Cold Email Template

Breaking into investment banking (IB) can be difficult, more so if you are from a non-target university.

Most of your interviews for internship and full-time roles will be secured through your network.

Haven't started networking yet? Fear not; below is a sample cold email template to help kickstart your network building campaign to help you break into investment banking (IB).

Dear Mr/Mrs. X,

Hi, my name is [Name], a student at [College Name] majoring in [Major Name]. I found your contact information through the alumni database. I am highly interested in the investment banking industry and specifically the mergers and acquisitions field.

I understand you are busy and may not have the time, but I would really appreciate it if you could be open to a brief informational interview over the phone or in-person next week?

I am eager to learn more about your undergraduate experiences at [University Name] university and about your role at [Bank Name] bank. Thank you for your time and help.

Best regards,

[Name]

Always keep the email short and brief. The recipients don't have the time to go through huge blocks of text to talk to you. The easier you make it for them, the higher the chances that they will agree to talk to you.

Attaching your resume on your first cold email is a highly debated topic. There is no right answer.

The main argument against it is that the point of informational interviews is to build a relationship, and sending a resume usually undermines that objective.

However, others point out that the resume gives a brief overview about you to the recipient, and may work in your favor especially in cases where it is very strong.

Remember, cold emailing is just the start.

To make sure you properly track all your networking prospects, have a look at our FREE contacts for networking template.

Also, have a look at our FREE investment banking guide that covers 101 questions to help you prepare for the interviews you land.

If you are serious about getting into investment banking, we suggest you invest in our paid investment banking course below.

More Resources:

We hope these templates help you land that dream IB job! Please check out the following additional resources to help you advance your career:

• Investment Banking Interview Questions
• Private Equity Resume Template
• Hedge Fund Resume Template
• Contacts Template for Networking
• Investment Banking Cover Letter Template