smuguy97:
Rather than being ignored, your emails are likely being placed in a queue alongside the other ~100 or so items from this week and last that aren't of absolute highest priority.

For now, just appreciate the fact that you have spare time.

I think smu is correct. I've had guys respond to my email 10-14 days after I sent it, and they usually mention how busy they've been. Sometimes guys do ignore you, but more often than not I think they usually just stash the recruiting emails in a folder so they can reply when they have some free time.

 
Best Response

As an associate I'll say that it really depends on how important you are to me and how busy I am. If I'm not busy, I'm usually happy to answer e-mails or even talk on the phone in short order. Given that it's not often that I'm not busy, I generally follow these rules:

1) Recruits that I want to join us, or who have joined - I make an effort to reply asap. 2) Recruits that have a reference from someone I care about - usually respond within a week 3) Cold "calls" - try to respond, but if I'm busy, your e-mail moves down the line and if it gets too low in my queue, I'll never get to it. 3) Interviewees that we will not bring back - I ignore unless they haven't heard anything back from HR, in which case I try to make sure they get an official response as soon as possible.

I generally avoid answering the long e-mails with multiple involved questions and those usually follow rule #3 above. It takes too long to type. If you want an informational interview, I prefer the phone, but it is very subject to availability. One thing to keep in mind is that there are a lot of people looking for info. Best way to get it if you don't have an in is to attend a recruiting event or find an in. Bankers are very busy and have little enough free time of their own (I clearly have some today) so your needs are often competing with things like - sleeping, seeing friends, getting a haircut, getting laid, etc.

It may seem like a simple response wouldn't take that long, but it can be draining to have yet another person needing something from you and the ability to say "no" is a rare power for a junior banker. Plus, answering questions can be like making eye-contact with a begger - an invitation to the person to ask for even more.

 

nrc - Very insightful, thank you. Sorry to be the beggar asking further questions, but here goes...

Could you comment a bit more on the best way to successfully "cold call" junior bankers? Assuming some minor connection (i.e. you are an alumni of my school). What impresses/annoys you? What's the best way to follow up and maintain the connection without pissing you off?

 

AltESV -

I am by no means a networking expert, but I have had the most success messaging the "young banking alumni" through facebook. I guess it sort of puts a face to a name. Maybe they remember seeing you in a class or something. They'll probably just tell you to call or email in the future, but at least it gives you that initial "in."

 
 

Write short emails, and show persistence while not buggin the hell out of them. I think if you have some connection with them, they are generally happy to respond, even if it takes 2 weeks.

I cold emailed a VP at a MM bank 2 times over the course of several weeks. He never responded, but he forwarded my resume to an analyst in the group, who did an informational interview, which led to a first round formal interview. It is kind of hit or miss - your best bet is to know the person through a mutual friend/alumni, and mention their name in the first line or two of the email.

 

Odds are they had a free moment when they replied to your first email and were busy when they got the second. I'd give it a few more days and then ping them back. If your first email got to them it shouldn't have been caught in a spam filter, but probably is just buried in their inbox.

 

If you emailed your resume 4 days ago, wouldn't that have been Friday? Don't sweat it - a lot of firms take Columbus day off. Also, firms are slow with their intern recruiting/hiring process. If you don't hear by the middle of next week, try emailing or calling the person to whom you sent your resume.

It's always worth following up, as you have nothing to lose and it shows genuine interest.

You may want to attach your resume in your cold emails to the boutiques, so they don't have to email you back if they want to review it.

 

thanks for the responses guys, I just got worried because when I sent my first cold email, they responded and asked for my resume within 24 hours, then when I sent my resume right away, they did not reply... I mean I'd rather be told I was rejected rather than to keep anticipating for nothing, but after hearing you guys' responses I guess 4 days is really nothing haha.

 

You have to remember they've got a million other things going on-especially at a smaller boutique. When you emailed them you probably caught them not as busy, but they could be busy for the next 3 weeks.

A good rule of thumb is follow up once every 5-10 (business) days and if you don't hear anything back after the fourth try you're probably out of luck.

www.wallstinsiders.com www.facebook.com/WallStreetInsiders
 

At this time every year... a bunch of new users ask people to post their resumes. I've done the same thing. These guys just want to look at your resume to work on their own.

