I have seen a lot of posts about cold calling/emailing when your background isn't necessarily target and I thought I'd put in my two cents. To people trying to break in: use LinkedIn email religiously.
Let me preface this by stating I was a 3.0 student at a very non-target state school.
Many people fear of MDs or higher ups not responding. Remember this: if you are able to share a very convincing story on how Investment Banking interests you, the chances of a response are very high. I emailed only 4 MDs, got responses back from 2, and ultimately landed with an offer from 1. Here are some emailing tips that I used that worked for me:
Make it seem as if you are seeking advisement on the banking industry in general, as opposed to screaming "I want to be an investment banker." Others can attest to this, but senior bankers LOVE talking about themselves and how they have become so successful.
Ask to potentially chat about current events in the industry. Seem interested and excited to have the perspective from someone within. Act eager for the next opportunity to chat.
As corny as it sounds, be your fucking self. MDs can read fakes from a mile away. Write a sincere email expressing your interests.
Perhaps the most important, be willing to learn and accept the fact you don't know jack shit. People who pretend to know everything are huge turn offs to these people. If you don't know something, say you don't know.
I know it sometimes seems impossible to land a spot, but if you put solid effort into networking, something will happen. Don't believe some of these morons on here that make fun of people's backgrounds for thinking they have a chance. With hard work, I can assure you that people will take a chance on you.
If anyone has any further questions, feel free to PM me. Good luck to all.
How long were your messages?
And did you use inmail?
Two paragraphs at most. I wrote them up like I would a formal email.
I did not use inmail. I used whatever doesn't require a subscription.
Would you mind going into more detail about how you landed your offer? IE what the initial response you got was like, next steps (informal/coffee interview, whatever) and stuff like that? Also, how 'non-target state school' are we talking? Top 50? Top 100? Thanks in advance.
My 'flow chart':
Email > Phone call> informal coffee > team introduction/interview > second round > case study
Inmail is generally terrible, the real strategy is finding people and then using email hunter/find that lead to get their email address. Or just know the banks naming convention for emails and try a bunch of different ones.
There is a browser extension called 'ContactOut' that will find the email registered under the linkedin profile page
That's pretty much what email hunter and find that lead are
What is LinkedIn?
Non- target currently going through recruiting. People are much more receptive than people believe. Just be proactive.
If you have access to FactSet, the "Ownership" tab has a contact screening function that can be used to find the email of most finance professionals in your area. I have found this function absolutely invaluable for networking.
Absolutely agree with this post. This is by far the best tactic I've come across as well.
Also, worth noting that every 12 months you can get 1 month free of any premium membership (even the $200 one for recruiters with a ton of free InMails), as long as you have a credit card on file. You can pull it/cancel before the next month comes.
Would you guys recommend connecting with people on Linkedin even if you have no prior contact/ haven't cold emailed yet?
Would like to know about this too! Come to Dubai with no acquaintance and try to break into consulting~
Absolutely do not recommend this - I have about 20 people trying to connect with me on LinkedIn and their initial connection provides nothing but a generic "I'd like to connect with you message". I always respond back with "Hey , Have we met before?" to which they don't really have a good response and thus I don't bother replying back to whatever they say...
Yes, absolutely add people on LinkedIn you have never met before (cold email).
Guys, LinkedIn users EXPECT people to connect with them, whether you are acquaintances or not.
Friend request on LinkedIn =\= Friend request on Facebook
I can attest to using LinkedIn to gain insight and to get a foothold in recruiting. I went to a for profit shit hole that no longer exists and I got interviews at 2 boutiques in NYC using LinkedIn and the email templates from WSO. Just be genuine and professional/ respectful, and if they're not too busy or not complete dicks they'll respond.
whats key when doing this is to write up a genuine personal message for why you want to connect - without context it's like you're firing off 1000s of random darts amd finding a few that stick. No one likes to be added without at least a good introduction
I've had better experience sending inmails to alums on linkedin than their business emails. (especially senior level guys)
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