Most TS roles are filled through referrals and relationships. Here is how to build a relevant network and use it to accelerate your path into Transaction Services.
A significant proportion of junior TS roles — particularly at boutiques and smaller advisory firms — are never formally advertised. Even at Big 4 firms where structured recruitment exists, a warm introduction or internal referral meaningfully improves your chances. Building the right network is not optional; it is part of the job search.
Transaction Services is a small world. Deal teams are compact, firms are not large, and professionals move between a relatively small number of employers. This means:
The implication for candidates is that being known — in the right way, by the right people — creates opportunities that never appear on job boards.
LinkedIn is the most accessible starting point, but how you use it matters enormously. Generic connection requests are rarely answered. More effective approaches:
Your university or business school alumni network is a high-trust environment. A fellow alumnus working in TS at a firm you are targeting is far more likely to take a call or respond to a message than a cold contact. Use alumni directories, LinkedIn's alumni filter, and university career services to identify relevant contacts.
M&A and advisory industry events — including CFA Society events, restructuring and private equity conferences, and firm-run seminars — provide genuine face-to-face networking opportunities. Attend with specific goals: identify two or three people you want to speak to and prepare relevant questions.
An informational interview is a 20 to 30-minute conversation where you ask a practitioner about their career, their team, and the industry — without directly asking for a job. When done well, these conversations:
The key is to prepare thoroughly, be concise, and follow up with a genuine thank-you.
When you connect with a TS professional, your goal is a professional peer conversation — not a sales pitch. Strong opening messages explain:
In the conversation itself, ask about:
Networking does not produce immediate results. The goal is to be remembered positively when an opportunity arises — which may be months later. Stay in touch occasionally: share a relevant article, congratulate someone on a new role, or respond to their LinkedIn content thoughtfully.
When a role does open up and you apply, a well-timed message to your contact — letting them know you have applied and reiterating your interest — can result in a referral that changes the outcome.
When you do get the conversation or interview, technical preparation matters as much as the relationship. Our programme covers 8+ realistic case studies and 150+ EBITDA adjustment examples to make sure you are ready when the opportunity arrives. One payment of €119.99.
Hundreds of candidates prepared their interviews with this programme. Those who landed the role have one thing in common: they worked the cases before walking into the room.
