Critique my cold mail

I decided to change my cold email template for networking to generate more responses and was hoping that someone could critique my cold mail. I have searched the forums and taken a bit here and there from a lot of the useful threads that I found.

"Dear, My name is xxxxxx, I’m a student at xxxxxx University, majoring in finance. I am interested in learning more about investment banking and xxxxxxxxx in particular. I understand the uphill challenge that I’m facing coming from a non-target school, which has propelled me to work hard daily by educating myself through books, guides, and courses. I would like to learn more about your experience in the industry and listen to any advice that you could give me. Please let me know when/how best to reach you. It wont take any more than 15 minutes. Thanks. Best, xxxxxxxxxxxxx"

10 Comments
 

I would change your last three sentences to read more like this:

I am eager to learn about your experiences in the industry, and would enjoy the opportunity to listen to any advice you would care to offer. If you wouldn’t mind, please let me know the best way to reach you in the future, should you have the time or interest to respond.

Thank you for your time, xxxxx

 

My Edits:

Hello First Name,

My name is [first name last name] and I'm a [class year] at school majoring in finance. I am interested in learning more about the different roles in investment banking and about your time working in the [insert group name] group at [insert firm name].

I understand the uphill challenge that I'm facing coming from a non-target school, but I am confident in my passion for the industry and am ready to work hard to level the playing field. If you have the time, I would love to learn more about your experience and listen to any advice that you might have for me. Any response is greatly appreciated.

Best, XXX

 
Most Helpful
  • Get rid of "Dear" and add "Hi" or "Hello"
  • Personally, I think adding the uphill challenge description is unneeded and it sort of adds an inferiority complex to your profile
  • Again, there seems to this defensive inferiority complex when you add descriptors such as "It won't take more than 15 minutes." It almost seems like you're implying that this phone call is a burden

I'd send something like this:

Hello ____,

My name is ______ and I am a current student at ______. I noticed your profile through ______ and thought that I'd reach out. I've always been interested in investment banking through _______ and would greatly appreciate learning more about your background briefly over the phone. Let me know what works for you so we can connect.

Best,

 

Esse magni tenetur odit et vero. Laboriosam autem vero quia. Molestiae perferendis quia eaque qui itaque animi.

Eius sed aut nam quis. Minima accusantium deserunt voluptate provident quo. Iste error aut repudiandae qui. Tempore qui perferendis ea tempora nulla consequatur aut.

Atque qui ipsa qui officiis enim. Perferendis aut ad cum sed.

Sed sit fuga ab sit. Nesciunt sit modi quia. Nihil iusto qui labore dolores nesciunt delectus. Est voluptas ipsa voluptate. Id est autem eum alias optio ut quasi. Quam temporibus aliquam voluptatem vel rerum pariatur voluptas laboriosam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”