Cold email advice from analyst

A couple pieces of honest advice when writing cold emails. People may say I'm overly critical but I get 5 of these a day so I am looking for any reason not to respond...

-Do not address an analyst or associate as "Mr. XXXX" . Literally my biggest pet peeve. I understand that you think you are being respectful but you come off looking like a goober / somebody I would not want to work with. I'm 23 not 43. Don't be a brown noser.

-Ease up on the embellishment of your words. I.e don't say "I was SO ELATED to hear from you that Goldman doesn't treat it's analysts like a cog in the wheel" - use every day / honest language as much as possible. If you embellish it just makes me think that you're a suck up / desperate. You want to frame yourself as somebody that we would be lucky to have. If you use embellished language you frame yourself as somebody that would be lucky to have us.

-Try to avoid BS buzzwords as much as possible. Don't tell me you are interested in Goldman because of our "lean deal teams" and "unique culture". It's BS. You know it and I know it. Do tell me you are interested in learning more about my experiences at the firm and my story.

-Do attach your resume. Some people may argue but I don't return the calls of anybody that doesn't attach their resume because I assume you aren't attaching it because it's not up to par. I will want to vet you at least a little bit to ensure its worth my time before agreeing to talk to you. It does neither me nor you any good to spend 20 minutes talking about the firm if you have 0 shot.

-Don't spend half your email talking about how you know how busy I am and that I have 0 time but you would be oh so grateful yada yada yada. Just keep it short and sweet. "I would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about your experience at Goldman"

- Don't tell me you found me on LinkedIn. If you don't know anybody that I know - I know that's how you found me but it comes across as creepy if you actually go out say it. Just don't mention how you found me.

-Keep it short and to the point. I'm honestly more likely to reply.

Obviously just one guy's feelings...

 

"-Do attach your resume." - I've heard mixed things about this. Many people from the industry say it's a great way to get dinged quickly. I've personally had a "we're not hiring" or "I've forwarded your resume to HR" by doing that, and then the conversation breaks down completely. I've had better luck establishing some sort of relationship by asking to speak for 5 minutes. After that, the person I'm speaking to usually asks me to send them my resume once/if they realize i'm "somewhat of a decent human being" to speak to; that way I've managed to land an interview.

 

In the UK at least, yes.

Sent in an app to MS/GS/JPM for S&T summer intern, heard nothing as other people were getting interview. Good friend of mine sent HR an email (didn't say what was in it other than a positive recommendation, but needed my full name as on my application) got an emaill the morning after he sent the email with an interview invite.

 

Iv definitely heard both sides of the story on attaching the resume. Some think it's pushy, others don't. I think it also depends if you have any connection to the person. If you have a connection then you are really asking for more of a personal favor in which case I would agree you should not attach it. If you are literally cold emailing then I would simply write "I have attached my resume for your reference"

It depends on the group whether an analyst can get somebody an interview. I work at an EB and we absolutely have the power. At bulge brackets that have formalized recruiting personel I think all an analyst can do is forward your resume which probably doesn't count for much.

 
blackice:

For better or for worse, I feel much more loyal to the smaller organizations than to the larger school.

This is something I would do as well.

Personally, would you entertain Facebook messages from someone who is a second degree connection? Eg, Person A was person B's subordinate at your previous company. Person B was your junior in a small team back at that previous company and you have moved to a larger firm. Would you entertain a message from person A?

Next, wouldn't the following sentence, "I would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about your experience at Goldman", sound too generic? Or is that fine with you?

 

great post, I get quite a bit of these emails and completely agree. attaching resume is definitely a must.

personal recommendations won't be enough to get your interviews if you don't have a strong profile, but if you are borderline (ie. have good experience, but only a 3.5 GPA, etc), it can be quite helpful. there's a bit of subjectivity in resume selection so even at BB, a recommendation from a current employee can definitely help.

 

I like it when they attach their resume - we both know exactly why the student is reaching out, no one wants 'insights' from my illustrious career of turning pages at god knows what hour in the morning.

