Why Email Alone Won't Land You Your Next Wealth Management Role
- elisasheftic
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 minute ago
As an executive recruiter working exclusively in wealth management, financial services and fintech, I speak with 100-plus candidates every month. One of my first questions is always the same: What have you done so far in your search? The answers tend to sound a lot alike.
The Familiar (and Limited) Playbook
Most candidates have posted their resume on LinkedIn and a few job boards, set up alerts for openings at RIAs, broker dealers, asset managers, etc., applied directly through online postings, and sent the occasional email to their network or to recruiters like me to say they're still looking.
Every one of these steps matters. But after a few months of mostly email based outreach with little to show for it, a pattern emerges. These tactics start out proactive and quietly turn reactive. You end up waiting for someone else to write back.
Make Conversations Your Main Channel, Not Your Backup
If your search has stalled and email has become your default mode of communication, I'd encourage a different approach for the next thirty days.
Keep checking job alerts and researching firms online, but treat email as a last resort rather than a first move. Make phone calls, coffee meetings, industry events, and warm introductions your primary communication instead.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Suppose you see that a growing RIA has posted an opening for a Client Service Associate. The default move is to apply through the portal and wait.
Instead, check LinkedIn for anyone in your network connected to that firm, and call them. A short, friendly call is far harder to ignore than another email in a crowded inbox, and it starts an actual conversation. Even a quick ask, such as finding out who the hiring manager is, can move your candidacy forward in a way that clicking submit never will.
Four Ground Rules for Better Conversations
Be friendly. You want their help, but a one-sided ask rarely lands. Keep the energy warm and make it a real conversation, not a pitch. Keep the conversation “breezy” versus a direct “What can you do for me?”
Be respectful. Most people can't give you an hour, but almost everyone can spare ten minutes to catch up. Keep it tight.
Be positive. A search in wealth management, fintech, and financial services in general can be slow and frustrating, especially in the summer, but people respond to optimism/positivity, not a list of complaints.
Be a genuine fit. Before you ask someone to forward your resume internally, make sure it speaks directly to the role. Tailor it to the job description, include the posting details, and add two or three bullets connecting your experience to what the firm actually needs and lists in the job description.
Why It Works
A more personal approach adds a human element back into a search that can otherwise feel like sending resumes into a void. Simply put, it makes a connection in a way that email can’t.
Those conversations, and the advice and potential referrals that come from them, are often what turns a search around.
Final Thought
Email is a tool, not a strategy.
The candidates who move the fastest, especially in the financial services industry, are usually the ones having the most conversations, not sending the most applications.
Commit to trying something new for just one month and see how much faster you can reach your goal.
For many people, picking up the phone instead of sending an email can feel uncomfortable. But as I always say, just because something makes you uncomfortable doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. In fact, that's often where the greatest growth happens.
Step outside your comfort zone, trust the process, and you may be surprised by the results.
Best of luck with your search!
Elisa Sheftic is the President and Managing Partner of Right Executive Search, LLC, a boutique executive search firm she founded in 2010. She specializes in recruiting mid- to executive-level professionals within the financial services industry, including wealth management, RIAs, family offices, trust companies, fintech, and asset management. Elisa partners closely with HR leaders, hiring managers, and candidates nationwide, providing market intelligence and guidance on recruiting best practices. She holds an MBA from New York University and completed post-graduate studies in Human Resources at Cornell University. Elisa is passionate about building lasting relationships and believes recruiting is about more than filling positions. She takes a personal, high-touch approach, partnering closely with clients and candidates to create successful, long-term matches.