Cover Letter

Hi Sindiso, 

I'm not entirely sure what "slogans of benchmarked cycles in MBB" means. However, for cover letters in general, they essentially contain 2 key parts:

1. Explain your relevant prior experiences and background 

The idea here is to frame your previous experiences, knowledge and achievements (even failures if relevant) to show that you have the varied skillset needed to become successful in the job you're applying for.

2. Explain your motivation for the job/career you're applying for

A great cover letter explains your personal reasons for why you think the job/career you're applying for is a great fit to your skillset AND your motivation/wants. 

Ideally, you utilize this part to also give a solid reason for why this particular company you're applying for is a great fit for you - e.g., by mentioning specific work they've done that inspires/excites you.

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Now, of course a cover letter can contain more than these 2 parts, but these are the building blocks of a cover letter.

Finally, the 2 most important things to do when writing a cover letter are: 

a. Make it concise

Recruiters read dozens (sometimes hundreds) of these cover letters per week, so when a cover letter is long, they may loose patience. Keep it short and to the point.

b. Make it stand-out & ideally start it off by capturing your audience

This is the hardest and most important bit for making a good cover letter. Due to the sheer volume of applications, most cover letters are just skimmed by recruiters that make a judgement call on Yes/No in a few seconds typically. Thus, writing a cover letter that engages and captures your audience will really help. 

I'm happy to discuss further with you how to write a cover letter that truly stands out, if helpful.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely, 
Thor

hey Sindiso :)

A strong MBB cover letter is very simple. It should show why you want the firm, why you fit the role, and one or two concrete examples that prove you can deliver impact. No fancy slogans or buzzwords, just clear motivation and evidence. One short paragraph for each of these points is enough.

If you want, I can help you shape yours.
best, Alessa :)

Not sure what you mean by "slogans of benchmarked cycles". 

Upvoting Alessa's answer - she's on point on what is expected in a strong Cover Letter. 

P.S. I think Sindiso is trying to make fun of the consulting lingo.

So let me give a different answer overusing consulting lingo:

It's important that you leverage your distinctive capabilities in order to deliver a seamless end-to-end unique selling proposition to your target audience across all the moments of truth along the recruiter journey.

Sindiso, would you mind clarifying your question?

Hi Sindiso,

Could you elaborate what you mean by in slogans?

A good cover letter should articulate clearly that (1) you are a good fit with the required qualities, (2) you are serious about the opportunity and have done your homework, (3) the role / firm aligns with your motivation.

Best,

Emily

A good MBB cover letter does three things and nothing else.

It answers why consulting, why this firm, and why you, in that order. Each answer needs to be specific. Not "I am passionate about problem solving" but a concrete moment, decision, or experience that connects you to consulting and to that firm specifically.

Keep it to one page. Four short paragraphs maximum. MBB recruiters read hundreds of these. The ones that land are clear and specific. The ones that get skipped are long and generic.

Do not repeat your CV. The cover letter is not a summary of your experience. It is the story that explains why your experience points to this firm and this role. Those are different things.