As we surely needn’t tell you, when one is a high-powered college student expecting to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Penn next year, one does not have a lot of time on his or her hands. Every moment is precious and efficiency is of the utmost importance. While you might think you already do a fairly good job when it comes to a) time management and b) effectively communicating the fact that taking ten seconds to, say, personalize a job solicitation letter, is a waste of your fucking time that just cost you $10,000, it’s never to late to pick up some new tips. Examine, if you will, the following case study.

From: [Redacted Penn Undergrad]
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 4:41 PM
To: Senior employees at Deutsche Bank, Jefferies, KKR, Blackstone [example: Jonathan Gray], most other PE firms you can think of on Wall Street
Subject: University of Pennsylvania Senior interested in Analyst Position upon graduation

Hello,

My name is [redacted] and I will be graduating from the University of Pennsylvania this May. I am very interested in pursuing a career in investment banking upon graduation and I wanted to know if your firm would be hiring analysts this coming summer. I know you are busy and would appreciate any time you could give me. Thank you in advance and I hope to hear from you soon. My résumé is attached.

Best regards

Notice how the sender conveys so much with so little? Such as:

1) He/she doesn’t have time to send each firm an individual email, a sign of great power.
2) He/she has neither the time nor the interest in tailoring messages for those who fall under investment banking and private equity, respectively, also illustrative of the above.
3) He/she is not about to go through HR when going straight to the top will suffice (standard recruitment channels are for peasants and/or graduates of lesser institutions).
4) The lack of a BCC? Not a mistake. You need to know you’re all involved in a god damn bidding war.

Comments (98)

  1. Posted by GentlemanTrader | September 28, 2011 at 3:39 PM

    …and that you fucking hippies is how you apply for a goddamn job!

    -[Redacted]
    UPenn '12

  2. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 3:41 PM

    This guy either has a huge set of balls, or a tiny brain.

    In any case, he'll end up as a trader at some bucketshop.

  3. Posted by demographic | September 28, 2011 at 3:45 PM

    At least he put effort in having accents on his e's in "résumé". They don't teach you that at Penn.

    - [Redacted Penn Undergrad] & Wollensky

  4. Posted by The Truth | September 28, 2011 at 3:46 PM

    We need to meet this young man, sounds like a real up and comer

    - UBS HR

  5. Posted by weinus | September 28, 2011 at 3:48 PM

    yall didnt get this email directly? small timers

    weinus capital

  6. Posted by trojan_ | September 28, 2011 at 3:50 PM
  7. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 3:50 PM

    Further proof that kids from Penn are not as smart as they would have you think.

  8. Posted by John Salsa | September 28, 2011 at 3:51 PM

    You're firm wasn't even on the mailing list.

    -Jon Gray

  9. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 3:52 PM

    KKR/ & Jefferies in the same breath… dude there's bold then there's just plain dumb.

  10. Posted by Mexi_Cant | September 28, 2011 at 3:53 PM

    And that's, how, you let the beat build bitchhhh

  11. Posted by FKApmco | September 28, 2011 at 3:53 PM

    It's the brave new world of those born knowing how to use the interwebs…spamming potential employers is perfectly reasonable. If he'd had their cell numbers he would have sent a text.

    -not a youngster

  12. Posted by H. Kravis | September 28, 2011 at 3:54 PM

    Not nearly as funny when everything is redacted. Bess please make this guy famous like Jeffrey Chiang.

  13. Posted by guestapo | September 28, 2011 at 3:57 PM

    How exactly would having his name change anything?

  14. Posted by Bret | September 28, 2011 at 3:57 PM

    come work for me now that you've captured all this attention

    – bretton james

  15. Posted by guestapo | September 28, 2011 at 3:57 PM

    If you can't come up with something without a name, turn in your commenting card and/or kill yourself.

  16. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 3:58 PM

    Cut him a break, he was smart enough to not send it to UBS.

  17. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 3:58 PM

    You guys don't take the Common App?

    - UBS HR

  18. Posted by deal_mkr | September 28, 2011 at 3:59 PM

    Reply All

    STFU

    - Jonathan Gray

  19. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 3:59 PM

    I drunk texted someone I interviewed with once… didn't get the offer.

  20. Posted by timothy sykes | September 28, 2011 at 4:01 PM

    HIRED!

  21. Posted by 8=> | September 28, 2011 at 4:02 PM

    Getting blackballed before graduation is the NKI

  22. Posted by Judge Smails | September 28, 2011 at 4:02 PM

    Well, the world needs ditch diggers too.

