Can’t Get Cold Email Hits
I’m currently a sophomore at a high semi-target. Have a solid resume and gpa with a stem doible major but got bounced final round in some of our prestigious business clubs (bfrats, investment clubs). I have membership in other parts of campus and am actually in one student fund but can’t get cold email hits.
I’ve only had 4 calls across 2 firms and went 0/16 on emails last week. Should I be worried? I know my email format is fine so don’t really know what the change should be. I was told the clubs aren’t that important for recruiting but it seems like alumni are responding to my peers in those clubs but not to me.
Post a version of your cold email that doesn’t doxx yourself and we’ll be able to tell you if it’s you or them.
Hi ___,
My name is _____, and I’m a sophomore at ____ majoring in Applied Mathematics and interested in investment banking.
I’d appreciate a brief 20-minute call to hear about your experience at ____ in ____ group and what your day-to-day role is like. I’m free at the times below, but I’m happy to work around your schedule. All times are Eastern Time:
Wednesday: 2:00–6:00 PMThursday: 1:30–7:00 PMFriday: 9:30–11:00 AM or 3:30–7:00 PM
If there’s a better personal connection than just being an alumni i’ll have that in the subject line and usually a sentence about it. That availability is an example of an email sent out tuesday or wednesday morning.
It risks coming off as presumptuous to specifiy the amount of time and to list dates and times you’re available. It’s also self-rejecting if the person simply can’t make those times. I would try leaving the offer open-ended.
same sentiment here and wondering what others are seeing in terms of response rate.
send more than 16 emails every week
I am at a non-target sending 50 emails a day... I get 1-2 responses out of those, you need to send more emails
Honestly, 0/16 is way too small a sample to conclude anything. Cold email is a volume + targeting game, and the fact that you’ve already gotten 4 calls means the machine works.
I’d focus less on the clubs and more on who you’re emailing, how specific the outreach is, and whether you’re following up 2–3 times. Your peers may also have a warmer alumni network through those clubs, but that’s an advantage you can replicate with better targeting and volume. 16 emails is a Tuesday, not a recruiting death sentence.
My networking machine scrapes LinkedIns and can blast 50 emails a day !
We are almost back to square one with IB recruiting. In the past, the vast majority of seats were taken by targets/nepos, but with the increase in AI/social media campaigns, you have 100s of kids at each non-target blasting hundreds of emails weekly. I think we come back to square one where the pure volume of kids is going to force us back to more target school + nepo placement
Assuming you have been going for a few weeks now at 16 emails a week, 4 calls is actually decent. As long as the reply rate is above 5%, I would say just keep going. As others commented, perhaps don't include times as if they can't; during those, they probably won't go out of their way to ask you for different times (seen as you need the call more than they do). Try to cut corners whenever you can. "Hi X, hope you are doing great, my name is Y, I'm a applied mathematics sophomore at Z university, and I'm really interested in banking." Could be a better opening line IMO.
Just keep going at it. I'm at 200 emails/week, and at an 9% reply rate, it translates fairly well (starting to go down as I run out of alumni). Some peers sending out 30 emails have a 12% or even 15%, but I get more calls and thus have more great calls. Good luck.
So much ai slop emails
16 emails is a joke lol
Brah 16 emails is nothing lol
In the same exact situation, I'm trying to get more personal on the outreach but most of the people seem to not have much on their linkedin.
Analyst 1 so was just in your shoes not long ago. Not even at a BB/EB but I get multiple emails everyday. Bankers are so busy so only have time to do a few calls in a week. Most emails will just go unanswered, it is completely normal. Don't take it personally.
Repudiandae alias aut ipsum autem amet adipisci in. Nihil vel similique dolorem culpa fugiat nostrum. Et est tempore animi minima dolorem similique tenetur a.
Illum omnis voluptatem magni molestiae. Et vel dolor ad inventore adipisci rerum fuga. Mollitia recusandae illo nostrum quidem voluptas dolore voluptates.
Ex excepturi quos dolorem qui consequatur mollitia iusto. Voluptatem et quasi maiores porro quo quo. Rerum consequuntur aut aliquid et nesciunt sequi.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...