I disagree on the LinkedIn part, unless they're at my alma mater, I am going to wonder how they found me. If they're just randomly emailing people they found on LinkedIn, then I'd rather they say just say something to that effect. It's not actually that weird when trying to break into the industry.

 

Great advice and thread. However, I have been following this format for a year now with a very low response rate. Not sure if it is my format or because I am from a non-target. Basically my entire email is: " Hello Bob,

My name is John Smith. I am a recent graduate from Non-Target College passionate about a career in equity research. I found your information on LinkedIn and wanted to reach out, as I am particularly interested in consumer focused sectors. [or whatever sector they cover] I am currently an equity research associate intern at Sell-side firm.

While I am sure you are busy, I would sincerely appreciate a few minutes of your time this week, to discuss your career, time at Company, and experience in the industry. Id be happy to accommodate your schedule to the best of my ability. Thank you in advance and I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

John Smith (000) 000 - 0000 LinkedIn Profile Link
"

I usually attach my resume with the email, although don't explicitly mention it as, like someone else said, I don't want to come across as shallow just asking for a job. If anyone has any tips Id love to hear them.

When I email an analyst/ HR rep with a position I know is open, I usually add a line saying "I have attached my resume and would be grateful if you could forward it to the proper hiring manager, if that is not you."

Recent College Graduate
 

Two weeks into my first year at a BB (without having been an intern aka without much credibility), I had the power to get people interviews (or not) and even conducted interviews with candidates from my alma mater for first rounds and did interviews (with associates) at the super day. So it totally depends on the bank, but I definitely enjoyed being on the other side of the process so soon after starting.

 

Did you go to a target? You should do a post of how to get in BB without SA if you haven't already. I know that isn't really isn't the most consistent way to get in BB but it would be cool to know how you were able to do it.

 

I went to a target for Houston/oil and gas IB that also sends a few kids to NYC and other groups every year. Not sure how useful a post like that would be coming from me since I just did OCR and networked with people at Houston banks I either knew from school or through family. Plus I had a relevant internship with similar work to IB. But if there's anything you want to ask further or that I can help you with, shoot me a PM

 

In my networking experiences, it has been best not to attach resume, but rather something 3 lines or less.
"Hi my name is [ ] and I am a student at [ ]. I came across your firm........can we schedule 15-20 mins to discuss your [few reasons why you want to talk ] etc. blah blah Thanks."

This makes them more likely to both read it, and respond. You have to play the game, and get them to ask for your resume.

 

I generally omit the resume. If they reach out and ask for it, then they're the ones who began a conversation about getting a job. I generally say something along the lines of.

"Hi, My name is ______. I am interested in beginning a career in finance, and was looking around on the alumni directory for someone in the industry to speak to. I was hoping you might be willing to spare a few moments to talk to me about your job and give me some advice on what I should do and expect as I try to find out if finance is for me. If you could get back to me if you have a few moments to speak, that would be really great. You can reach me at (email). Thank you.

Sincerely, (name)

Try not to copy that verbatim, maybe mention their firm or something specific to you, and be sure you have some good questions and thoughts for when you speak to them. Also, what year are you? I'd suggest mentioning that in your email. But no resume until they ask.

 

Just to play a little Devil’s Advocate here, I have always included my resume when reaching out to Alumni. Helps them get a better perspective of your profile, and if you have a really good resume, they will have more of an incentive to follow up with you regarding that 15-20 min phone call that tmcgowan was talking about.

In my personal experiences, I have gotten very good results in attaching my resume to the opening email.

 

I'd say you are better off not attaching it to the original email... but rather include some interesting tidbit to show that you know about the firm or the person's job. Then you get the chance to follow up again and attach your resume.

I say this because if you just send me your resume and ask me to call you, there's a chance that if I don't like your resume, I may not feel like calling (and it looks more like you're just trying to use us and don't really care to talk)

 

I'd have to agree with most of the posters here. Don't attach your resume until they come asking for it. Ever read the art of seduction? It's more persuasive if you play a little coy...

