Is it alright to reach out and network with MD's and partners at small/mid-sized PE/HF firms as a college sophomore??
I'm a sophomore at a target with a very strong alumni base. Buyside soph internship recruiting is ramping up and I'm worried that I won't get one of the internships advertised through my school. To hedge my bets, I would like to network with a few LMM/MM PE firms and HF's. I'm planning on targeting smaller firms (5-20 man firms) where the alumni from my school are founders/managing partners/etc so they have the leverage to land me an internship. My resume is one of the best, if not the best in my year. Is this a good idea to reach out to them, network with them, and possibly land an internship this way? Or am I just wasting their time since I'm so young. Also, should I even mention that I'm looking for an internship during the first call or try to build our relationship a bit.
Perfectly fine. Idk about others, but I appreciate emails or LinkedIn requests that are straight to the point
hi - I’m soph at x college and and looking for any potential internship opps at your firm or others you may know. Etc etc
I personally don’t like the coffee date thing
I’m with you on this. Cut straight through the bullshit.
NGL, this seems like a controversial take. I've seen a lot of people favor this but most seem to suggest never asking for an internship, referral, etc, straight through an email.
Always be direct. If you want an internship - ask if there are openings. Don’t pussyfoot and waste people’s time.
Great strategy. The smaller shops get less outreach and are more likely to let you in as a sophomore since they won't have structured internship programs
Definitely ask about internships, taking multiple calls to do so is a bit disrespectful of their time. They know what you want and they're not looking to become BFFs with a 19 year old. Ask them questions for 10-15 min and then skip to the point. If they say no, which most will, have something planned to gracefully pivot to a final few questions and then move on. You should land something this way though. I prefer emails to LinkedIn requests, and calls over in-person, but to each their own. Make sure you attach your resume to the initial email.
Only real caution here is to make sure you're keeping up with your networking for junior year IB/PE in the next few months and not just focusing on sophomore summer.
At libero quaerat molestiae quidem. Dolorem cumque adipisci quam dolor nam. Aut velit qui accusamus sed.
Est voluptatum qui quia quos. Occaecati fugiat tempore culpa maxime. Alias tempora beatae sit id cum quo fugit. Quae voluptatem vel quam nam est nulla magni quo. Perspiciatis labore minus molestiae magnam ut.
Et vitae aliquid veniam rem. Rerum velit saepe ea asperiores at. Non qui sed aperiam fugit. Ut dolore quia laboriosam quod sint sunt.
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...