Recruitment is over and it feels like my life is too
I feel so unbelievably helpless. I go to a lower semi-target with a 3.9 GPA with previous Finance internships. I genuinely believed that if I tried hard enough, I could secure an internship for Summer 2027. And I tried. I don't leave my room anymore, and I haven't for the past few months, trying to grind out recruitment. I have a severe vitamin D deficiency, and I don't do any physical activity anymore because I get out of bed and open my computer and grind until the day is over and go to bed, and repeat.
I just keep trying, and nothing. I've sent out over 300 coffee chat emails and I know I should probably be at about like 1000 from basically non-target, but I spend pretty much every second trying but I genuinely cannot reach that number of emails even when I'm spending every second of everyday doing recruitment. I also try to personalize all emails to VPs, Directors, etc. I've gotten a few HireVues and completed one interview (which didn't convert to an offer).
I'm pretty outgoing and conversational, especially in coffee chats. I've had plenty of people really like me, and I've gotten a decent number of referrals. Twice a day I check my three trackers and LinkedIn for new internships that come out and apply as soon as I can. And it's not like I'm only trying EBs and BBs. I've been really focusing on MM because I know I am not that competitive of a candidate.
I don't know what I'm missing or what I'm doing wrong. I've had Directors and VPs tell me I had a really good resume, and I've perfected my coffee chat outreach emails. I know breaking into investment banking is supposed to be hard and maybe I was foolish to believe I had a chance, but I have never wanted anything more. I keep telling myself that I just have to do this for a few months and have time with my friends and family later. I am so devastated that all that effort was for nothing.
I can't help but feel like it is over for me. I'm still trying to network even more even though it is late and I'm still studying my behavorials and technicals. But it is so hard when there feels like no banks want me, and that recruiting is over, and everyone has already gotten offers. Nobody is coming out with any more applications at this point, and I am so so depressed when I think about recruiting as a whole. I've been so unbelievably depressed, and although I haven't given up, I think it may be time for me to accept that I can't break into investment banking and that I should come to terms with that. Investment banking was genuienly my dream job and I failed.
Respectfully, 300 emails is low. If you really want to break into the industry, send 100 emails a week for the next few months. Also, stop emailing VPs or Directors. They don't typically run processes and tend to have lower response rates. Email every analyst and associate firms with spots left. Know plenty of non-targets who did this and got offers. I'm not exactly sure what you have been doing if you've only sent 300 emails, but you claim you spend every second of your day recruiting. Not trying to hate, but genuinely curious.
Yeah I honestly don't know. I have sent more but I don't count the ones who don't have a referral system or those from before December 2025.
I guess I am really just slow because for some reason it takes so long for me to copy and paste email formats. I attach my resume, change name, and firm name but it'll take me like probably 8 hours to do that for just 200 emails even though I've already made the list of people I'm planning on emailing and validated their email address. Do people usually have like a template and send them out all at once or just go and edit the name on each individual email like I do?
For some reason it is really hard for me to build relationships after the initial chat. I will reach out again and half the time they won't respond even if we had a really good conversation and they said they would refer me.
Is it too late to continue trying to network and try or is recruitment already over at this point?
vibe code an email sender, can start sending 2-5k emails a week till u basically run out of emails. Then send follow ups.
Also get some exercise and sunlight bc you def dont look as good or as personable as you think you do with your current state of living
Also email everyone you had a good chat with and ask directly (carefully tho be smart) for a referral
good luck
ok i will thank you i will. also what is vibe code exactly?
my email is under my school so theres some limitations but does mail merge for outlook work?
Dude pick yourself up by the bootstraps and keep going. If this is really truly what you want, it can be and will be yours.
A couple things I’d do diff on your part.
Go outside and see friends/fam for a bit. Looking back on my process this was my biggest mistake. I know exactly how ur feeling- any second not spent prepping or emailing is a second wasted. But this isn’t true. A person can only be actually productive for so many hours at a time, especially when working on something that requires elevated cognitive function (techs). So by taking breaks to work out for 45mins, get lunch with a friend for 30mins, etc, you’ll feel better (mental and physical) and be more productive.
The SA process is in its later stages for sure, and it seems like you recognize that reality however unfortunate. Make sure to go after every possible lead there is. And if this is rly rly what you want, there are many stories on WSO and people I know personally who struck out in traditional on cycle and landed something later soph year, junior year, or FT recruiting. Again, it’s totally possible if this is what you want.
I’ll leave you with my favorite quote (corny asf ik):
“It’s not over until I win.”
I’ll first give some tactical advice and then zoom out a bit.
You are being inefficient with emails if you only had 300 sent. Use MailMerge (Outlook has this) and you can cut down on time. Don’t need to super personalize every email. Just made 2-3 variations of the same message that changes a few words / the signoff word so if you send emails to people in the same group it doesn’t look like you copy/pasted the exact same email.
Your pursuit of IB isn’t over if you don’t get an internship. At this point you should apply to anything within finance that is related and mentally prepare to try for full time. Keep grinding emails and coffee chats to see if something opens up, but better to have something locked down for this summer than nothing, especially if you want to try for FT IB.
I like how you are opening up the search to MM. I’d also suggest you broaden your geographic preferences as may be easier to land in say Chicago vs NYC.
I feel you brother. The icing on the cake is that my sister, an architect student who never did an internship, decided that Zurich might be nice in the summer, applied to 3 firms, didn’t only get responses and interviews, but offers from all 3 within just about 2 weeks. Finance is just insanely broken.
Same with UK recruiting, women wiping the floor with offers despite poor CVs. It is what it is.
Est qui voluptatibus voluptate. Autem maiores qui est dolorem cupiditate ut maxime laudantium. Nostrum sit aliquam voluptatem possimus at. Quibusdam quam quia ab accusantium ex praesentium. Dolore hic earum sit nisi et.
Distinctio a in tenetur omnis. Recusandae vel similique facere qui suscipit totam suscipit cupiditate. Nam nihil omnis aut porro. Dolor at maiores ut et rerum eaque nisi.
Nostrum ea et quisquam voluptatem aut. Accusantium rerum possimus rerum voluptate voluptatum velit. Perspiciatis sit magnam et quia aperiam unde omnis atque. Vel in molestiae velit voluptate voluptas sed doloribus. Officia et aut fugiat porro vel magnam odit.
Consequuntur assumenda distinctio nihil voluptatem praesentium architecto nesciunt dolores. Quia id sapiente vel ut perferendis praesentium. Maiores fugit earum dolor.
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...