Cold Emailing - Internship
Hey guys,
I am looking to cold email my way into a summer internship at a PE/IB firm, and I would just like some advice as I'm not quite sure how to go about this process.
Who should I send these emails to? Should I send it to the email provided on the "contact us" page or an employee of the firm?
Any suggestions would be helpful!
I actually got my Summer IB internship through cold-calling and cold-email over a six+ month timeframe.
My process:
1) Find a VP or higher to cold email (I actually did not focus much on Analysts or Associates since I wanted to focus more of my attention on the decision makers)
2) Follow-up after a week with a cold call. From the cold call, see if I could stay in touch with the contact at firm as they evaluated their hiring needs on a rolling basis.
It is grinding process and takes a great deal of self confidence and conviction, but if it can also lead to pretty amazing results when things work out (which I am beyond elated they did).
Definitely not the “contact us” section of a company’s website
You can also think about taking the longer route. Cold message VPs and MDs of boutiques on LinkedIn. See them in person or get them over the phone for an informational interview. Once you are in a comfortable space, pitch for the internship. That way, even when you're asking for an internship, you are building a network that would go a long way. If you can form a connection with them, your chances of getting that summer job might just go up.
My two cents - if you are not in a rush to get an internship right now.
From a PE Associate's perspective, don't cold call me. Send a cold email. I am still less likely to respond, but I might if you're able to make a good connection into me (e.g Alma Mater, friend of friend, said something smart about one of my portfolio companies etc.). Not everyone is unresponsive, but if you reach out to enough associates you'll get a bite...
I used to take these calls all the time, but I've found them to be an incredible waste of time if I respond willy nilly. So i don't. The well thought out connections sent via email I will respond to, and they tend to convert into more engaging phone conversations.
If you are able to get someone on the phone do your homework on the person and firm. If you're in college I don't expect you to be able to fully understand what I do. But ask thoughtful questions and at least show you tried to understand what I do. I know what you want, so I am going to ask WHY. Always be able to articulate WHY you did something. Even if not 100% true, should be able to articulate WHY you decided to go to your college, WHY you did these internships, etc.
Lastly, always make an ask. If a kid doesn't ask me about internships or anything like that I am not going to bring it up myself. We all know exactly what you want, so you might as well shoot your shot.