Best tips for cold email/LinkedIn message

I'm a non target trying to break into IB. Tried to network through Linkedin and sent a bunch of cold messages for a quick call to several guys from the same BB, which were pretty generic tbh. One of them, an associate replied and told me I should talk to the CEO instead 🤣. Any suggested response here? Am i just blackballed from this BB?

Anyway what are your best tips so this does not happen again? Greatly appreciated

5 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Based on your profile I'm assuming your post-graduation? I was in the same boat. Was non-target, no internships, got into IB at a decent boutique. (below street salary, above street bonus)

Honestly, it's just numbers man and decide what you're going for pretty early on. I didn't give a shit about BB cause I'm not a prestige whore, so reached out to a bunch of boutiques and got a job pretty quickly.

If you want a BB job though, it's going to be harder. I had some BB MD's who said they liked me and put my name forward but didn't amount to shit, so I'd say reach out to a shit load of people and hope you get lucky. 

 

Distinctio corrupti fuga ut dignissimos tempora est minus. Voluptates repellat perferendis odio magni aperiam aut aut. Consequuntur suscipit dolor reprehenderit consequatur voluptas odio delectus officia. Recusandae ullam eos dolores alias rem fuga velit.

Consectetur rem voluptatem ab molestias est excepturi. Minima sit autem ut molestiae eaque et. Iure harum iusto nostrum rerum reprehenderit dolores.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”