I know it's an important part of the application and the only chance to present your personality. But, how are cover letters actually rated at M/B/B? Is it a standardized process and multiple people give it a score (from one to 10 let's say) or is it more like someone looks at your letter once and makes a binary decision (good enough/not good enough let's say)?
I assume it's a mix of both but I'd be curious to hear from the people who know exactly how the process works in reality.
I can tell you that at Bain, cover letter is looked at briefly and basically given a binary score (1 or 0) which accounts for <10% of your overall application score. At McKinsey London, Cover Letters aren't even read at all (and don't have to be submitted).
We've discussed this a lot recently here - the general consensus is that letters aren't even read sometimes, and at best would have a very limited influence BUT you still should do them even if 'optional'
Hi,
The short answer is no. You just need to have a standard good looking cover letter, but it can not make a change if you have a poor resume.
Best
Dear A,
Actually you just have to have a good CV and cover letter. It willn't make the big difference, but you might get rejection for a poor CV and Cover letter.
If you nedd I have an example of a good CV and Cover letter, so feel free to PM
Best,
André
Expert case by