T20 Grad Seeking Advice in Middle Office/Operations Roles in NYC

Hey everyone! I graduated last May from a T20 school with a Bachelor's in Computer Science. My past internships have been in IT, focusing on risk management and compliance across cloud services. I also graduated with under a 3.0 GPA due to family matters and poor choice of my major. However, after taking some time to figure out my career path, I’ve become very interested in finance, specifically working in NYC and find out what niche I want to focus on.

Given my background, I’ve been targeting Operations Analyst roles as a starting point. I’ve been sending around 12 cold emails per day to boutique investment banks and asset management firms (under 200 employees), detailing my interest in the firm, my willingness to relocate, and my eagerness to learn more about operations. However, I’ve noticed that my responses have mostly come from VPs and alumni in other divisions rather than people in Operations. While these conversations have been helpful for learning, they haven’t directly led to job opportunities.

When I’ve gotten referrals for middle-office roles, I’ve been rejected, not bc of GPA, but because I don’t meet the minimum experience requirements. I know my sub-3.0 GPA could be an issue if brought up though.

I’ve heard that spring is a strong hiring season, so I’m really focused on making the most of this time and securing a middle-office analyst position in NYC. Given my situation, I’d love any advice on how to stand out, whether it’s changing my approach, changing my outreach strategy, or just continuing to play the numbers game.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.