Cold Email Sample Review

Career Opportunities & Internships Investment Banking
1

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>I go to the University of South Carolina and I am going to be a sophomore this year and I am majoring in Finance. I currently have a 4.0 and I really want to get in to investment banking in NYC, it's something I've had a desire to do since high school.</p>

<p>But I know coming from USC isn't exactly the most desirable thing so I am trying to get as much experience as possible to beef up my resume. I would like to get an internship this fall and spring semester and apply for one over the summer in NYC and then repeat again next year.</p>

<p>Since there aren't a lot of big banks in Columbia, I am going to cold email/mail several local boutique investment banks and wealth management companies and I would like you to review my email</p>

<p>Dear Appropriate Person,</p>

<pre><code>I am writing in hopes of talking to the appropriate person who handles college internships. My name is XXXXX and I am in my sophomore year as a Finance Major at the University of South Carolina.

I am extremely interested in recieving real-world experience in the XXXX industry and I know that XXXXX is one of the larger firms in the Columbia area. XXXXX would be an awesome opportunity for me to see what happens behind the scenes in such a company and put myself in a position to succeed in the future.

I hope to hear back from you on the possibility of an internship during the fall semester or an opportunity to hear about your perspective on the banking industry and your work experiences.
</code></pre>

<p>Regards,</p>

<p>XXXXX</p>

<p>Also, any idea how desirable the University of South Carolina is for this industry. You can be honest, you won't hurt my feelings.</p>

<p>Thanks guys</p>

2

<p>For botiques like the ones that you’re looking to cold e-mail, they don’t have a lot of resources so they’re looking for people who can either save them time or somehow add value. In your e-mail, you should take a firmer stance and highlight a finance-related experience that you have to indicate that you are a quick learner (and have experience to help) and can contribute in some way. Also, make sure to attach a resume. You school is simply a non-target, so it’s good that you’ve built up a great GPA to prove yourself. Local places probably will not care as much about where you go to school though. Also, cold call some people at some point if you need to–just make sure to develop a nice pitch. Good luck!</p>

3

<p>Thanks, I’ve replied to about ten local investment firms as well as some Merrill Lynch branches so I think I’ll probably end up with something this semester.</p>

<p>But aside from keeping a 4.0, I’ve also joined Sigma Chi and I’m pretty active in an investment club. So will that help me out with getting into a boutique firm in NYC? I know that I’ll still have to do a ton of networking, nonetheless.</p>

4

<p>You should emphasize how you can help them rather than you just saying you want to learn behind the scenes.</p>

<p>None of the extracurriculars you mentioned in your reply above my post is make-or-break; it’s more important to get good things to talk about from those experiences though.</p>