How to Use Your Alumni Database and LinkedIn to Find Bankers

Your alumni database and LinkedIn can turn a broad networking goal into a focused list of bankers to contact. The key is to search systematically, prioritize people with a credible connection to you, and send a short first message that asks for a conversation rather than a job.

Author: Ishaan Nair Updated 4 min read

Start with your school’s alumni database

Your college alumni database should usually be your first stop because the shared school connection gives bankers a clear reason to respond. Depending on your school, the directory may include job titles, employers, graduation years, locations, industries, and contact information.

Search using both school and employer criteria. Start with broad employer terms such as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Evercore, or Houlihan Lokey, then try business-unit and job-title terms such as investment banking, analyst, associate, mergers and acquisitions, or capital markets. Bank names and titles are not always entered consistently, so test several variations.

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