Here’s the situation: Great IB Analyst position with a middle market firm ‘off wall street’ (putting it mildly). Very small team of 6 individuals working only in this area. I’ve found the company area that lists these 6 individuals. My deal: Working at local F500 employer with good opportunities regularly, but has been slow - there for 4 years doing retail banking, finishing up local MS Finance (good, respected school locally) - sitting for L2 in June. Question: Would you call the VP (found via LinkedIn with contact information on company website) blind and talk about your desire for the position, or let the chips land with the blind, online, non-Numi-approved-but-now-decent resume. As an aside, I’ve got two gigs at the current employer ‘in the hopper’ here, but want to keep as many burners going to get a meal finally cooked up. +/-?
I did for my current position but it is on the sales side so that may be a different culture. Of course if you are able to do it without sounding desperate I think truly showing initiative, especially at a small shop is always a plus.
I don’t know about calling. I’d definitely send an email though, what have you got to lose? Make sure you know a LOT about the position and employer. Also, think long and hard about why would they hire you - do you have expertise in an area they cover, or can you fill a gap?
I agree with DoubleDip. Why cold-call him and not send him a cover letter + resume instead? That really should be your first point of contact, with a follow-up phone call afterward if needed. Phone calls can be intrusive if unexpected, and even worse, if he wants to speak with you right then and there but you don’t have a spiel prepared, you might be putting yourself as a disadvantage.
I also thought about cold-e-mailing a potential employer, but then I put the idea on hold, because I was afraid that it might make me look desperate. The again, I will probably do it, because I have nothing to lose. -> jcole21 - if it’s a small firm, they’re much more likely to respond than a large one. The firm that you described was probably started by an entrepreneurial individual. An entrepreneurs also like their employees to be entrepreneurial. If you approach the person and present yourself, you’re likely to be perceived as a self-starter and highly motivated. I’ve also learned that small firms like that often have trouble finding new employees, because they don’t have structured and automatised HR processes. That also makes it easier to get straight to the decision makers. So go for it. Honestly, what have you got to lose as opposed to what you could win?
numi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I agree with DoubleDip. Why cold-call him and not > send him a cover letter + resume instead? That > really should be your first point of contact, with > a follow-up phone call afterward if needed. Phone > calls can be intrusive if unexpected, and even > worse, if he wants to speak with you right then > and there but you don’t have a spiel prepared, you > might be putting yourself as a disadvantage. To the latter point - if he wanted to talk - the spiel would be prepared - that would be a best case scenario (my phone ‘cover letter’ is much better than my written one). An additonal point: 1) Per linked-in, same undergrad school 2) It’s a small shop where I am, but part of a bigger firm (middle-market, but respected I think). Thanks for the feedback folks. I’m leaning towards an e-mail - but might go with the call because I perceive the odds of an interview via the traditional route to be pretty slim - and the call would probably put me definitively on one side or the other (either he’ll be pissed, and definitely scrap my resume, or he’ll be impressed, and ensure I get an interview).
I am in a similar situation as well. I am in Chicago but am moving to a much smaller city in the midwest. I found a MM firm that has a small Public Finance dept which has an opening. I applied through their website but I am definitely over-qualified in the respect that I have much more experience (not completely related) then they are asking for. I feel like they won’t take my candidacy seriously since they think I’ll jump ship when something better opens. The thing is, I have been trying to get into Public Finance for a while now and I would have to start as an analyst because I don’t have an MBA and just have experience working in Structured Finance for a large commercial bank. Any ideas on how to approach this? I have the contact info of a few of the people in the dept (it’s small, only 5-6 people) from their website and linkedin. I thought a phone call might also turn them off, but I guess it could work. I don’t really have much to lose. I am leaning towards an e-mail though. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
mep_cfa’10 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I am in a similar situation as well. I am in > Chicago but am moving to a much smaller city in > the midwest. I found a MM firm that has a small > Public Finance dept which has an opening. I > applied through their website but I am definitely > over-qualified in the respect that I have much > more experience (not completely related) then they > are asking for. I feel like they won’t take my > candidacy seriously since they think I’ll jump > ship when something better opens. The thing is, I > have been trying to get into Public Finance for a > while now and I would have to start as an analyst > because I don’t have an MBA and just have > experience working in Structured Finance for a > large commercial bank. > > Any ideas on how to approach this? I have the > contact info of a few of the people in the dept > (it’s small, only 5-6 people) from their website > and linkedin. I thought a phone call might also > turn them off, but I guess it could work. I don’t > really have much to lose. I am leaning towards an > e-mail though. Any input would be greatly > appreciated. Ha - it’s the same job I was referring to. Good to meet the competition. If you get the job or get this way to interview hit me up - I live where the job you applied for is located. Good luck (hopefully less good luck than I have!).
jcole21 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > mep_cfa’10 Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I am in a similar situation as well. I am in > > Chicago but am moving to a much smaller city in > > the midwest. I found a MM firm that has a small > > Public Finance dept which has an opening. I > > applied through their website but I am > definitely > > over-qualified in the respect that I have much > > more experience (not completely related) then > they > > are asking for. I feel like they won’t take my > > candidacy seriously since they think I’ll jump > > ship when something better opens. The thing is, > I > > have been trying to get into Public Finance for > a > > while now and I would have to start as an > analyst > > because I don’t have an MBA and just have > > experience working in Structured Finance for a > > large commercial bank. > > > > Any ideas on how to approach this? I have the > > contact info of a few of the people in the dept > > (it’s small, only 5-6 people) from their > website > > and linkedin. I thought a phone call might also > > turn them off, but I guess it could work. I > don’t > > really have much to lose. I am leaning towards > an > > e-mail though. Any input would be greatly > > appreciated. > > > Ha - it’s the same job I was referring to. Good > to meet the competition. If you get the job or > get this way to interview hit me up - I live where > the job you applied for is located. > > Good luck (hopefully less good luck than I have!). Small world. I had a hunch it might be the same position but it is a fairly small city compared to Chicago. Not much open there at all. I’m looking to move because my wife’s family is from there. She can probably just transfer for her job so it is dependent on me finding a new one. E-mail me at mapierce at vt.edu when you get a chance. You might be able to help me out with what companies to look at in your city. I have a list but if you could suggest anyone else it would be appreciated. Thanks.
OK, then definitely e-mail first and follow-up with a phone conversation. It’s really not good protocol to just cold-call someone unless you really have no other points of contact. Nowadays, think of it as “cold e-mailing”; given that e-mail really is the preferred mode of correspondence for most people who you’re not familiar with, a phone call would probably be seen as intrusive. I know that I definitely don’t appreciate it when people call me without offering prior background on themselves, because I just don’t have time for stuff like that. Anybody that’s more senior than me would likely feel the same way.
I agree, I would not like to get a phone call from anyone. Good luck! and please keep us updated.
I’m going e-mail (email sent Mep with some employer info on the area). If the MD and I converse a little through e-mail, I’ll try to setup a call - I’m not expecting much of a response/dialogue though, but at least this gets my name in front of them.
Great closing line: “Sir, if a squirrel was trapped in your pants, would he starve?”
Great closing line: “Sir, if a squirrel was trapped in your pants, would he starve?”
I definitely call up my “employer.”
I’d check out www.mergersandinquisitions.com - the author goes through networking/prospecting IB jobs at great length. In my opinion, if you want the position, you should pull as many levers as possible - letters, emails, phone calls, in-persons, etc… Also, you should spread your net much wider than 1 firm. From personal experience, you need a lot of irons in the fire to get anything meaningful
MILF Hunter Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I definitely call up my “employer.” You would! hahaha