Examples of Successful Cover Letters_vF (2)

[STUDENT GENERATED – real, sanitized examples from successful applicants to MBB] Please use this in conjunction with the CDO & Consulting Club resources available.

If you have questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Cover Letter Guide for Consulting

The third part to the series of resources posted, this guide is meant to be illustrative of cover letter

templates/techniques that have worked in the past for students who successfully recruited for MBB. A

number of current second years have contributed to this to give you a sense of what “good” looks like in

different manifestations. Before perusing these examples and finding what works best for your needs,

please refer to the following guidelines:

Guidelines:

1. Do not copy the statements you see in this guide verbatim. We obviously don’t want 150 cover

letters that all have the same structure/sentences to go to each recruiter.

2. Ensure you are answering three questions in your cover letter: (A) Why are you interested in

working for Firm XXX? (B) What about Firm XXX makes you believe you are a good fit? (C) What

skills/experiences do you bring with you to the table?

3. The cover letter should be only 1 page long – Do not exceed this length.

4. Personalize – Firms can see through generic cover letters that do not speak to who they are as a

firm. Make sure you’ve done your research and can synthesize the two or three skills/values the

firm you’re applying to cares about the most.

5. Be SPECIFIC– When speaking to interactions you’ve had or what you like about a firm, make sure

you show that you have a few discreet attributes/examples that appeal to you. When speaking

about your strengths, give clear examples that speak to those traits that make you effective and

ensure that you also show the impact you’ve had.

6. Proofread – Make sure you read your cover letter out loud at least TWICE before you submit it

online. You are more likely to catch errors, missed commas, the wrong firm name, etc. Mistakes

on your resume or cover letter can (and most likely will) hurt your chances.

Table of Contents:

Templates—

1. CDO template offered in CDO Cover Letter Handbook

2. Student-generated template with different inputs to customize for firm you’re applying to

Examples—

1. 1Y recruiting cover letter example #1

2. 1Y recruiting cover letter example #2

3. 1Y recruiting cover letter example #3 (Internal Consulting)

4. 2Y re-recruiting cover letter example

mailto:[email protected]

B) Create an outline for your cover letter

Use the below to create input for your cover letter (but not cut and paste). Pull in the examples from the above list.

You’ll still need to create transitions and flesh out the story that ties it all together. You may even find something from

your opening will make more sense to incorporate in the context of the body. But you’ll at least have elements to pull

from as you craft your letter. Use this to highlight the primary items you want to get across in each section.

Introduction (The Hook)

How will you introduce yourself?

What is the position?

What contacts have you spoken with? Note if someone has specifically referred you to this position.

What relevant/intriguing information have you learned from your company research?

Why the company/industry/function?

What is your unique “hook” that will compel the reader to want to learn more about you?

Body (The Sell) Integrate examples from the skill match grid that tie your qualities/experiences to the requirements of the job

Example #1 that ties your skills to the job requirements




Closing (The Ask)

Recap of why you are a good fit for the role

What is your “ask”?

What next steps do you propose?

Thank the reader

C) Cross‐check your letter against the defining elements of a strong cover letter

Once you have completed your cover letter, use this checklist to ensure that your cover letter addresses all of the

fundamentals as well as the distinguishing and differentiating characteristics of a strong letter.

COVER LETTER CHECKLIST

GENERAL Y/N?Makes a clear statement of what value you will bring to the organization

Makes it easy for reader to identify what key skills and attributes you have to offer

Conveys your passion for the company, role, and industry

Tailors content throughout the letter, not just the introduction

Provides information beyond what is found in your resume

COMPANY RESEARCH Uses specific information garnered from informational interviews, presentations, industry sources and company news to demonstrate your interest and fit with the company

Mentions by name individuals with whom you’ve had meaningful conversations

Indicates specific divisions or departments that interest you, where applicable

MATCH TO JOB DESCRIPTION Draws distinct connections between the job requirements and your skills, experiences, and attributes

Uses specific examples and quantified (or qualified) results to demonstrate competencies

Addresses most/many of the requirements listed in the job description

For career switchers, clearly translates prior experiences to demonstrate preparedness for the desired role

FORMAT Does not exceed one page

Uses an 11 or 12 pt font

Uses margins at least 1” all around

Uses proper business formatting and spacing

Includes your phone number and email

Incorporates sufficient white space

Includes specific recipient salutation and contact information (avoid generic greeting if possible, but use “Dear Hiring Manager” if no alternative)

WATCHOUTS Uses the same reasons for interest in the company as are used in letters to other companies (or uses an overly generic reasons)

Same skills/experiences used in every letter (not tailored to specific job requirements)

Written from the “me” perspective – focuses on what the opportunity will do for you and doesn’t tell the employer what value you bring to their organization

Restates what is written in your resume

Includes spelling errors, typos, grammatical errors, wrong company name or other mistakes

Recycles a CDO “Best Practice” sample letter; cover letters must all be your own original work

Is boring – lacks the relevance or level of interest to make the reader want to learn more

999 Whitney Avenue, New Haven CT 06511 | (999) 999-9999 | [email protected]

Example #2: Cover Letter with customizable elements based on identity of firm you’re applying to

December 04, 2015

XXX

XXX

XXX

XXX

XXX

Dear XXX,

I am a first year student at the Yale School of Management (SOM) and I am writing to apply for the 2015

Consulting Summer Internship at XXX. Through my interactions with XXX, I was very excited to learn

about XXX, and three things that really stood out for me in my conversations were X, X and X.

