Alumni Connections

im an incoming sophomore at a target and i just checked out my schools alumni directory, and there are a great many alumni currently working at firms i would be interested in pursuing an internship in or working for.

since my gpa is nothing outstanding, currently at a meager 3.3, i need to gain contacts to get my foot in the door (have absolutely none right now), as my leadership experience on campus and work experience is pretty good.

how do you suggest approaching these alumni? i intend to send out a semi-personalized email to just about everyone, and i want to keep it short and to the point. i know its a little early for me, but what i want to do is build relationships. is it okay to state that goal in the e-mail, or should i be more indirect?

any advice is appreciated
thanks.

 
Best Response

im an economics major, polisci minor

i was the campaign manager for the ASG President's (Associated Student Government) successful election.

im an ASG Senator for South-Asian Students Alliance, with plans to run for president in the upcoming year

i am on the Student Activities Finance Board which is the most prestigious ASG committee consisting of 12 members and one Financial Vice President. we deal with over $1 million in funds and interview over 30 student groups to determine how much of the money to allocate to each group. we take into account many factors of the student groups' performance, and then spend many hours/days debating the allocations.

im also involved in the Institute for Student Business Education which offered non-credit classes called "Principles of Finance" and "Intro to Options" taught by Kellogg MBA students. i excelled in the exams for these classes and will be placed in an investment research team next year.

if you want my work experience i could tell u about that too.

 

you have solid work experience / extra curricular for a rising sophomore however your gpa is below the par. contact people who used to be in the investment club for contacts and just shoot them an email, even though they're busy, they'll be more than happy to help.

remember, quality over quantity, your resume is stuffed with too many irrelevant experience such as ihop. you might've worked harder there than elsewhere, but it just doesn't kick with the bankers.

 

unless you know them personally, aren't that helpful. I went through countless interviews, with friendly MD's, and even some heads of X division, and the most they could do was put in a good word. Alums you do know personally (i.e. a year or two older) help immensely with getting an interview, especially since they are the ones doing the weeding. From what I know, at every BB, the alums (younger ones and some heads of the recruiting team for that school, usually VP's and MD's) are given resume books from their particular alma mater. They go through, pointing out viable candidates, and make an 'educated' decision.

 

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