Networking for Fall internship
Hi all,
I'm looking for an internship in the fall. Over the past month, I've cold e-mailed and chatted on the phone with several alums at boutiques. The phone convos are good, and I've gotten some pretty interesting stories. However, when I ask for their advice, they tell me the best thing for me to do is shoot for bb ib and use OCR and start my career strong. None of these boutiques have asked for my resume and i'm pretty sure they don't realize I'm looking for an internship at their company for the fall (most of these banks predominantly only hire summer analysts according to linkedin)
I think getting an unpaid internship at a boutique IB during the academic year will greatly bolster my resume for SA recruiting. How should I strategize future networking attempts to help me land a job in the fall?
I am thinking that when I am back at college (in a month), I should send an e-mail (along these lines) to the people I"ve talked to:
"It was great talking to you last month, and I really enjoyed [something we talked about]. I would really appreciate the opportunity to intern at your firm during the school year. Please let me know if this is a possiblity."
Thanks in advance!
The problem is that your situation is non-obvious. You need to be up front and tell them what you want because they may not realize what you're going for. I would word the e-mail a bit differently but that's definitely the right direction to go in.
As MJK said, you aren't making your objective clear to them. During the phone call, ask them if they're looking to hire any unpaid/paid interns for the fall semester.
Thanks guys! I was thinking about not bringing it up in the phone call because every forum topic and guide i've read has stated that it's rude and inappropriate to ask for a job during a phone call. I'm thinking that bringing it up in an e-mail when I'm back in school like a month later would be more subtle?
I would send a follow up email a week after the initial phone call. A month is way to long, especially given your time frame.
Just say thanks for your time, nice talking with you, etc then straight up ask if they typically do fall internships. Mention that you are looking to gain industry experience and based on your conversation this particular company seems like an interesting place to work/learn from people in the field.
It's not super polite and honestly a lot to ask for in convo numberone. But a week/few days later you can follow up asking for any opportunities.
I'd would say:
"Thanks for speaking with me and I enjoyed our conversation about XYZ. I am searching for opportunities for an internship at a [boutique investment bank] and was hoping your firm had an opportunity for me to contribute" etc. etc. remember that even as an unpaid intern you're costing them. So if someone takes you on you need tos how why you can add value.
MJK brings up a great point. You need to demonstrate how YOU will create value for the firm.
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