Working as a XXX for [insert past firm], I worked on [insert your role and its scope], and I have honed

my project management skills through X, X and X.

At this point, pick one or two of the paragraphs below that map to the particular identity of the firm

you are writing to. For instance, for a more innovation-design oriented consultancy, you may choose to

focus on client interaction and entrepreneurship. Potential examples (sanitized to protect identity)

follow below.

I have had substantial experience in [insert important skill 1] and [insert important skill 2] at [insert past

firm] and would like to build further on it by involving myself in [insert aspects of firm that appeal to

you]. I feel that my education at SOM has afforded me the right tools to analyze complex and large

business challenges. Since XXX has to use X as well as X lenses to truly help clients, I feel both my

strong quantitative, consulting background and my current learnings at SOM lend themselves to this role.

I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to interview with XXX. Thank you for your time and

consideration.

Sincerely,

Jane/John Bulldog


Examples– one or two of the paragraphs below:

1. [Example: quant background, research oriented, finance education]

I possess a strong quantitative mind, as demonstrated by my undergraduate major in Mechanical

Engineering as well as my participation in the premier design challenge at XX. This program is tailored to

be more research-oriented for students with high academic potential, with core subjects of greater

complexity than what the average engineering student. Additionally, I have also been acquiring

knowledge of finance through a minor in Business studies during my undergraduate degree, 3 years of

work experience in the financial services sector and currently through my studies at Yale SOM, where I

have succeeded in achieving Honors for courses such as Accounting, Statistics and Spreadsheet

Modeling.

2. [Example: Data analysis, investigation, presentation]

My first role at Accenture gave me the opportunity to employ my skills of data analysis and collaboration

through a data quality review of 1,800 attributes of data for a large IT services client we served. I began

the discovery process by cataloging all of the datasets within each product category of the client. My next

step was to create a detailed document that highlighted a description of the data field, usage statistics, and

integration points, working with the appropriate teams to get a comprehensive understanding of each

dataset. Finally, I synthesized my findings and presented my recommendations to senior management. At

the end of this exercise, I synthesized my findings in a reference document to present to management, and

this is used even today, 3 years later, as a basic resource to understand the usage of the data for the client.

3. [Example: Client interaction, process improvement]

For instance, I used my analytical skills and collaborative work style when I undertook the client

onboarding strategy for a new product launched in Singapore. The objective was to create a smooth

process from the point the client agrees to trade till the point their information and documents are signed

and stored securely in the bank’s records. By analyzing the best practices in our head office at Zurich and

working with the local teams in Asia, I created a process customized for Asian infrastructure, ensuring

that the process was streamlined from the customer perspective.

4. [Example: Working with senior management, cross functional collaboration]

I was able to hone my skills of cross functional collaboration and ability to interact with senior managers

when I was selected by the Head of Asia Change Management to create a unified view of the 50 projects

being run in the region. I was able to collaborate with 7 directors across the various product lines in Asia

to consolidate their project pipelines for the next year into an Asia-wide tracking document that was used

for senior management updates. A view into the project pipeline helps decreased costs, improve

integration, enhance governance, and increase adoption. Also, what was the size of the pipeline – x

projects, y dollars, z teams. As a result, the senior management team was better informed on all of the

changes to be expected, and were further able to use this tool to quantify the benefits from the projects

completed.


5. [Example: Initiative, peer coaching, training]

I also take a very keen interest in building capabilities and knowledge sharing to further develop the

organization’s culture. I have initiated programs that have enabled cross functional learning among my

group of peers as part of the selective Graduate Trainee Program at Accenture. As a result, I was selected

at a very junior level to conduct the “Hear Me Out” program tailored for employees that need to improve

their communication skills to take the next step in their careers. I planned and conducted a series of

sessions on presentations, conference calls, impromptu speeches and feedback collection for the

participants. Through this program, I was able to develop and mentor the participants and impact their

future career trajectory as team leads and managers.