There's a chance they could be circulating your resume to the right people, so just hold tight and circle back in a week or so.

 

Here is a networking related question: If you send an email to an alum who you had been in touch with (maybe a while back) and they don't respond, is it appropriate to re-send the email a few weeks later (in the chance that they either forgot to respond, or didn't see the initial email)? This has happened a few times for me- people I spoke with last spring and was told to reach back out to in the fall don't respond to an initial email- thoughts?

 
Plaxico Burress:
@Dorian: Not necessarily. I got an interview recently based on an Analyst dropping my name to his MD. Analyst was some random alum I had conducted an informational with a month or two back. MDs and VPs are still better, but take what you can get.

Totally agree, I think at all levels if you make a good enough impression for someone to take an interest in you and pass along your resume with a great review then it can make an impact.

'Before you enter... be willing to pay the price'
 

well are they SUPPOSED to? i mean - these guys are ambitious and busy - give them a break dude. its a numbers game. just keep going. also, not everyone who got to where they are, got there from cold calling others so they might not fully appreciate networking much.

blah.
 

Some girls give numbers out to be nice. They probably have you listed as "do not answer', if they're not actually interested.

As far as why the associates don't answer - they're busy and probably drowning under email. Usually, if I get a note (either from a current undergrad or analyst, etc.), my first reaction is, "I'll respond to this later when i have some time." Ultimately, if I'm busy, it'll fall behind the immense number of emails I have that are actually work-related and I forget. Granted, some people are better at keeping track of these types of emails but it's not because they don't want to talk to you. It's because they have a million other things to send out/answer/chase.

 

You answered your own question.

Banker giving you his e-mail and then not answering = girl giving you her number and not answering

Girl does it to be polite even though she's not interested.

Banker does it to be polite even though (s)he's not interested (i.e., isn't terribly impressed by you)

Keep in mind, in many cases its because they are extremely busy. But even if I'm completely swamped, if its someone who I think isn't completely clueless (i.e. someone capable of benefiting from my feedback/insight) I will get back to them even if its a few days or a week or two later.

 

As a relatively established alum who sometimes ignores emails, you're probably one of many. If I have a fire drill going on or more pressing concerns I'll probably think 'Let me get to that later' and then forget.

I don't owe you shit because we walked down the same halls in college. If I want to or can help then I probably will but if I don't there really is nothing for you to bitch about.

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 
Brady4MVP:
Nobody owes you anything. People are busy, and your concerns are very low on our priority lists. I never respond to alumni or other career inquiry e-mails unless I know him/her personally or a friend refers them. That's how it is in the vast majority of cases. Sorry if i'm being too blunt or harsh.

+1

"I already know I'm going to Hell. So, at this point it's go big or go home"
 
帝都大蜜:
How cool is that to stay in your comfort little nutshell, not give a **** about trading even one minute writing a polite rejection excuse of working on your business/ making your filthy money. Your good old days will be gone soon, do some good to younger generations! (Most my emails were not even cold emails. I’ve met these guys at least once at networking events and they complimented on what I asked and encouraged me to contact for help later. ALL LIP SERVICES.)

Indeed pathetic human beings. Yeah, finance is not philanthropy, but I will just give two counter examples from my personal experience to show how empathy makes a great person, career wise. Those alums who don’t return my emails are way below the caliber in terms of accomplishments these two have made.

Anyway, at this point, all you can do is to turn the discontent into motivation, work on your s**t relentlessly until one day. You rock to whatever the alum/ networking event these folks will be at, induce some serious jaw droppings and see how they react to that afterwards.

No one owes you anything, you are not in any way entitled to their time or a job in finance. With a better attitude about it all you might get more of a response...

 

Thanks for the elaborate comments as always, All you established folks on this site are right, to some degree. Anyways, there would be no way for me to treat people like this the day I make it. I feel their pains, and the definition I give to ultimate success is to influence as many people as possible with my positive energies. I will tell the stories of those two alums who inspired me a lot next.

