooo many people.
Once I secured a job in banking, I attended many of these events as a presenter, NYU team member and eventually NYU team leader. My strategy as a student had been to sit back, watch people implode and wait for an opportune moment to ask for a business card. As a banker, I kept watching – and the networking behavior only got more bizarre.
A lot has changed since then. Recruiting now starts as early as freshman and sophomore year through early insight programs. Your first contact with a banker is as likely to be a cold email, a LinkedIn message or a 20-minute video call as a cocktail party. But the mistakes? Mostly the same people making them in new places. Here are my all-time favorites, plus three that barely existed when I first wrote this.
1. Drinking too much
Yes, the booze is free. No, a banking cocktail event is not an open-bar rager. Do you know your limits? Are you sure? If liquor is not your thing, DO NOT DRINK. This is not the time to try single malt scotch. I saw multiple candidates get a little too lit, then slur, stumble and tell inappropriate jokes. Net, net, it was not pretty.
2. Telling inappropriate jokes
One of my favorite cocktail-party questions was asking candidates to tell a joke. Jokes lighten the mood – and they also expose social awkwardness. Inevitably, someone went “there” and pole-vaulted over the line. Don’t be that person. Prep a clean joke. If you don’t have one you love, politely pass and enjoy the room.
3. Being overly everything
We all know you want the job. But overly aggressive, in-your-face candidates stand out for the wrong reasons. Asking 1,000 rapid-fire questions is NOT the strategy. Interrupting classmates to talk about yourself is NOT the strategy. Arguing with the banker is definitely NOT the strategy. Bring two or three thoughtful questions; you may get to ask one. Be natural, respectful and calm. Bankers remember.
4. Being weird
Close-talkers, fast-talkers, loud-talkers and mumblers are a hard pass. So are weak, clammy handshakes and anyone who skipped the shower. Look professional, not overly casual. And it should go without saying: DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, HIT ON A BANKER at a recruiting event. She or he is not there to “vibe” with you.
5. Not following up with an ask
Remember why you’re there: to earn a follow-up conversation and, eventually, a spot on an interview list. Today that means getting a name and an email or connecting on LinkedIn before you leave. If you don’t ask, you can’t follow up. If you don’t follow up – well, that’s just dumb.
6. Sending the copy-paste (or AI-written) cold email
Cold outreach is now the main way students reach bankers, and bankers can spot a template in one line. I once got 15 nearly identical “cutting your teeth in finance” emails in a single week. Use AI to check your grammar if you like, but write the email yourself. Mention something specific about the person, keep it under 120 words and make one clear ask. Our guide to sending emails by level covers tone for analysts versus MDs.
7. Showing up unprepared to the coffee chat
Most coffee chats now happen on Zoom or the phone, and many candidates treat them casually. Don’t. Know the banker’s group, a recent deal and your own two-minute story. Test your camera and audio, pick a quiet spot and be on time. Our coffee chat guide has the questions worth asking.
8. The follow-up flood
Following up is essential. Following up every 48 hours is not. One thank-you note within a day, then a short update every few weeks when you have real news, is plenty. Bankers are busy; persistence is good, pestering is not.
What to Do Instead
- Research the person and their group before any conversation
- Prepare two or three specific questions
- Know your two-minute story cold
- Write every outreach email yourself, under 120 words, with one ask
- Send a thank-you within 24 hours
- Follow up only when you have something new to share
For more, see our post on networking mistakes that alienate contacts.
How Prospect Rock Partners Can Help
We work with hiring managers at bulge bracket banks, elite boutiques and private equity firms every day. If your networking isn’t turning into interviews, we can help you pinpoint what’s going wrong – from your resume and LinkedIn profile to your outreach and interview prep – and course-correct.