How Can I Communicate This Without Sounding Like A Tool

I'm not going to bore you all with a sob story - shit happens, I've got no offers. I want an internship somewhere this summer more than just about anything - I could care less if its unpaid, just want the experience for FT recruiting.

My question is this: when I am contacting alums from my school who work at small banks/PE shops/VC firms, is there a way that I can basically say "i will work for free," without sounding overly desperate? I'm struggling to find an effective way to communicate how badly I want to work in a cold email, and would appreciate your thoughts on the matter.

Thanks.

7 Comments
 

Not really - when I call alums I never ask for a job, at least not until I've given them a reason to like me, and then they may offer one without my asking. You can obviously drop hints, but I don't think there's a magic word - it is rather presumptuous to just say, "I'll work for free," and is going to make them feel awkward. Talk about how you want to get experience, how you have been looking for an internship but been unlucky, ask how they got started, etc.

 

To your alumni, I agree with what Leggo said

With someone not from your school and just cold emailing? I would suggest state what you want, be polite, and attach your resume.

 

thanks guys

i havent been talking about it from the get-go, was mostly wondering how to work it into the conversation. more of a problem wording the phrase "i will work for free" than anything else. i would never presume to send my resume and start asking for a job right off the bat

 

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