6. [Finance-y Example: Data Analysis, Working with Senior Management, Understanding of

Regulations]

I was able to leverage my analysis and presentation skills through a project to investigate the impact of

Hong Kong’s regulations on the Foreign Exchange (FX) business line. I did a deep dive into the

Monetary authority’s regulatory documentation on reporting requirements for financial institutions. I

determined the relevant Barclays products and jurisdictions that the regulations would apply to and then

supplemented it with my knowledge of Barclays’ existing reporting infrastructure to propose a reporting

process to eliminate the risk of regulatory breach. I presented the findings and my recommendation to the

senior management in Asia, receiving approval to implement it as well.

7. [Finance-y Example 2: Front to Back Understanding of a business line, driving cross team

collaboration]

I exercised my skills of leadership, teamwork and influence during a company-wide update of the

payment intermediary agent used by Lazard. I was selected to direct the updates for FX Asia, including

internal updates on the systems as well as the communication strategy for the FX clients. I worked closely

with colleagues both globally (Zurich, London) and locally (Singapore) to understand which parts of the

process would be impacted by the change, and used that information to generate a detailed run-book of

tasks to be accomplished prior to the change-over date. I then ran stakeholder meetings to get buy-in from

the 4 teams involved to execute the plan in the days leading up to the date, and saw through a successful

implementation with no impact to the clients or the internal users.


December 3, 2014

Ms. Jill Diamond

Senior Recruiter

Bain & Company, Inc.

1114 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York

Dear Ms. Diamond,

I am a first-year MBA student at Yale School of Management writing to express my interest in Bain &

Company’s Summer Associate position. During Bain’s corporate presentation, I was excited to learn

about Bain’s impressive growth trajectory and its vast reach, counting 2/3 of the Fortune 500 and 75% of

private equity funds as its clients. Through my coffee chat with John Smith, I also learned about Bain’s

individualized staffing approach and apprenticeship culture, which Smith heavily praised and credited

with helping him tailor a unique experience that aligned with his interests while serving notable clients. It

is this combination of proven results, endless opportunities to help leading organizations solve key issues

and a feedback culture that emphasizes personal growth that draws me uniquely to Bain.

As a former technology consultant, I have demonstrated my ability to solve complex problems and

engage in collaboration to achieve tangible results for my clients. For example, I led the design activities

of a cross-functional team with members in Canada, India and Germany to create a comprehensive

solution plan to integrate North America’s third-largest transit provider into a common fare payment

system shared with nine adjacent transit operators. This not only enabled seamless transfers across the

region’s combined transit network for three million daily commuters, but also provided the client with a

platform to introduce future valued-added services such as bundled pricing. In addition, I was the

principal architect of a novel location identification system for a client’s 70-vehicle streetcar fleet,

allowing the client to better track fare payments and passenger flows across its streetcar network at a cost

that was $4 million lower than the alternative solution. I believe I can leverage these experiences at Bain

to create actionable solutions for clients across a wider range of industries and functions.

At Yale, I have focused on building a solid foundation of business knowledge and skills, as evidenced by

my achievement of academic distinction in six core courses. I have also further developed my leadership

capacity through roles such as Sponsorship Co-director for Startup Weekend New Haven, where I helped

raise over $10,000 in cash and in-kind funding, allowing the entrepreneurship-focused event to be run at a

surplus. I believe that the combination of these skills with my prior experience in client-facing roles

makes me a good fit for the Summer Associate role and will allow me to immediately make meaningful

contributions to both Bain and its clients.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my application and I look forward to having an opportunity to

further discuss the value I can bring to Bain this summer as a Summer Associate.

Sincerely,

John Doe

October 19, 2015 Pam Bolotin MBA Recruiter L.E.K. Consulting 75 State Street, 19th Floor Boston, MA 02109 Dear Pam, I write to express my strong interest in the Consultant position. As a candidate passionate about healthcare, I value solutions that benefit both business and society. L.E.K.’s ability to deliver tailored, long-term client solutions while embracing its role as a global citizen aligns with my personal value set. My conversations with Fred Rollins, Victoria Carter and Alexa Allen made it clear to me that the firm’s values are more than simply words and, in fact, translate into the very fabric of L.E.K.’s culture. Since graduating from the University of California, I've dedicated my career to helping organizations solve complex problems. These experiences have equipped me with unique skills that will enable me to thrive at L.E.K. Consulting, including:

A passion for strategic problem solving: Before graduate school, I worked as a consultant at

Accenture where I helped clients develop strategies in response to the shifting healthcare landscape. During my tenure, I advised a Fortune 500 technology firm to offer medical benefits through the New York State Insurance Exchange, an action first among its competitors. My ability to translate complex data into actionable recommendations saved the company over 50% in projected Health Care Reform liabilities and enabled the firm to continue to offer coverage to all its employees.

