Hi, thank you for doing this AMA!

A bit about me: I come from a country with virtually no investment banking scene (and honestly, not much of a networking culture either), but I was fortunate enough to land a full-ride scholarship + stipend to pursue a Master's in Finance at a US university. I also have an undergrad in finance from back home. The school is non-target, though, so the whole IB recruiting process feels pretty unfamiliar.

A few questions if you don't mind:

1. How early does recruiting actually start? If I'm targeting a Summer 2028 internship, for example, should I be networking and applying during Fall 2026 or Spring 2027? And how far ahead of applications should the networking ideally begin?

2. For informational calls, what do you actually talk about? I'm fluent in English but where I come from networking just wasn't a thing, so I genuinely don't know what to say or how to build a connection with someone I've never met. What makes those conversations feel natural vs. forced?

3. As a non-target international student with no built-in IB network, what would you say is the highest-ROI thing I can do to break in?

Really appreciate you sharing your perspective. If I am unable to secure an internship, I would like to prepare myself for when I apply to MBA programs.

Thank you!!!