Too generic
Hi, I want a 2028 investment banking internship. Can you help me get an interview at your bank?
Class-year planning
6 min readUpdated Sep 24, 2026By Trung NguyenA networking plan for summer 2028 investment banking
A useful banking network is not a spreadsheet with hundreds of unanswered emails. It is a handful of people who help you understand the work, sharpen your interests, and make better decisions. Here is a manageable routine for building those conversations alongside your applications.
Trung Nguyen
Co-founder, NextCoffee.ai
Founder building NextCoffee.ai from the student side of finance recruiting, coffee chat outreach, and follow-up workflows.
Before you start
Check the year, then choose the question.
Graduating in 2028 and interning in summer 2028 are different timelines. A student graduating in 2028 may instead be considering summer 2027 internships or 2028 full-time roles. Degree length and employer rules vary. Once you know which role fits, make your outreach about a question that person can actually answer.
Write down your graduation month and year separately from the internship summer.
Read the exact role posting, not just an evergreen program overview.
Keep application research separate from your relationship notes.
Bottom line
This is a networking routine, not a list of confirmed 2028 openings or a promise of referrals.
Step 1
1. Build a small list around a real interest
Start with five to ten people, not an entire bank. If you are exploring TMT, look for recent analysts who can explain how they learned the sector. If you are still deciding between coverage and a product group, choose one person from each. Alumni can provide a natural introduction, but only use a school connection you have verified.
Record the person's current role, group, public profile and one reason the conversation would help.
Choose recent analysts for questions about learning the job; senior bankers may be better suited to questions about team expectations.
Use public professional context. Never imply you know someone's confidential client work.
Step 2
2. Write a note that explains why this person
One specific reason is enough. A class project, sector you have followed, or question about their career path gives the recipient something concrete to respond to. Introduce yourself, name that reason, and ask for a short conversation. You do not need to turn a first email into a cover letter or attach your entire life story.
Replace every bracketed detail in the example below with something true.
Ask for 15 minutes of advice, not an interview or referral.
Review each note individually; a larger batch does not make an irrelevant message better.
Step 3
3. Prepare three questions and leave room to listen
Before the call, read their current role and prepare a short introduction. Choose one question about their path, one about the work, and one about what to learn next. If an answer raises a better question, follow it. A productive chat is not a checklist you complete while the other person talks.
Path: What helped you decide this group was a good fit?
Work: What was hardest to learn in your first few months?
Preparation: What would you focus on if you were preparing for this role again?
Step 4
4. Follow up with something worth remembering
After a conversation, send a short thank-you mentioning one useful insight. Write down the action you intend to take, then follow through. A later update about that action is a better reason to reconnect than another request for help. If the initial email goes unanswered, one gentle follow-up after about five business days is a reasonable editorial starting point, not a rule that guarantees a reply.
Respect a refusal or a request not to follow up.
Do not send repeated reminders across email and LinkedIn.
Keep a note of the last interaction so your next message has continuity.
Step 5
5. Keep applications moving on their own track
A conversation is not an application and does not reserve a place in a recruiting process. Check official career pages regularly, confirm graduation eligibility, and apply through the employer's instructions. JPMorganChase's program page explains the role and shows available locations; it is not evidence that every office has a summer 2028 vacancy.
Maintain separate columns for application status and relationship status.
Record an opening or deadline only when the specific official posting confirms it.
Do not postpone an eligible application while waiting for someone to reply.
Illustrative TMT coffee chat request
A more useful way to frame it.
A student graduating in 2029 exploring a summer 2028 internship. This is a teaching example, not a real student's result.
Stronger
Hi [Name], I'm a Class of 2029 student at [School] exploring TMT investment banking. I noticed your move from [verified prior role] into [Group]. In [a real course or project], I worked on [one relevant task], and I'd like to understand how analysts develop that skill on the job. Would you have 15 minutes next week to share what helped you prepare? I'm happy to work around your schedule.
Why this works
The note separates graduation year from internship timing, names a genuine reason for choosing the recipient, and asks for advice they can give. Remove any sentence you cannot support with your own experience.
Practical asset
Keep the conversation plan beside your watchlist
Use the free CSV for official sources, eligibility and application steps. Keep private conversation notes in your own workspace; the download contains no contacts or claimed openings.
Download free watchlistSeparate graduation year from internship year.
Keep a reason for contacting each person.
Prepare three focused questions.
Record one action after every conversation.
Check applications independently of replies.
Fit check
What this plan can and cannot tell you
The routine and example are editorial guidance. They do not establish a reply rate, a recruiting deadline, or an advantage in hiring. Employers set eligibility and application rules; the current posting always takes precedence.
No universal summer 2028 opening date is asserted.
No school or employer endorsement is implied.
A coffee chat is a learning opportunity, not a guaranteed route to an offer.
Primary sources
What was verified, and what remains uncertain.
These links support time-sensitive platform or recruiting details. Recommendations in this guide are labeled as planning judgments rather than guaranteed outcomes.
JPMorganChase
Investment Banking Summer Analyst Program
Reviewed September 24, 2026 for role context and the instruction that only open locations are displayed. This overview does not confirm a universal summer 2028 opening date.
Read sourceFAQ
Direct answers for students.
Answers to the questions students ask before taking the next step.
Is summer 2028 recruiting for the Class of 2028 or 2029?
A penultimate-year internship in summer 2028 often fits the Class of 2029 on a four-year degree. Check the graduation window in each posting. A Class of 2028 student may instead be targeting summer 2027 or a 2028 full-time role.
When should I start networking for summer 2028 banking?
Start learning about roles and speaking with relevant professionals now. You can build relationships before a particular application opens, but monitor official postings independently and do not assume networking replaces applying.
How many bankers should I email each week?
Start with a few people you have a specific reason to contact. Increase only if you can research each person, review every note and act on replies. There is no evidence here for a universal volume target.
Should I ask for a referral on the first call?
Focus first on understanding the role. A referral is discretionary, not payment for taking a call. Follow the person's lead and the employer's application process.
Product workflow
Write less from scratch. Send better notes.
NextCoffee.ai helps students apply the playbook here: profile context, specific drafts, reviewed Gmail sends, and follow-ups that do not fall through the cracks.
Related
Keep building the system.
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