  23. Posted by Bac Koffice | September 28, 2011 at 4:04 PM

    I don't see anything wrong about this approach…this is exactly how i got my job!

    -Settlements@[redacted].com

  24. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:04 PM

    hey bess, résumé or it didn't happen.

  25. Posted by guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:04 PM

    "…sounds lika a real up and cummer"
    Lynn Tilton

  26. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:05 PM

    It would change everything.

    -UBS HR

  27. Posted by [Upenn '12] | September 28, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    That's just the way we roll, deal with it.

  28. Posted by Video Resume | September 28, 2011 at 4:07 PM

    What an uncouth attempt to get your foot in the door. Can he bench over 400lbs? Can he serve over 140mph? Can he ballroom dance with the grace of a Nutcracker danseur? I thought so.

    -Aleskey Vayner, UBS 1st year IBD Analyst

  29. Posted by PermaGuestII | September 28, 2011 at 4:10 PM

    "at Deutsche Bank, Jefferies, KKR, Blackstone"

    One of these is not like the others.

  30. Posted by ShortNaked | September 28, 2011 at 4:11 PM

    [Redacted Penn Undergrad],

    Call us.

    -Edward Jones

  31. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:11 PM

    This would never happen at the University of Phoenix, and by this I mean graduating.

  32. Posted by CoveredLong | September 28, 2011 at 4:12 PM

    Sure, this might look like a lazy, arrogant, and stupid move – dig deeper though and you'll find rigorous due diligence went into putting together his résumé.

    ….see when he said résumé, he actually meant "pictures of senior executives in compromising situations". He's light years ahead of his fellow classmates.

    This bud's for you Mr. Blackmailing Wall Street Penn Undergrad Guy.

  33. Posted by Sample_Letter | September 28, 2011 at 4:13 PM

    From: Big Balls
    To: HFs, PE firms. Sell side, please refrain.
    Subject: making it rain

    Hello,

    My name is Big Balls. This morning I passed by the park and made it rain on a bunch of hippies. Today it was piss, tomorrow (after I receive your offers) it will be gasoline.

    Best regards,

    Big Balls

  34. Posted by Ray Finkle | September 28, 2011 at 4:14 PM

    LOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOL

  35. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:14 PM

    I know right? Jeffries is a way better firm.

    - KKR 1986 LP (still)

  36. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:15 PM

    Let's not forget his legitimate years.

  37. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:15 PM

    Welcome back Golden Boy!

  38. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:17 PM

    Easy big fella.

    - guys ahead of you in the Hilton cap stack

  39. Posted by Ray Finkle | September 28, 2011 at 4:17 PM

    "Your"
    Spare. KYS!

  40. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:18 PM

    Well – Can you hammer a six inch spike through a board with your penis?

  41. Posted by Backdoor_Bess | September 28, 2011 at 4:18 PM

    I have a feeling we'll be seeing this dudes name on the list of those associated with the SAT scandal at Great Neck North High School …._

  42. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:18 PM

    thumbs up for "danseur"

  43. Posted by Captain Hindsight | September 28, 2011 at 4:18 PM

    Notice UBS wasn't mentioned……….

  44. Posted by UBS Sucks Guy | September 28, 2011 at 4:19 PM

    It's people like [redacted] is what the subprime is in trouble.

  45. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:20 PM

    pmco, if I had your number I'd send you a sext.

    - I never use winking emoticons, but if I did…

  46. Posted by FKApmco | September 28, 2011 at 4:28 PM

    I'd prefer you turn up in person. Just promise not to tell ILP, okay?

  47. Posted by GentlemanTrader | September 28, 2011 at 4:33 PM

    stop playing w/ your wenis

  48. Posted by Nailz6 | September 28, 2011 at 4:34 PM

    Shouldn't it be "will be hiring" instead of "would be hiring"

  49. Posted by Koolaidisfun | September 28, 2011 at 4:36 PM

    pmco I missed you at the 40 year celebration, where were you?

  50. Posted by Ex-RBSer | September 28, 2011 at 4:38 PM

    I was thinking it was more like two.

  51. Posted by Mexi_Cant | September 28, 2011 at 4:41 PM

    For my 16th interview at Goldman Sachs, I was asked to prove the markets demand for me. The interviewer said, we shouldn't even be considering you unless every other top firm would be absolutely willing to hire you. The interviewer said, you have 30 minutes to get other offers at KKR, Blackstone and Bridgewater.

    I thought for no more than 28.5 seconds (30 is maximum) of how to proceed, and then sent out the following email to Henry Kravis, Steven Schwarzman and Ray Dalio. The email had an attached picture of Meredith Whitney, in her usual dominatrix getgo, holding a whip to the derrière of Maria Bartiromo.

