Hey guys,
ive been scouring everywhere for alums from my school to contact...I want to network as much as possible before FT analyst recruitment in the fall. However, I come from somewhat of a non-target (in Canada). When I say non-target, I mean Ive only found only about 10-20 people who hold/previously held i-banking jobs, and thats after extensive researching (literally to the point where i googled "[university name] Investment Banking/M&A/Private equity" and ended up going all the way to page 30 of the results, only found like 7 people)
So I found an MD (at a Canadian big-5) on the corporate website, who did his MBA at my school. However, there is no email/contact info. BUT I do know the email address structure of the firm, e.g. [email protected]
Do you think it would be inappropriate to contact him this way? If someone did it to you, would you be pissed/annoyed?
I know it may seem extreme, but im obviously desperate :).
Thanks in advance
Start off with a request for an information interview. Just to chat about how he got to where he was.
There are two types of people at a bank, ones who loves to recruit, and others that are indifferent. If you are polite, there is only upside. If that MD is one who loves to recruit and loves to help, that's great. If that MD doesn't care, he'll just ignore the e-mail. They're not going to ding you because you reached out. Remember, MDs reach out to new clients all the time, they won't be offeneded, and some will even applaud your efforts.
While my circumstances are slightly different as I'm currently a banker interviewing for PE opportunities, I've found extreme success in contacting alumni of my non-target university. Would I'm targeting younger individuals and not guys who graduated 30 years ago, you may find you have success with both.
Thanks for the comments. I was actually afraid of the fact that I would be applying to this bank in September. And if this MD didn't like the fact that I kind of "guessed" his email address and contacted him out of the blue, I might kill any chance I had at that bank. But I guess I really dont have nothing to lose. Gonna shoot an email tomorrow :).
See if your university has an alumni relations group (or department, club, etc.). There may be more contacts and or alums listed through a university organized group, and with more reliable information on their careers and whereabouts. Also, since these people have taken the trouble to enlist and maintain their info, they are probably more likely to want to help you out. And if your univ. doesn't have one, I agree with eric809e's suggestion about requesting an information interview from the guy you found off Google. As long as you're polite, it can't hurt.
My uni does have an Alum. Relation department and ive been there. However, they have this stupid policy where they dont disclose information to ugrads until like 6 months prior to graduation...which will be too late for me.
OUCH!
btw whats an information interview?
I went through a simliar crappy Alumni situation. Best bet is to keep reaching out, whether to older yrs, finance club exec who might know people or even go on a LinkedIn or Doostang and search university name there and see what comes up.
I had a list of 0 in my first yr, by the time I graduated I had a word document with around 100 names - not all IB, some HF/PE/VC, AM, Consulting.
It's basically where you speak with the alumnus about their experiences, thoughts on the industry, advice for you, etc. What you want to do is develop rapport and see if they're willing to take a look at your resume, maybe even suggest you. If you really want this, plan to spend some time in NYC, get in contact with every alumnus you can who is willing to meet with you, and go for coffee, even meet them in the office. Be scrappy!
I've found that if you make the interview all about THEM it works pretty well. Most people love to talk about themselves and can do so pretty comfortably, if you let them.
My list has been growing. Ive got maybe ~20 people, havent contacted them all yet. Unfortunately, only like 10 of those are IB.
jmdude, i sent you a PM
Thank you! GREAT advice. Keep it rolling :).
Scrappy Mode: ON
OK! So I emailed about 20 people. I get a couple back. One asks 'how exactly did I get his name/email'. (I guessed it by the way) thats a tricky one to truthfully answer without coming off as strange...
Give them a couple of days to respond. Most of them are probably busy and some might get back to you after a few days.
And for the guy that asked how you got his info...eek. I'd be honest, but not completely divulge the semi-stalkerish internet search you did.
Key question to ask in an informational (especially given OP's circumstances): "Do you know anyone else that might be willing to speak with me?"
As for the guy that asked how you got his email, I'd just say you knew his firm's email structure and found his name on the internet. Depending on exactly where you found his name, it actually may behoove you to be specific on the web page (e.g. quoted in a flattering article, credited with working on XYZ prominent deal, etc.).
I'm in a similar situation to you, from a non-target (yes in Canada) and an alumni list that we can't access. Looking for their names online is pretty much the only way to connect and its definitely not easy.
One method that has been rather useful would be to use Google's custom search engine. You can search certain websites (e.g. Linkedin.com) and it'll help you find a lot of alumni. If you know someone with access to a Bloomberg terminal, you should ask that person to browse through the alumni list there.
PM your school cause we might be in the same school and can share resources!
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