Cold Email Tips From Analyst

Don't be discouraged with a low response rate on cold emails-- it's nothing personal. Analysts are working 60-120 hours / week, and their priority is to do their jobs well so they get good bonuses and don't get laid off; recruiting is just a side assignment which they are not usually graded on. That being said, there are a few common sense habits that sophomores usually miss due to having limited professional work experience. Here are some helpful tips to increase your response rate.

• Target alumni or "warm connections" first (friends, friends' sibilings, family, people with similar interests). Use the work email when possible and not personal
• Keep the email short
• When doing outreach, make sure to use a relevant title, and use things like "Referred from XYZ" or "XYZ alumni" 
• Personalize the email and mention points of similarity with the analyst (preferably shared interests)
• Be polite and not informal
• Attach your resume in PDF format always. Use the standard WSO finance template
• Offer 3 times that work, in the analyst's relevant time zone. Offer to send a calendar invite (not a google meet one!)
• Make sure to spell the bank / person's name correctly
• Don't make careless errors when scheduling meetings; along with the above, you only get one chance to make an impression. Do not miss the allotted meeting time. Analysts see so many resumes and emails, if you mess up they will move on immediately
• If you can, respond promptly when an analyst responds; if you can stay top of mind after they've drafted a response to your email they will likely accept your invitation to chat immediately
• It's good to "bump" the thread every 2-3 weeks or so if there is no response, and also when first rounds are kicking off, as long as you are polite about it 
• Send a polite thank you email afterwards mentioning relevant aspects of the call

Good luck, and keep sending out networking emails!