I cold-contacted a bunch of alumni in another country (think thousands of miles away) a few months ago and successfully sat down for a meal with 80% of them. Now I am still busy developing those relationships! They wanted to get to know me even without looking at my resume!

Good luck...!

 

I get tons of emails from newbies and I'll agree with most of the points in the post. The best advice I can give is to keep it simple, to the point, use normal language, research the company, team, and culture, and be honest. If your resume is a long shot, I would appreciate you mentioning that in your cover email WITH a reason why you want to be here and why you think you could be a valued and contributing member of the team.

 

Thanks for the response - those templates look good but are still alumni based; I have nothing in common with anyone at this office except being currently based in the same city. I'm just a non-target kid who doesn't like his current job and wants to try to break into their small banking office.

You think an MD would be the most appropriate contact or somebody more junior would tend to be more responsive?

 

Look, just tell the person about yourself, why are you contacting them (job), and that if they have anytime in the next week or so, if they would be willing to talk on the phone for a bit. No reason to beat around the bush. If you are qualified and they are looking to hire, then the stars will align from that.

 

Thank you.

I thought about asking for informational interviews before, but I was a bit worried that I am currently a bit behind the recruiting process and informational interviews usually take longer time to have results. Do you think I should ask all firms for informational interviews (whether it's a relatively well-known boutique or a real boutique) or only asking people who work in relatively well-known boutiques for informational interviews and send cold emails to the rest of the smaller firms? I tend to notice that people who work in smaller firms are not very responsive to informational interviews request.

What do you think my approach should be?

Thanks,

 

Personally, I'll say that I've had good success with short emails. I generally use a 3-4 sentence email saying why I'm writing, ask politely to talk, and then suggest a time before signing off with a thank you.

Response rate is in neighborhood of 3/4....which is pretty damn good compared to the rates most people get on here.

In my case I generally don't attach a resume. I'm mostly writing either vets or alumni which means they either have a pretty decent idea what it's already going to look like or already know the academic level that I'm at. In either case I'm going with the safer "if they want it they'll ask for it" policy.

 

Making Gravy, hey, look at the bright side, at least you didn't get a ton of monkey shit thrown at you...here is my best guess on threads that might be helpful:

  • How to NOT send cold emails MMs. Picture was originally embedded in the email body lol. Sorry to borrow 2 minutes from you Good ... thoroughly convey my qualifications to you in person, I would like the opportunity for an interview. (Resume ... Attached) Please let me know if I can be of any help to you! I would love to have a coffee/tea together
  • Next college kid to send me unsolicited spam to my work email asking for a job is getting kicked in the fucking face. of emails to read per day. Look, if you have a high GPA, worked hard in school, and was smart enough ... I don't know why you people think this shit works. IT DOESNT. Seriously if this is how you ... figured out the xxxx@ GS.com employee email structure and cold-emailed every employee you found in your .
  • Investment Banking Analyst: 15 Things I Wish I Knew class. If you know you want to go for an MBA eventually, think about taking the GMAT before you are ... INVESTORS- always be thinking like an investor- if you want to do PE / HF later on, this might be your single ... headhunter as also being just a super nice and hardworking
  • Investment Banking to Private Equity- 6 Things You Should Know parties (lawyers, consultants, accountants, etc.) You need deal experience to have any idea on how to go ... necessarily feel that way. For example, if you move to a distressed hedge fund, you're a distressed hedge ... the junior level. Yes, if you attain an Associate ro
  • Hire someone to help you send cold email a numbers game, and sending cold email is the most crucial part of expanding networks. How much would you ... pay for someone else to help you send cold emails? For me personally, I am willing to pay $1 for each ... cold email. cold email
  • So you want to cold email me? Here's how you do it right. cold-email led to him being HK's first intern. He worked his butt off, watched Youtube videos of Excel, ... I work got hired without an interview. It was me saying, you won't regret it; she's great. So, ... hours a day, 7 days a week. On cold-emailing: It can't hurt. Just email first before the cold ...
  • Recent MBA Grad, Re-apply to Consulting Firm as an Experienced Hire? I'm still interested in this company. They have some experienced hire/non-generalist consulting roles ... them, and I also don't want it to come off as me going back to them out of desperation. To what ... There's a Tier 2 consulting firm that I've had a very long history of interactions with: ...
  • More suggestions...