    Within 20 minutes I had offers from all 3 firms. My interviewer nodded his head in approval and said "we will contact you about whether we will proceed to the next round"

  52. Posted by Amy Gutmann | September 28, 2011 at 4:43 PM

    Dammit – I thought Career Services already had its "How To Get Your Resume Noticed Without Embarrassing The F***ing School" lecture.

    Stop laughing, Drew Faust. We're still better than Cornell.

  53. Posted by Frequent Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:46 PM

    I'm not actually "Thumbs Down"-ing you but come on – you can do better than that!

  54. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:49 PM

    HAAHAH Amy G would say this!

  55. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:50 PM

    [Redacted Penn Undergrad], meet me in zuccotti park at 8. I'll be the one with the bongo drum blisters and foot fungus.

  56. Posted by Ivan Boedsky | September 28, 2011 at 4:51 PM

    Dear [Redacted Penn Undergrad],

    Would you be interested in a position that entails dressing up like a clown and making balloon animals for SuperBowl patrons? Please reply with your clown portfolio.

    Thanks
    - SC

  57. Posted by guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:52 PM

    dude should've sent his resume to bess and only bess. the way levine is boring readers to tears there could be a new opening at the absolute TOP of wall street on the dealbreaker editorial staff.

  58. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:55 PM

    Resume attachment or it didn't happen

  59. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 4:59 PM

    I don't think you know what the word "top" means

  60. Posted by Dickski | September 28, 2011 at 5:01 PM

    Which one?

    -Exchange Student from Chernobyl

  61. Posted by Was It Wrong? | September 28, 2011 at 5:02 PM

    We have other issues to deal with than this.

    -UT-Austin Kappa Alpha "Bro"

  62. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 5:16 PM

    Meh rather just send dick pix. I'll send them to that pervert too I don't give a fuck.

  63. Posted by boomhey | September 28, 2011 at 5:22 PM

    pics or GTFO

  64. Posted by Brian Moynihan | September 28, 2011 at 6:53 PM

    [Redacted] had me at Hello

  65. Posted by Guest | September 28, 2011 at 7:31 PM

    btw the kid is handicapped (in a wheelchair). kthx

  66. Posted by guestapo | September 28, 2011 at 7:39 PM

    1) DB/recipients of email are supposed to know this how?
    2) Okay…and?
    3) If you came here to complain about the post being unfair, it is HARDLY that. DB took his name and any identifying details off (there are literally thousands of Penn seniors) and any Google searches for him will not bring up the above.

  67. Posted by guest | September 28, 2011 at 7:43 PM

    This is a serious question- how could you possibly know who the emailer is? There's no name and the only identifying details is that it's a Penn senior, of which there are thousands, with scores applying for jobs on Wall Street.

  68. Posted by not from penn | September 28, 2011 at 8:14 PM

    I'm a political science undergrad with zero interest in Wall St and I've already gotten the original email forwarded to me from multiple sources. Poor kid

  69. Posted by huh | September 28, 2011 at 8:18 PM

    That kind of sounds a bit impossible considering the only people who have the original email is the person who sent it and the Wall Street professionals who 1) received it directly 2) forwarded it to their colleagues. I don’t understand why something like the above, while mildly amusing but not, like, massively interesting/huge would be circulated so widely that someone who professes to be a) still in college b) not even at the same college as the sender and c) not in the same classes/internships/whatever as those hoping to land on Wall Street would have it sent to them, by multiple sources no less.

  70. Posted by anon | September 28, 2011 at 8:25 PM

    If you really do know the kid, let him know that while the above is not exactly an example of what you should strive to do, he's going to be just fine. Since Dealbreaker took his name off, the only people who will have any idea who did it are the ones he emailed. And, honestly, none of them are going to remember this in a month. Lastly, since he obviously isn't going to get a job through Jonathan Gray but rather, for example, Blackstone's recruitment division, none of them are going to know this happened.

  71. Posted by GentlemanTrader | September 28, 2011 at 8:38 PM

    Chung is KING!!!!!

  72. Posted by The Truth | September 28, 2011 at 8:41 PM

    Eh. While the above is not exactly an example of what you should strive to do, he's going to be just fine. Since Dealbreaker took his name off, the only people who will have any idea who did it are the ones he emailed. And, honestly, none of them are going to remember this in a month. Lastly, since he obviously isn't going to get a job through Jonathan Gray but rather, for example, Blackstone's recruitment division, none of them are going to know this happened.