"I already know I'm going to Hell. So, at this point it's go big or go home"
 
帝都大蜜:
Anyways, there would be no way for me to treat people like this the day I make it.
Everyone said that when they were in your shoes too and then they got there and realized some shit is more important than answering a form email from a random dude that happened to go to your school.
If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 

I affiliate myself with both the school, alums, and students because it's a smart thing to do and yeah I am that nice, but a lot of people don't. Personally, I hated my school for a while because of the administration screwed me, so it's nothing personal but I wouldn't have bothered with anyone at one point. End of the day, you're better off just finding more people.

It's.a.numbers.game.just.keep.going

...and never mind this. You're wasting your time.

Get busy living
 
UFOinsider:
I affiliate myself with both the school, alums, and students because it's a smart thing to do and yeah I am that nice, but a lot of people don't. Personally, I hated my school for a while because of the administration screwed me, so it's nothing personal but I wouldn't have bothered with anyone at one point. End of the day, you're better off just finding more people.

It's.a.numbers.game.just.keep.going

...and never mind this. You're wasting your time.

+1 just to let you know you are another solid ID here I have great respect for.

"I already know I'm going to Hell. So, at this point it's go big or go home"
 

In this realistic world, among the 99% people who care nothing more than the inches revolve around their cubicles, there will always be the 1% somewhere to warm us with their presence, just like the sun. Alum X: I’ve never met him personally. A close friend of mine in school told me the story: the alum made to MD at GS New York in his early 30’s. Met my friend at his guest lecture back school one day and left my friend his business card after. My friend is younger and keen to ask questions. So he sent emails to the MD from time to time then. You know what? Every single time, he got response in minutes, answering his questions in detail. Again, you know what kind of questions my cute little friend asked him: WHAT CLASSES HE SHOULD TAKE FOR NEXT SEMESTER! If I were the MD, I don’t even know if I will have the great mood to answer such. No doubt, a phenomenon.

"I already know I'm going to Hell. So, at this point it's go big or go home"
 
帝都大蜜:
How cool is that to stay in your comfort little nutshell, not give a **** about trading even one minute writing a polite rejection excuse of working on your business/ making your filthy money. Your good old days will be gone soon, do some good to younger generations! (Most my emails were not even cold emails. I’ve met these guys at least once at networking events and they complimented on what I asked and encouraged me to contact for help later. ALL LIP SERVICES.)

Indeed pathetic human beings. Yeah, finance is not philanthropy, but I will just give two counter examples from my personal experience to show how empathy makes a great person, career wise. Those alums who don’t return my emails are way below the caliber in terms of accomplishments these two have made.

Anyway, at this point, all you can do is to turn the discontent into motivation, work on your s**t relentlessly until one day. You rock to whatever the alum/ networking event these folks will be at, induce some serious jaw droppings and see how they react to that afterwards.

lol I like your name.

 
帝都大蜜:
How cool is that to stay in your comfort little nutshell, not give a **** about trading even one minute writing a polite rejection excuse of working on your business/ making your filthy money. Your good old days will be gone soon, do some good to younger generations! (Most my emails were not even cold emails. I’ve met these guys at least once at networking events and they complimented on what I asked and encouraged me to contact for help later. ALL LIP SERVICES.)

Indeed pathetic human beings. Yeah, finance is not philanthropy, but I will just give two counter examples from my personal experience to show how empathy makes a great person, career wise. Those alums who don’t return my emails are way below the caliber in terms of accomplishments these two have made.

Anyway, at this point, all you can do is to turn the discontent into motivation, work on your s**t relentlessly until one day. You rock to whatever the alum/ networking event these folks will be at, induce some serious jaw droppings and see how they react to that afterwards.

Strong entitlement. Kids like you are the reason I ignore all those emails. U mad bro?

 
newfirstyear:
帝都大蜜:
How cool is that to stay in your comfort little nutshell, not give a **** about trading even one minute writing a polite rejection excuse of working on your business/ making your filthy money. Your good old days will be gone soon, do some good to younger generations! (Most my emails were not even cold emails. I’ve met these guys at least once at networking events and they complimented on what I asked and encouraged me to contact for help later. ALL LIP SERVICES.)

Indeed pathetic human beings. Yeah, finance is not philanthropy, but I will just give two counter examples from my personal experience to show how empathy makes a great person, career wise. Those alums who don’t return my emails are way below the caliber in terms of accomplishments these two have made.

