Asking for an Internship directly in Cold Emails?
For some context, I am a freshman at a non-ivy target school looking to get any type of finance internship (local IB, search funds, PWM) this summer.
As I am in the process of cold-emailing the directors of these firms, I was wondering if I should ask for a coffee chat (phone call or zoom) or if I should directly state that I am looking for an internship this summer. I realize I am a little late for summer internships, so I feel like informational interviews may too much time, but being direct may not get me the best response rate. Please give me your advice below.
Thanks
Non-target here who landed an internship at a top 3 restructuring consulting shop. I personally reach out in my emails basically giving my background and then saying something like "I was hoping to connect in regard to a potential summer 2021 internship opportunity at your firm, (insert firm name)". People don't want their time wasted so it'll be faster on your part to just shoot straight to the point. Wording is key though, don't just say you want an internship, say you hope to connect to speak about a potential one.
Your success rate will be absolute ass because most firms don't hire interns anyways as freshman but if you send out a hundred or so, you're bound to get something. Always attach your resume (if decent) or at least something that shows you have some finance background or are willing to learn e.t.c. I had a sophomore summer offer secured then COVID-19 hit in March and I was sending hundreds of emails, LinkedIn requests, phone calls, basically anything to secure a summer offer. Managed to secure a dope PE gig end of April but it was luck/hustle. Hope that helps.
Thanks for the feedback. My current cold email was more for an informational interview so it was catered to that person and their firm. Since I am making it more direct, should I remove that part about what I like/find interesting about their firm? Or should I keep a little bit of it and also add a bit of background about myself.
Also, I was wondering what your subject line would be for these emails. Previously, I used "School name student interested in PE or IB" but would you advise me to change it to "School name student seeking Internship" or "School name student seeking Summer 2021 Internship"
Yep exactly. Here's how mine typically went. Keep in mind I literally just changed the firm name and their own name when saying hello (insert name). I didn't want to bother making a personalized email for each one when these CEO's e.t.c. don't have the time to even respond most of the time, much less give me an offer. The name of the game is quantity in this case, not quality. Quality means you're wasting time when you could be sending 10 more emails. I also scheduled each of them to send starting anywhere from 9:15am to 10:15am typically. If you're ballsy and can hold a conversation, I'd even recommend just calling the founder (if small firm) straight up and begin shooting the shit. Regardless, email template below:
Subject: Networking Call ((insert school name) Sophomore Looking for Summer 2021 Internship Opportunities) OR Networking Call ((insert school name) Student Seeking Summer 2021 Internship Inquiry)
Hi (insert name),
Hope you're having a great start to (insert day). My name is (insert name) and I am a sophomore studying (insert major) from the (insert school name). I was reaching out to connect with you regarding a potential internship opportunity at your firm, (insert firm name). I am very interested in the (insert investment banking, private equity e.t.c.) space. I'm sure you're extremely busy, but I would appreciate any time you may have for a quick call. I listed my availability below and attached my resume for your reference. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Best,
(insert your name)
List your availability after the paragraph (obviously) and try to give a lot of options. Attach your resume as well. Short and sweet, you should be able to literally schedule send at least 20-40 emails a day. The only thing holding you back is how much hustle you put into it at this point. It'll be boring, but I usually did it while watching TV. If you have some sort of relevant prior experience or even relevant classes, you could potentially add one more sentence. Your call, but you could potentially mention you're a hard-worker who is willing to focus all your effort into this summer. My resume was solid (still a non-target so what do I know but trying to say this humbly), so I kinda just let it speak for itself. Hope this helps! Lmk if you have more questions.
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