E-mailing a Boutique

I am e-mailing a firm, to try to gain an internship for the fall. The firm is a boutique, and I can't decide if I want to include a line like:

"While I have not interned in investment banking or private equity before, I would like the opportunity to gain experience in investment banking at your firm."

This sentence just reads awkward to me.

I am trying to convey that I don't have the experience, but that I know I want the job/know I can fulfill the job role.

Any suggestions? Leave it out? fix it? or new ways to say it?

15 Comments
 

Starting with "While" doesn't make sense here. In fact, the two statements shouldn't be connected at all.

Rather it should be "While I have not interned in investment banking or private equity before, I took a class on corporate valuation and am an active member of the blabla finance club" or something like that..you know what I mean?

 

it can basically be assumed that if you are seeking an internship, you likely have little or no experience. yes it also sounds awkward. when you're cold emailing a place you're making a pitch; you're selling yourself. so go out and sell yourself.

on a side note, you say you're emailing "a" firm. if you're looking for an internship you need to cast your net far and wide, i would wager that unless you have some awesome connection or something to this place, you won't get a spot. you need to have a list a mile long.

 
olafenizerit can basically be assumed that if you are seeking an internship, you likely have little or no experience. yes it also sounds awkward. when you're cold emailing a place you're making a pitch; you're selling yourself. so go out and sell yourself.

on a side note, you say you're emailing "a" firm. if you're looking for an internship you need to cast your net far and wide, i would wager that unless you have some awesome connection or something to this place, you won't get a spot. you need to have a list a mile long.

I am not e-mailing the "firm", I am e-mailing one of the alumni from my school who is a vp at the firm. Sorry I didn't clairfy that in the OP. But I do understand what you mean by casting my net, and I have been working on doing that.

 
Best Response
ChildPlease

"While I have not interned in investment banking or private equity before, I would like the opportunity to gain experience in investment banking at your firm."

Never ever ever say anything that will cast a doubt on your ability to get an internship. Your first email needs to get this guy excited about who you are and what you have done. You barely have 30 seconds to catch this guy's attention, so don't bring up anything that will make him go...."ehh". If you can do that, hopefully you will get the opportunity to have a face-to-face/phone call with him. That's where you talk about the "transferable skill-set" (comfortable with quant, worked in a team environment bla bla bla) that will get this guy comfortable with your ability to succeed as an intern.

 
ChildPleaseWould I come off being too forward/arrogant in saying "I look forward to joining and contributing to your firm"?

my go to line is "i look forward to the opportunity to meet you and your team"

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toobig2failI would say. I believe i would be a good fit and would be able to contribute a lot

Agreed. This sentence makes you sound confident and not a douche. Also, remember to suggest a time when you can discuss your qualifications in detail (whether in person or over the phone). That way you are taking the initiative and not waiting on him for the next step. Good luck!

 

Dude, I would cold call boutiques, not e-mail, unless you can establish a connection with an employee (alumni) . I was in the same boat a year ago and I was in an area with very few investment banks, pe funds or hfs. I cold called each and every single one of them with a pitch and landed a boutique internship and was there for about 5 months. When I say boutique I am talking about a 6 man shop that worked on tiny Private Placements, PIPES and some M&A. I was the first intern they had and I can guarantee that if I had emailed instead of called I would not have gotten the gig. These people at the places are just as busy as people at BB's; they are not going to respond to some random email, but if you can get them on the phone its up to you to close them. Best of luck.

 

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