If we're lucky, maybe these professional users will respond: Albert-Ateng dfjaramillo Ruggles

If those topics were completely useless, don't blame me, blame my programmers...

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

You might also want to ask for more information about the company, and if there are any (position you are looking for) roles available for which you could apply.

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there" - Will Rogers
 

I would hate to receive that. I would not reply. I am looking for a global view. I will only reply if you sound socially intelligent.

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 

I have to agree with the other guys, you're making it way to easy for them to tell you no. If you ask for a job in your initial e-mail they can easily brush you off by telling you that they have no opportunities. If you personalize the e-mail and try and build a relationship it makes it harder for them to be a dick to you. Yes, the game you are playing is a numbers game, but you don't win by squandering off your leads by sending a generic e-mail blast.

 

Was in investment banking for a couple years before working in PE (the last three) and I've received a ton of these. I agree with most points except the resume one. I hate it when people send me their resume in the first note. I've always recommended people say in that first email, "If you don't mind chatting, I'd be happy to follow up with a resume" - its about building a relationship for me, not spamming wall street and I appreciate it when people don't just expect shit from me. The goal for these folks is to have a phone conversation with me, I'm not trying to recruit them. I'd rather them tell me about their background than scan through a resume (look I agree its not the most efficient route but you can pretty much guarantee an F-U from me if you've got a resume in that first email - particularly if you're cold emailing me).

Also, maybe its because I came from a non-target is why I have that bias. People can ding you on the basis of shit like that without you even having the opportunity to tell your story. I'm a resume reviewer for WSO and have edited well over 60+ resumes so I know more than anyone how important the resume is. But when people get dinged and don't get an opportunity to present themselves because you didn't like an "Interest" on their resume, its fucking unfair. Its happened to me a ton and hence the bias.

End of rant

 

First piece of advice -- change your username. I strongly recommend retaining some form of anonymity. Currently anyone can copy and paste your username into LinkedIn and find you instantly.

I can't tell if this is a troll post or not -- the remark about not receiving responses to cold emails sent out to MDs on a Friday night suggests that or an overwhelming amount of naivete in contacting professionals in finance.

Assuming you are being serious, I think you are going to have a very hard time finding an IB job in the immediate horizon. It's not to say people can hop on the finance train late in undergrad, but I think you have crossed a critical threshold point during your tenure as a student that makes it extremely difficult finding a job or even building up your resume. Practically all of those part-time internships at small boutique banks in the LA area during the school year go to younger students. These firms recognize the early drive some candidates have and understand they are going to work hard and absorb what they learn like sponges because they are eager to take on the opportunities as stepping stones for traditional SA recruiting their junior year. I'm not trying to sound cold or rub it in, this is just simply how it works with these opportunities in LA.

For FT recruiting, there may be some small boutiques that are still looking for new analysts. However, it sounds like your resume is a screaming liability. With the right attitude and personality, you can talk your way out the GPA concern and interest in investment banking. The job experience bit is going to be very hard to overcome though -- even if you can land interviews and nail your technicals, there is still the issue of just not having some kind of professional background that supports your abilities to perform well in an office environment. A lot of these smaller shops don't hire many new analysts, which means they are putting a lot of trust and responsibility on who they bring in. It doesn't matter if they are no name banks, they are still employers who need to find competent, well-qualified fresh graduates to fill their openings. Furthermore, since the spots in finance in LA are so limited, I am sure there are plenty of other candidates who are qualified for the spot that simply couldn't secure a FT offer from summer/position from the traditional recruiting cycle that will also be going after the opening.

