Coffee with VP

WSO,

I had an informational interview call with a VP of a upper-elite boutique investment banking last week, and made a mini-ask to meet this Friday over coffee. What would be the best way to make an ask for a possible summer internship with her firm (Given that I am willing do it unpaid)? I am a junior at a non-target with internship experience in corp. finance, and she is an alumni of the non-target.

3 Comments
 

Did they agree to meet for coffee? During the face to face bring up your career goals and your search for an internship. Ask if she knows anywhere (either within her group or somewhere else) that could use someone with your experience. Also mention that you are willing to work unpaid as well. She should give you some guidance from there. Good luck.

 
Best Response

It is helpful to realize that they know what you want. They did these when they were your age to. This meeting is him trying to get a feel for you, and to see whether or not he likes you enough to invest time into helping you. Come off as capable and professional and having the technical skills required to succeed, but the key is just to make them like you on a personal level -- there are plenty of qualified applicants, but they will always help out the ones they like over the one's they don't know (at the margin, I guess exceptions exist for some really amazing resume).

"They are all former investment bankers that were laid off in the economic collapse that Nancy Pelosi caused. They have no marketable skills, but by God they work hard."
 

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