Cold Email turned Warm, What Next?

So I recently cold-emailed an MD at a boutique to mid level (in between) got a good response and a half hour block scheduled phone call. Just needed some advice on what to talk about and what direction to point the conversation to better put myself in a position to ask for an interview for a summer analyst position or a referral. I've never been in a situation that could change my life in half an hour so any advice is useful.

 

Like GuiltyVeek said, search the threads - there's a lot of information already about what to do. It usually boils down to having a well thought-out story (aka can you answer "Tell me about yourself") that describes your interest in finance and interest in banking. Also have some sort of answer ready for why this firm. If everything goes well and you present yourself as a normal well-adjusted person, ask for advice on how to best position yourself for a summer analyst position at his firm.

 
Best Response

Echoing what everyone has said above, I think the key is just to go up there and be actively engaged in the call. The MD almost certainly knows why you are reaching out, so there shouldn’t be any fear of looking or sounding disingenuous. You will probably be asked to speak to your story and experience, and why banking specifically. It will be important for you to express a cogent and well formed progression that shows that you really want to do this. (if wearing a suit or a dress shirt/pants helps you get in a mental groove then that may be prudent for you as well.) After this the rest of the call will probably be a dialogue where he speaks to his experiences, ultimately wrapping up with any last questions you may have and an ask of how to position yourself for an opportunity at the firm.

Of course you really shouldn’t be discouraged if it doesn’t lead to anything, but do know that each meaningful conversation is a step as part of the end result. You can get quite far if you just do the following things below and do such 25-30 times. 1) Speak to your story 2) Be a good listener 3) Follow up with questions after listening 4) Asking what you can do to best position yourself for a summer analyst opportunity

Bankers at the end of the day are all normal folks, and sometimes you manage to connect over something random that you might otherwise have not considered. All the best :)

There's a closer meaning to my user name. Try reading it quickly. Perhaps you will then understand ;P
 

Its not a cold call if he asks you to call. And if you dont call now then you look like you really could care less about the job, so this is kind of a no-brainer (not to be harsh but a little common sense goes a long way)

Secondly, your focus should be to establish a rapport with this alum. Best way to do this is to get him to talk about himself as much as possible. First introduce yourself and tell your story (short, what youre doing, why you want MC etc) then ask him about his background how did he get here, ask about the firm, ask for advice about your situation, then at the end ask if there is anyone else he might suggest you talk to. The goal of all your networking is to get people to like you, not a job, that will come when people like you and want to help. Be personable and interested and you'll be fine. Good luck

 
analyst-therapist:
Its not a cold call if he asks you to call. And if you dont call now then you look like you really could care less about the job, so this is kind of a no-brainer (not to be harsh but a little common sense goes a long way)

Secondly, your focus should be to establish a rapport with this alum. Best way to do this is to get him to talk about himself as much as possible. First introduce yourself and tell your story (short, what youre doing, why you want MC etc) then ask him about his background how did he get here, ask about the firm, ask for advice about your situation, then at the end ask if there is anyone else he might suggest you talk to. The goal of all your networking is to get people to like you, not a job, that will come when people like you and want to help. Be personable and interested and you'll be fine. Good luck

You are aware that your name is essentially analrapist, right?

 

Thanks analyst-therapist, do you think it would be appropriate at the end of the call to straight out ask for a referral (the firm that this is for seems to put a lot of emphasis on this) or just go with the more traditional "how should I best position myself to get a position with the firm etc etc"

Also please come at me with the brutal honesty/harsh criticism etc. It is definitely better than holding back and not telling me something that might be crucial...

 

HOLY SHIT FREEZEPOPS YOU ARE SO SMART! HOW COULD I HAVE NOT NOTICED THAT BEFORE??????

quick lesson on pop culture since you clearly don't watch arrested development... yes I am the worlds first "Anal-Rapist" - Dr. Tobias Funke,

now that we have that settled

Frankly, this is a tough question to answer and will depend on the tone of the conversation. If the guy seems to be eager to help you might as well ask for a referral (and he might even just offer you one), if the conversation goes will i might say something at the end like "i really appreciate your advice and it seems like this firm is a great place to work, and a place where i feel as though i could contribute alot, how can i best position myself for an interview?" this is essentially asking for a referral, also i would definitely ask to talk to other people in the firm, the more people you have going to bat for you obviously the better. Don't go overboard and be too pushy but definitely make sure you clearly communicate your interest.

 

You can't handle a simple phone call. You get bitchy because someone that supposedly works in or has been working to break into the industry hasn't watched a stupid tv show despite the fact that he could have good information for you.

You sound like a whiny kid. Too bad that traveling didn't help you mature at all; it would have been a good conversation point in your otherwise awkward interview.

 

Be prepared. -try to find out about the boutique, tell him why you are interested, why you are a good candidate.

-try to find him on Linked In, you may find other employees and check their employment history, that will give you an idea of how what kind of background they have and how to present yourself.

-ask him to meet with you even if he doesn't want to offer you anything, you can ask him for an informational interview and suggest you more names to talk to (networking).

good luck

 
arellalu:
Be prepared. -try to find out about the boutique, tell him why you are interested, why you are a good candidate.

-try to find him on Linked In, you may find other employees and check their employment history, that will give you an idea of how what kind of background they have and how to present yourself.

-ask him to meet with you even if he doesn't want to offer you anything, you can ask him for an informational interview and suggest you more names to talk to (networking).

good luck

Thank you so much for your advise. The boutique is specialized in an industry i'm not familiar with. have to do more background research

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