Walking into an Office to Ask for an Internship

Hi guys.

There is an office of an investment management firm right next to where I live, is it appropriate to walk in and talk to the guy? I am confused about what to say and it seems weird just to walk in and ask. Any advice from you would be helpful. Go!

61 Comments
 
GoodBreadI don't see much downside to doing that, other than time. If you really want the job, you should probably take the receptionist down and brag about it during the interview as well.

Unless the receptionist is kin to your interviewer or he is currently giving her the bacon. In which case the interviewer will either be enraged, or ecstatic that you are now Eskimo brothers.

 
Best Response
anybankeratall B-Po:

Corporate Credit Risk for FIG.

Dude you don't count. Front-office banking please.

This is outrageously comical considering you, the OP had to LIE on your resume to get your current investment banking gig at some no-name shitty boutique. I especially applaud you for putting down "investment banking summer analyst" on your resume when in reality, it was a PWM internship.

If I recall, you couldn't convert an internship to FT to save your life and had to re-intern post-graduation at not 1 but 2 shitty boutiques just to secure an offer. You couldn't get an offer not because these shops weren't hiring, but because everyone you worked with HATED your guts, even your fellow interns. You are the poster child of why we need to keep kids like you out of our industry.

As for B-Po, credit risk is considered FO at many places and the work is not far off from traditional investment banking. At least he got his job without straight up lying.

Your moral and ethical compass is so fucked up it is beyond repair. I'm really looking forward to seeing your name on dealbreaker soon.

 

i'm getting to the point now where i dont know if i'll ever be able to work in a traditional office, i never really have (have been working remotely since ugrad finished in 2005)

maybe if/when i have kids... maybe not

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See, this sounds nice in theory, but unless you were visiting a friend at the company or something, it comes off as a little stalkery. Granted, I'm not exactly the greatest interviewer, but I'd either think you were nutty or suckupy.

I can see how it would come off well. If you talk about specific things about how YOU fit into the culture and how YOU are good for THEM as a result of your findings, I think that would work. "I want this job really badly because it's good for ME" is one of those ideas that sounds good in your head, but falls flat when you realize the twin purpose of the interview:

1) Can I stand this person? Can our coworkers stand this person? 2) How much value will this person add to my firm? (note: not saying you're guilty of that)

Now, saying how good the culture is for you etc. might prove that you'll stick around, but be careful. Also, just showing up at the office might be a touch odd. Not sure how you can pull that off well.

"Dude, not trying to be a dick here, but your shop looks like a frontrunner for the cover of Better Boilerrooms & Chophouses or Bucketshop Quarterly." -Uncle Eddie
 

between 5:30-6:00am M-F cst...outside of earnings. Out by 6pm most days (past 7pm would be considered staying late).

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Fuck what those people are saying. Walk in and ask for a job - don't let anybody hold you back. I walked in into a jewelry store in my teens and ask for a job (no CV in hand), I got the job on the spot.

Had a kid spray everyone with his CV to people in my company that had the word derivatives attached to their name on bloomberg. Everyone forwarded me that kid's CV as I am the only one looking for someone, i liked his background so I interviewed him. He turned out to be an arrogant prick so that was the end of it, but at least it got him an interview...

Be forward and go for it, dress smart, but don't put a suit if you are going to do this, you need to be determined, casual and confident. If you don't present too well, maybe a call or email might be more appropriate. But otherwise if you feel you can do it, do it. Always remember: what's the worse that can happen? You don't get the job. So what, there are million other jobs out there.

 

there is no email to ask for an informational interview, only ones listed are of the execs and board of directors...i could fill out the "contact us" form which is general information as seen on most sites. I doubt they'd respond in time though. Tomorrow is the only day I can go before the interview on Friday. Shit

 

I'm not really sure what you hope to accomplish by going in there. Is there something to be gained by doing this over just sending and email or making a few phone calls?

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 

Just rummage through the trash bin and be like, "yom I know you ate McNuggets for lunch yesterday!" Seriously, you're over thinking this whole process and should just be more natural. Stalking is never the answer.

 

Find out what school their kids go to and bring oranges to their soccer game at halftime.

No man! THis definitely comes across as stalkerish. Don't invade people's personal spaces in less they give you reason (or an invitation) to do so.

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I don't exactly work in 'risk management'...it just seemed like an appropriate label because the nature of my job is an attempt to manage risk for other institutions. I work at a boutique structuring shop, aiding institutions in managing their balance sheets to account for things like VM-20 reserve, economic reserve, etc. So basically, I'm somewhat of a liar...oops

 

Truthfully, you won't truly understand a firm's culture by walking around the office or eating someone's leftover McNuggets out of the trash...so anything you say will just seem like you are trying too hard.

Maybe it's worth asking towards the end of the interview if the company has a program in place that would allow you to learn a little more about the culture of the firm/people, etc.

Regards

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan
 

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