Anyway, at this point, all you can do is to turn the discontent into motivation, work on your s**t relentlessly until one day. You rock to whatever the alum/ networking event these folks will be at, induce some serious jaw droppings and see how they react to that afterwards.

Strong entitlement. Kids like you are the reason I ignore all those emails. U mad bro?

Thanks, new first year. A friendly reminder: I've never reached out to guys like you, unfortunately. ESTABLISHED. The lowest level I sent emails to are VPs. No offense. One correction: should be U mad sis?

"I already know I'm going to Hell. So, at this point it's go big or go home"
 

Maybe if you wrote things that didn't make people go tl;dr then you'd actually get a response.

Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 

You should e-mail this guy, I think he'd be real receptive.

http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/next-college-kid-to-send-me-unsol…

Seriously just send out more emails. I personalize if I really want to talk to the person and follow up every few weeks until I get a response, but otherwise I just send out a ton of standard ones until I get a response. And it doesn't hurt to know and talk to people, even if they can't get you a job. Too many people are short-sighted with their networking efforts

 
notaspammer:
You should e-mail this guy, I think he'd be real receptive.

http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/next-college-kid-to-send-me-unsol…

Seriously just send out more emails. I personalize if I really want to talk to the person and follow up every few weeks until I get a response, but otherwise I just send out a ton of standard ones until I get a response. And it doesn't hurt to know and talk to people, even if they can't get you a job. Too many people are short-sighted with their networking efforts

Pretty solid advice. Kudos!

"I already know I'm going to Hell. So, at this point it's go big or go home"
 
帝都大蜜:
How cool is that to stay in your comfort little nutshell, not give a **** about trading even one minute writing a polite rejection excuse of working on your business/ making your filthy money. Your good old days will be gone soon, do some good to younger generations! (Most my emails were not even cold emails. I’ve met these guys at least once at networking events and they complimented on what I asked and encouraged me to contact for help later. ALL LIP SERVICES.)

Indeed pathetic human beings. Yeah, finance is not philanthropy, but I will just give two counter examples from my personal experience to show how empathy makes a great person, career wise. Those alums who don’t return my emails are way below the caliber in terms of accomplishments these two have made.

Anyway, at this point, all you can do is to turn the discontent into motivation, work on your s**t relentlessly until one day. You rock to whatever the alum/ networking event these folks will be at, induce some serious jaw droppings and see how they react to that afterwards.

Cool story, bro.

 

Dear freeloaders and people who think they are special,

Life is hard. Not everything can or will be given to you and you must deal with it. You need to rise up and work hard if you want to get somewhere in life. Just because your mom told you were you special till you were 25 the world doesn't agree. We don't care that your tee-ball team never kept score we don't care you failed all your classes in middle school but still moved on to high school. What we do care about is if you're told to do something in the work place you do it, and you do it accurately. The sooner you drop the high-horse, this job is beneath me attitude the sooner you'll flourish.

Sincerely,

The people supporting you.

The answer to your question is 1) network 2) get involved 3) beef up your resume 4) repeat -happypantsmcgee WSO is not your personal search function.
 
bfin:
Dear freeloaders and people who think they are special,

Life is hard. Not everything can or will be given to you and you must deal with it. You need to rise up and work hard if you want to get somewhere in life. Just because your mom told you were you special till you were 25 the world doesn't agree. We don't care that your tee-ball team never kept score we don't care you failed all your classes in middle school but still moved on to high school. What we do care about is if you're told to do something in the work place you do it, and you do it accurately. The sooner you drop the high-horse, this job is beneath me attitude the sooner you'll flourish.

Sincerely,

The people supporting you.

Advice accepted, the sarcasm seems unoriginal though.

"I already know I'm going to Hell. So, at this point it's go big or go home"
 

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The Auto Show
 

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Nesciunt totam iusto porro. Cum asperiores accusamus perspiciatis a. Laboriosam dolorem velit sit est exercitationem. Quo quisquam rerum dignissimos mollitia sequi asperiores at. Ut optio repellendus omnis quia voluptatem dolore voluptas. Laboriosam non et in ad dolorem. Dolorum et quia quam amet similique minus qui.

 

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Debitis voluptatem sed nihil qui. Maxime reprehenderit vero enim.

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