So I recently discovered that the dad of an old friend of mine is the head of corporate broking at a bulge bracket bank that i’m applying to. He mentioned that his dad would probably be willing to look over my application for me if i emailed it to him and that he would ask him for me. I followed it up a few weeks later, and he said he had asked his dad and his dad had said he would rather talk to me about my App and that if i wanted to go up and be shown around and be explained anything that he would be happy to do that. So this was great news, but at the same time I wasn’t sure what to make of it. We’ve only met a few times so perhaps he wants to get to know me before he vouches for me? or perhaps he just thinks its less time consuming to talk to me rather than read through my application. Should i view this as an interview and prepare, or should i be open and honest and try to learn as much from him as possible? Just curious what you guys think?
Prepare as if it were an interview. It isn’t but come off bright, eager to learn, etc. He wants to show you around, that is a good sign. What do I think? Don’t ask silly questions.
Yeah, if he’s the dad of a good friend, it’s more important to try to make a connection where he might be willing to be a bit of a mentor. It may or may not help with the position you’re applying for, but having this guy as a well-respected mentor (or even just a friend who likes you) is likely to be more important over the long term than just a good word in a specific job application (although there’s no reason these would be mutually exclusive).