I know this may come off as uninspiring, but this is reality of what I have seen with LA banking (I am sure it is relatively the same at the other major cities too, i.e. SF and NYC). As you already mentioned, it's not going to get easier once you graduate and OCR access is gone. That being said, if you are really committed to breaking in, apply to everything under the sun that is still available and loosely related to finance. It's important to land on your feet upon graduating (both for your resume and personal reasons) with some kind of job lined up. I assure you finding opportunities to lateral at a small boutique a year or so down the road will be much easier if you are productive with your time at some workplace and using your experience to reinforce your reasons for wanting to work in IB.

Best of luck man.

 
Best Response

BB senior analyst here, not many posts, no time for it. I think both sides are giving too much though to something as simple as introducing yourself in a f*cking email.

To the OP: Son, if you discard talking to a potential candidate for not attaching his/her resume, you are a disgrace as a recruiter.

To the rest of you out there looking for a shot: everything is way simpler than you think; the fact that we landed a job that you want does not make us very different from you (despite some entitled Ivy League a-hole tries to make you think otherwise). Be nice and polite, without going overboard, and go to the point. The rest is a matter of opportunity and luck.

I wish you all the best of it

 

Definitely email him man, for the subject put "School name Student - Reaching Out" and for the body say you are looking for advice on your job search or are looking to be pointed in the right direction..What's the worst that can happen he ignores you? And if that happens just send him another short email saying you know he is very busy but a few minutes of his time would be very beneficial. You'd be surprised how much people are willing to speak with you.

 

Definitely reach out.

In your email: -Introduce yourself and what you're studying etc -How you found his name/info (alumni directory? Linkedin? Referral? etc) -You're interested in pursuing a career in his industry (IB, S&T, etc) -Ask him if he wouldn't mind answering a few questions so that you may gain some insight -Keep it short yet to the point. The general rule is one blackberry screen long.

 

Hello Mr. XXXXX, I am a senior at XXXXX double majoring in Accounting and Business Management & Finance. As I’m searching for alumni contacts, I saw your name on the XXXX site and found your email through the net.

I am most eager to introduce myself as I am looking for an entry-level or intern position in the financial services industry. I do have some specific areas I’m interested in, however I’d love to talk to a person that can expose to me as much knowledge/advice as possible, especially; a CEO of a prominent I-bank such as XXXXX.

I'd highly appreciate a bit of your valuable time to chat. 5-10 minutes, you give me the time.

Much Obliged, XXXXX [email protected] XXX-XXXX-XXXX

HOW DOES THIS SOUND ?

"Seeing this house and your fine sword and hearing how you're importing and exporting chinamen, let me guess, you must be fucking rich." Kenny Powdersss
 

ediblebanana,

Just tell them straight-up and politely that you found him/her on Linkedin and that you are emailing for xyz reasons, hopefully that alumni is willing to pay it forward and help you out.

So just go ahead, if you wanted a sample, I have done that a lot while I was networking, happy to help.

 

I'd say, not exactly sure; but I did a lot of research and could have been on your website, from your assistant, linkedin or a friend. Or, you could tell the truth and just say you made up 10 emails and knew you'd eventually hit it right.

 
SECfinance:
Way too awkward. Just say you grew up in your hometown.

This might actually be a better approach than my initial though:

"I noticed your profile in the 123Teaching Program and was pleased to see someone else with an ABCTOWN connection."

 

If you really are interested and can speak to your interest intelligently/articulately, I'd reach out now asking if he would be open to a quick phone call or coffee chat. It might be a bit early, but this may be a case where you're particularly better off building the relationship over time rather than right when recruiting kicks off

 

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Global buyer of highly distressed industrial companies. Pays Finder Fees Criteria = $50 - $500M revenues. Highly distressed industrial. Limited Reps and Warranties. Can close in 1-2 weeks.
 

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