  73. Posted by tomahawk | September 28, 2011 at 8:50 PM

    a sketch of the culprit just released:
    http://knockovera7eleven.com/blog/wp-content/uplo...

  74. Posted by Principled Guest | September 28, 2011 at 9:51 PM

    Which means he should be treated differently than anyone else? It's a tough thing, to be (in a wheelchair), but to be patronized by assholes like you? That's degrading.

  75. Posted by guest | September 28, 2011 at 10:12 PM

    Yep.

  76. Posted by Penn guest | September 28, 2011 at 10:26 PM

    @Guest: “This is a serious question- how could you possibly know who the emailer is? There’s no name and the only identifying details is that it’s a Penn senior, of which there are thousands, with scores applying for jobs on Wall Street.”

    oh, trust me. Most people here already knew about this before the story broke on here, because they got the original email attachment forwarded to them (which included the original sender’s name)…myself included.

  77. Posted by Clint Eastwood | September 28, 2011 at 10:42 PM

    lol.. spoken like true banker!

  78. Posted by Jim Jones | September 28, 2011 at 10:43 PM

    how about drinking some yourself

  79. Posted by MeVC | September 28, 2011 at 10:52 PM

    pmco, were you ever on the west coast working for a VC firm and writing a blog on the side? circa 2002 there was a girl that did just that and then one day she just disappeared. your style is a lot like hers.

  80. Posted by gggggg | September 28, 2011 at 11:15 PM

    I don't think you know what the word "sarcasm" means.

  81. Posted by anon | September 28, 2011 at 11:15 PM

    "Sell side, please refrain"

    LOL

  82. Posted by Patrick Bateman | September 29, 2011 at 12:35 AM

    I remember when being a fresh business grad made me feel entitled to earn a 6 figure salary.

  83. Posted by still not from penn | September 29, 2011 at 12:39 AM

    1. Undergrads get REALLY bored. I also get emails of kittens, memes, and boo the dog. We're not like you professionals with actual things to do

    2. It's job apps season for seniors so people relate to this.

    3. That sense of schadenfreude when something goes wrong for one of the other Ivies. Again, an undergrad phenomenon

  84. Posted by FKApmco | September 29, 2011 at 5:19 AM

    Not me, MeVC (see how that rhymes?)

  85. Posted by Cut Me | September 29, 2011 at 8:07 AM

    Hey, we received this and would really like to talk.
    -HR@Primerica.com

  86. Posted by Chris Knight | September 29, 2011 at 11:36 AM

    A girl's gotta have her standards, right?

  87. Posted by NowOnePerson | September 29, 2011 at 12:03 PM

    What is this "things to do" you mention?

    And, how can you be bored? Go get drunk before noon, take some shrooms and walk through the woods, or just be promiscuous. Sheesh. You make college kids look bad.

  88. Posted by penn | September 29, 2011 at 1:12 PM
  89. Posted by stickler for details | September 29, 2011 at 1:40 PM

    Actually dealbreaker did

  90. Posted by guest | September 29, 2011 at 1:47 PM

    Penn story posted: SEPTEMBER 28, 2011 AT 4:46 PM
    Dealbreaker story posted: 28 Sep 2011 at 3:36 PM

    Keep winning it, though.

  91. Posted by wow | September 29, 2011 at 1:48 PM

    Hey, don't be so hard on him. They don't teach you that 3:36PM comes before 4:46PM on the clock at Penn.

  92. Posted by gs employee | September 29, 2011 at 2:39 PM

    Atleast he has now apologized to the everyone who initially received the email. Though the damage is done, so not sure if it makes any difference.

  93. Posted by guestapo | September 29, 2011 at 2:45 PM

    What damage? It was a stupid thing to do, not, like, career-ending by any means. I doubt anyone who received the email will remember this in a month.

  94. Posted by Riiiiiight | September 29, 2011 at 3:33 PM

    {Redacted Penn Undergrad}, sure, sure no one will remember this. Talk to Kevin Colman. He WAS at Allied Irish Bank.

  95. Posted by WCrasher | September 29, 2011 at 3:38 PM

    (redacted) and Wollensky

  96. Posted by penn | September 29, 2011 at 6:24 PM

    the clock on their site is whack (all the comments are showing up as at the same time, for example….) i read it in class at like noon

  97. Posted by Eric Shannon | September 29, 2011 at 7:07 PM

    some other good ways not to suck at e-mail: http://academy.justjobs.com/dont-suck-at-e-mail/

  98. Posted by guest | September 29, 2011 at 8:17 PM

    Who gives a shit if he's handicapped? Completely irrelevant to the discussion of this kid's stupidity. Does that make him any less unhireable?

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