responding to passive aggressive career center
`
Trending Content - Job Search Advice Forum
Career Resources
WSO Free Modeling Series - Now Open Through
August 31, 2026
9 Free Financial Modeling Lessons
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
High Finance Applications
Guaranteed
Get at least one offer GUARANTEED
- 1:1 support
- 92% success rate
- 2,000+ mentor network
- Unlimited Live bootcamps
- AI for resume + LinkedIn
- Networking automation tools
- HireVue simulation tool
- Full course library
- Private Slack community
- 20hrs of mocks
- + much more...
People at career centers get paid to match students with firms based on their resumes. Networking and reaching out to alumni on your own effectively cuts out the career center as the middle man, so she probably felt underminded. It's also pretty common for career centers, especially at non-target schools, to have shitty networking information, and I personally know a good amount of people who've been pointed in the wrong directions by our career services.
Your e-mail wasn't written the best, either. You get straight to the point with asking for an internship, and then follow it up with asking to hear about his career. When you first reach out you should always make it the point that its about THEM. You can bring up internships when you've already developed a relationship with them.
I've never had an instance where an alum forwards an email to the career service people. You must've really pissed him off for him to go to the trouble instead of just deleting it, you probably didn't wanna work for him anyway.
Very valid point. I used to wait to ask about intern opportunities, but became worried I was being too indirect. I think I'll go back to that approach. Thanks. Any suggestion how (or if) to respond to her?
The fact that the alum forwarded the email to career services is definitely troubling. I probably wouldn't waste my time salvaging that relationship and would just move forward, learning a lesson from this.
I am very troubled by this too. I could understand if the alum just deleted it without interest... but was I so offensive as warrant a forward? This has never happened to me before, most times I get a reply it's usually "happy to chat." :(
Do not tell people when you are available, ask them about their availability. You are busy with classes/internships, they are busy with a full time job that requires 13+ hrs of work a day. If something is important to you, you will make the time (talk to them at 3 AM your time because that is when they are available). I will repeat my last point, IF this is IMPORTANT you will find a way to make it work, do not expect someone to work around your schedule - think about the incentives here. You could really use their help, they don't really have many incentives, and on top of that you limit when you can speak to them. That doesn't rub people the right way.
75% of career guidance counselors are useless when it comes to the details. this is a bit cynical, but there's a reason why they're a school counselor. i know there are private counselors out there and that there is a level of demand for them since the above do not satisfy.
I wouldn't say your email is that bad, but it definitely could be better. The biggest mistake you made was listing the times that work for you. Never forget that this guy would be doing you a favor, not the other way around. He probably interpreted that as you being an arrogant prick. (I'm not saying you are an arrogant prick, just that he might have taken it that way based on you listing out the times you're "generally free".)
I don't think you should ever list the times you are available, especially since you are using up their time. You should let them select the time at the least. I feel like this matters even more for an IBanker as they work far more hours and have less downtime.
that was a bad email to be honest, at least you learnt from it.
Aut natus repellendus sint harum delectus. Quisquam voluptas et aperiam dignissimos esse.
Molestiae assumenda ipsum sint enim perferendis nobis mollitia. Qui aut et et non corporis beatae.
Ut incidunt ipsam aliquid sit. Alias maxime facilis nam ut pariatur quibusdam. Sed voluptas qui qui et.
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...