An entrepreneurial mindset: This past summer, I helped four early-stage entrepreneurs scale their business impact. During four, week-long consulting engagements with business owners across the US, I developed a deep appreciation for entrepreneurship and I was able to add value to each enterprise. From creating an online marketing campaign to fundraise over $10,000 for a local grocer to forecasting pro forma financials to help a local tea company secure a $50,000 equity investment, this experience has prepared me to succeed in entrepreneurial, self-starting environments.

Demonstrated and impactful leadership: As former student body president, I led a six-

person executive team in providing resources for current students and increased the yield for incoming students by 20%. Additionally, this past summer as a Summer Associate at Citi, I led a $200M acquisition financing process and successfully partnered with two analysts and a Managing Director in doing so.

Given my prior experiences and interactions with the firm, I believe that L.E.K. Consulting is a great fit. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Bob Johnson

December 21, 2014

Ms. Angelica Jones

Recruiter

Royal Dutch Shell

The Hague Area

The Netherlands

Dear Ms. Spinaci:

I am a first-year student at the Yale School of Management and am writing to express my strong interest in

Shell’s Assessed Internship Program in the Netherlands. I have always been passionate about energy and

addressing the challenges of the growing energy demand, a passion that I harnessed to make measurable

impact throughout my academic and professional life. Over the years, I have grown to admire Shell’s

leadership in shaping the future of the energy industry and through my interactions with Shell employees

including John Smith, I am convinced that that there is no better place for me to develop professionally in

the industry that I care deeply about.

Prior to beginning my MBA, I was working in Michelin as an automation engineer. The experience working

in the greenfield project that set up the $4 billion Michelin facility in China helped me develop the skills

that enable me to thrive in demanding, fast-paced environments and lead transformations in a multinational

organization. For instance, faced with a shortage of trained manpower that challenged the timely

operationalization of the Shanghai plant, I redesigned Michelin’s technical support model by pioneering

real-time visual collaboration with experts across the world for troubleshooting manufacturing process

lines. I led a multinational cross-functional team through implementation and launch of the system,

successfully managed stakeholder expectations and achieved 25% cost savings in addition to timely

operationalization of the facility. This solution was adopted as part of Michelin’s global action plan to

address the anticipated 30% shortage in skilled manpower.

I came to Yale to increase the scale and impact of my initiatives and I am excited about the possibility of

bringing my strong analytical skills, result oriented leadership and broad international experience to Shell.

I am confident that the enabling combination of the uniquely global outlook, diverse human talent and a

forward looking approach at Shell will help me learn continuously and contribute to the growth of Shell at

a time when the energy industry is going through rapid transformations.

I would appreciate an opportunity to interview with Shell. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

John Bulldog

165 Whitney Avenue, Apt # 1, New Haven CT 06511 | 203 000-000 | [email protected]

311 Orange Street #007 New Haven CT 06511 123-456-7890 [email protected]

September 17, 2015

Jill Diamond

Three Times Square, 25th Floor

New York, NY 10036

Dear Ms. Diamond,

I am writing to express my interest in Bain & Company’s Consultant position. Through research and

discussions with Jane Smith and John Doe, I found the company’s supportive, office-based culture to

be a great match with my passion for leading cohesive teams to delivery of creative yet

implementable strategic solutions. I also admire Bain’s unwavering focus on realized results, fostered

by feedback transparency and employee development.

During my summer internship as a Senior Consultant with XY Management Consultants, I completed

numerous strategy engagements, including a $115MM Fair Market Valuation for a subsidiary

company formation and a $37MM go-to-market strategy project. Prior to Yale SOM, I worked at X Firm as an Implementation Consultant for 5 years, where I managed a total of 16 electronic health

record implementations and also partnered with physician and executive hospital leadership to ensure

implementation success. The following characteristics and experiences exemplify my core

competencies and ‘results not reports’ mentality:

Adaptable – Led operational process improvement project for the United States Coast Guard

fleet. Redesigned radiology processes by leveraging mobile technology and consolidated

radiologist services with Army and Coast Guard, which reduced turnaround time by 18%.

Analytical – Developed a valuation model for commercialization of client’s mobile health

intellectual property. Forecasted product’s present value by developing a fully adopted pricing

recommendation, which resulted in $3MM of product sales in the initial two months.

Influential – Alleviated go-live risk due to a McKesson integration bottleneck at Aurora

Healthcare by initiating contact with McKesson and garnering client support, which resulted in

a strategic vendor partnership. This partnership collectively saved Epic clients over $2MM.

I look forward to bringing the same energy and relentless focus on delivering tangible client results to

Bain & Company. The Consultant position is a tremendous opportunity to work across a variety of

industries while making a meaningful impact on clients’ businesses by taking an open-minded,

intellectually stimulating approach to solving problems.

I would appreciate an opportunity to interview for the Consultant position. Thank you for your

consideration.

Sincerely,

Steven Rogers

Documents

Examples of Successful Cover Letters_vF (2)