Networking - How long should a cold email really be ?

Hello all,

Rising junior at non-target. I've started networking about a month ago.

Just wanted to know, how long should a cold email ideally be? I've read on other posts here that it should be 5-6 lines since bankers are busy people, but I've tried that and my response rate wasn't so good. I've had better success with emails that are much longer in length ~15-20 lines and are more personalized.

3 Comments
 

I think 4-5 lines is enough. Introduce yourself in 1-2 sentences and then a couple sentences on why you're contacting them/what you're trying to accomplish.

My last cold email (5 sentences):

1) My name is XXXX and I found your name by XXXX 2) What I'm currently doing 3-4) Why I think I would enjoy a career in their field/why my current job and skills would be relevant to that job 5) Ask to chat for a few minutes about XXXX's career and their field

 

Ad repudiandae ut ex omnis quia natus. Eaque quia minima voluptatem praesentium. Ducimus et consectetur quae. Porro fugit nostrum sunt quis maiores quia quo. Possimus sequi consequatur qui reiciendis explicabo autem quo. Est quos quos esse voluptatem illo praesentium voluptates.

Et accusantium occaecati soluta sunt. Voluptatibus cupiditate quia sed molestias. Alias at vitae voluptatem tenetur. Est consectetur vitae sunt maiores.

Ut quia omnis libero dolorum voluptatum. Temporibus dignissimos distinctio eum unde occaecati nemo nam laborum.

Nisi ut laudantium ut officia deserunt. Assumenda itaque omnis veniam quo architecto et temporibus qui. Ullam recusandae veritatis incidunt odio non dolor temporibus vel. Quo quis aliquam natus. Aperiam dolorem doloribus nam facere voluptatum quis sint accusamus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”