Application Location Question

Hi there,

Q: Should I talk about my passion to be in location #1, or should I also hedge for the other locations.

Given 1 and 3 have the same industry focus, I would structure the cover to reflect the interest in that sector rather than in a specific location – in this way you can keep it open to all locations (assuming location 2 might also cover that industry a bit - if that's not the case, you can add one of the sectors covered there as well).

The only reason I would mention the state of locations 1 and 2 is if there is no natural connection with it from your CV and so a justification is needed (e.g. you are applying in a country/office where you never works/studied nor have any natural connection).

You can find more on the cover letter structure below:

▶ How to Craft a Great Cover Letter

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

Personally I would just list out all 3 locations (I am interested in x role in offices a, b, c). Short and sweet!

No need to talk about a passion for any specific location…that's not the goal of the cover letter!

Hi there, 

Either mention the first location or none of them. 

Basically, when you write the cover letter, the first row is usually expressing your interest for a specific role with a specific firm in a specific location. 

That's where you could either add the location or not. 

If I were you, I'd include it. Mostly because in 95% of cases it's either the first location preference or none. And even if they decide to pass the application to the other location preferences, they won't reject it because it's not addressed to them specifically. 

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

it really depends - 

1. If all 3 locations in the same region (= consulting system) of that firm, then it's a good idea to talk about your motivation for the region, especially if it's not your home region.
2. If not, would focus to share your passion for the industry primarily. If not your home region, can add motivation for state of location 1 & 3 in such case.

In either scenario, as you can see, if target location is not your home location, it makes sense to add motivation about why you want to move there. Firms take this seriously and will not consider your candidacy, especially in high-demand regions, if they don't feel your motivation to live there at least for a few years is genuine. 

Hope this helps. 

Regards, Andi

You are making the #1 mistake on job interviews: thinking this is about you. Thinking this is about convincing them that you are really motivated to do this job or to work in a specific location. It is not. That is usually taken for granted. So, liking a specific location is just about you, and doesn't connect very well with a company - there are probably 10.000 other companies in that same location.

What is not taken for granted is that you have the required capabilities, skills and attributes to perform well in this job. You have to focus on these. While passion for a specific industry can be aligned with this, it is not particularly strong, unless you are able to show that you already have a strong aptitude in that industry.

Make the Cover Letter about them, not about you.

I would not talk much about passion for location. In my experience, many candidates end up going through the recruiting process at their #2 or #3 location, and so you want to hedge your bets in this sense if your goal is making it to MBB (and I don't think it would be given much weight in any case, unless it is a very strong location preference for a specific reason). However, you could talk about the industry you are passionate about.