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To: William Patterson, ND ’87 | Managing Director, Goldman Sachs
Subject: Great Meeting You at the Alumni Reception!
Dear Mr. Patterson,
What an absolute delight it was to meet you at Saturday’s alumni tailgate! I hope you and your wife made it home safely. I trust the traffic wasn’t too bad.
I just wanted to reach out and thank you for sharing some of your fondest Notre Dame memories with me! Your story about when you threw a couch out of your dorm still has me rolling. Or when you snuck a whole beer into your room? Hilarious. I told everyone about it: my friends, my family and my Accounting Professor, whose class I have an A in. Notre Dame could use more men like you!
I was fascinated to hear about your time as a student in the late ’80s. It’s so interesting to hear how much has changed and how much has remained the same. You had Lou Holtz; we have Marcus Freeman. You had Keenan dartys; we have Keenan dartys. You had a six-figure job lined up after grad, and I have you. How remarkable it is that some Notre Dame traditions truly do stand the test of time!
I also wanted to say how inspiring it was to learn about your career at Goldman Sachs. I did a little research after our interaction, and wow! Their commitment to excellence is something that really resonates with me. Your New York office is truly breathtaking as well! I love the city! I love Wall Street! I love finance! I love the idea of being a summer analyst!
Enough career talk. How’d your family enjoy the visit?
Speaking of family, I’ve always admired the Notre Dame alumni-student network. It never fails to amaze me how generations of Irish look after one another. I know you’re an extremely busy man, so I have gone ahead and attached my resume, transcript, cover letter, recommendation from my economics professor and a brief statement as to why I am the perfect candidate for your summer position. No pressure whatsoever!
Please let me know when you’re back on campus! I am looking forward to speaking with you more — the mere four minutes we interacted at the tailgate seems like a disservice to the connection we had! I hope you will consider me not merely as just the perfect employee, but also as a fellow Notre Dame man: a brother for life. I figure my last three emails must have gotten lost in transit since I haven’t received a reply, so I went ahead and copied your executive assistant. I hope that’s alright!
Go Irish
Your friend and fellow Notre Dame man,
Alex Johnson | Aspiring financier | Perfect Candidate | Moderately Handsome