The Networking Call I Wasn’t Ready For

When I was a sophomore in college, I got on a networking call with a senior managing director in equity capital markets sales at a major bank. I wanted to work in finance, and at the time I thought investment banking was the path. I was excited to speak with him. I was also inexperienced and less prepared than I thought.

He started asking me questions about my interests. Why did I want to do this? What parts of finance did I actually find interesting? What was I reading to keep up with the markets?

Those are fair questions. I just didn’t have good answers yet.

One moment has stayed with me. He asked about my favorite news source, and I said Thomson Reuters. Except I mispronounced it. In a conversation where I was already struggling to explain my interests, that made my inexperience feel even more obvious. I felt like he could see right through me.

I wanted a job in finance. That part was clear. What I couldn’t explain was why I wanted a particular role, or how much I actually understood about it. I didn’t have much guidance, and I was trying to work out those answers as I went.

I was trying to get into finance without knowing the map

At the time, my idea of investment banking was narrow. I knew about IPOs, and I knew I wanted an opportunity on Wall Street. But I couldn’t explain the different jobs around a transaction, how the capital markets fit together, or why one path might suit me more than another.

As he kept asking questions, he also began explaining how much more there was to explore. He broadened my understanding of investment banking beyond IPOs, then introduced me to other careers across the capital markets, including sales and research.

We talked about equity and debt and the range of products people work with. But what stayed with me was the realization that these were different careers, with different responsibilities. Saying I wanted to work on Wall Street hadn’t told him much about the work I actually wanted to do.

I didn’t suddenly understand every product or role by the end of that call. I had something more useful: a sense of how much I didn’t know, and a starting point for learning it.

Looking back, the uncomfortable part of that call and the useful part were connected. His questions exposed how limited my understanding was, and his explanations gave me somewhere to start. Before that conversation, I hadn’t known enough about the available paths to ask whether another role might interest me. Now I had more to investigate.

What I would do differently now

If I could prepare my younger self for that call, I wouldn’t give him a script full of industry terms. I’d tell him to do three things.

Be honest about where you are. It’s fine to say, “I’m exploring investment banking, but I don’t yet understand how it compares with other roles in the capital markets.” That gives someone a real question to help you answer.

Know why you’re speaking with this person. Read enough about their role to ask what they actually do. If you are curious about equity capital markets sales, ask how their team works with clients, other sales teams, research, and bankers. Let the conversation teach you where to look next.

Don’t pretend to follow what you don’t understand. Ask for clarification. Write down the unfamiliar terms after the call and look them up. The point is to learn, not to sound as though you already have.

A useful call does not always feel good

When you’re trying to get a job, it’s easy to judge a networking call by whether it moves you closer to an interview. But there was value in this conversation before any recruiting outcome. I got challenged, stumbled through some answers, and came away with a broader understanding of the industry I wanted to join.

I still remember mispronouncing Thomson Reuters. I also remember how much that director helped me understand. Both are part of the same story. I was inexperienced, and someone with far more experience took the time to show me how much there was to learn.

If you’re early in your career, prepare for the call. Learn about the person, bring a few real questions, and think through your own interests. But don’t wait until you can speak like an expert. Sometimes the conversation that exposes a gap in your knowledge is the one that helps you find your direction.

At Grant Capital Learning, we help students and early career professionals make sense of those choices and prepare to speak about their goals honestly. Explore our services or book a consultation if you’d like support with your next step.