2019 - 2021 FMA Magazine

FMA RESOURCES
ASIF hosts members of Alabama’s student investment fund members for an investment pitch and networking event.
Program Overview
Candidates are matched with 15
alumni mentors based on the students’
industry/career interests.
Mentors and students participate
in 2 phones calls and multiple email
exchanges throughout the semester.
FMA students are required to send
multiple feedback forms, call records
and email drafts to the FMA president
and advisor to ensure the proper
utilization of the mentors’ time and
resources.
Program Timeline
February
• Mentor & student introductions (e-mail)
• Students schedule 1st intro call and send
follow-up email
March
• Students send update email to mentors on
recruiting/academic progress
April
• FMA president checks in with mentors
• Students schedule 2nd call (mock interview)
May
• Mentors submit program feedback forms
• Students send additional update emails
MENTOR
PROGRAM
FMA’s mentor program
connects students with
alumni professionals
CAREER GUIDE
Networking
LinkedIn is the greatest resource you have for networking into
• Provides critical career path information
to students in an accelerating internship
recruiting environment
competitive finance positions. In addition to finding alumni and other
connections to reach out to, you can look at the path other professionals
have taken to their current position. Since Auburn is a non-core school
for many large financial institutions – this is especially true in Investment
Banking, Sales & Trading, and Private Equity – you will have to reach
out and network your way into many interviews. Although this sounds
daunting, follow these steps and with time (and a little luck) you could
land your dream job.
Networking
LinkedIn is the greatest resource you have for networking into competitive finance positions. In addition to
finding alumni and other connections to reach ou to, you can look a the path other professionals have taken to their
current position. Since Auburn is a non-core school for many large financial institutions – this is especially true in
Investment Banking, Sales & Trading, and Private Equity – you will have to reach out and network your way into
many interviews. Although this sounds daunting, follow these steps and with time (and a little luck) you could land
your dream job.
Set up Profile
LinkedIn
•Make sure to use a professional picture and keep information up to date
•See the FMA website for advice
• Focuses on year-specific guidance related
to work done in and outside the classroom
• Covers an encompassing range of topics
including diversity programs, the business
school application process / the GMAT,
and the different organizations on campus
available for finance-oriented students
• Opportunity for Auburn FMA to give back
to the university in a reusable, public, and
targeted form of communication
Build Connections
Speak with Industry
Professionals
Informational Interviews
The “Cold Email” Process
Cold emailing simply refers to sending an email to someone
without actually knowing them. Here are the steps (for this
example we use IB):
1. Identify firms you are interested in (Google “Top
Investment Banks New York City” for help”)
2. On LinkedIn, search “[Goldman Sachs] Analyst”
and filter to New York. Also filter according to the
tips on this page to improve your chances of getting
a response.
3. Once you have the name of someone, you will have
to guess their email. The best way to do this is to
Google [Goldman Sachs] email format.
4. Email [firstname.lastname@gs.com] according to
the cold email template below. (Also check Mergers
and Inquisitions for more templates – this is just an
example)
Hello [John],
•Connect with anyone you meet at networking events, other students, FMA
Alumni, friends of parents, etc. The more connections you have, the better.
•Once you identify an area of interest (IB, S&T, etc), use the Search function to
find professionals that you can contact to hear abou their experience
•Reach out (cold emails) and ask to speak abou their experience in finance
•This is a great way to learn about what you are pursuing
•Many phone calls will result in informational interviews which lead to real
interviews
“Cold Email” Example
Finding Connections
Often times, you will have the best luck
reaching ou to someone who has some form of
personal connection to your story. Here are
some ways you can filter your LinkedIn search
to narrow it down:
Auburn (or SEC schools in general)
Current City
Previous Employer
‣ Major (especially if you are
engineering or a non-traditional
major)
Hometown / High School
‣ Specific Industry focus (Ex.
Industrials)
Similar Interests (Ex. Triathlons)
‣ Similar Ethnic Background
My name is ___ and I am a junior studying ___ at Auburn University. I found you via LinkedIn and given [some sort of connection], I
wanted to reach out. After ___ internship, I am confident that I want to pursue Investment Banking, and I would enjoy hearing about
your experience if you are willing to share. I understand if you have too much going on, and would appreciat even a short phone call.
Best Regards,
Your Name
example) Background
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FMA 2019-2021 MAGAZINE 13