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What are your tips and tricks for a consulting cover letter?
Overview of answers
Hi there,
Send me a PM and I can provide you with a Cover Letter template as well as examples across a range of companies. Always happy to guide you in the process and review your documents.
Here's some guidance in the meantime
- Step 1 - Figure out the topics for your key paragraphs. These need to be based on what consulting companies are looking for. I.e.:
- Quantitative + qualitative analytical skills
- xxx (message for more)
- Step 2 - Once you've picked 3-5 of these, write your paragraphs
- Make them succinct (3-5 sentences)
- Make sure they lead with e.g. "x company values y, and I do too"
- Make sure they focus on your achievements. You have to sell yourself here
- Step 3 - For any given company cover letter, find out what the company cares most about. Then slot in 3 of the paragraphs that fit best (again, ideally you have 5 to choose from)
- Step 4 - Tweak the language of each paragraph to fit the company's website, application posting, etc. I.e. Curiosity might become passion for learning.
Then, of course, you need an intro paragraph summarizing your interest + reasons why as well as a closing paragraph doing the same with new language.
Hi there,
As a general rule, you can structure a cover in 4 parts:
- Introduction, mentioning the position you are interested in and a specific element you find attractive for that company
- Why you are qualified for the job, where you can report 3 skills/stories from your CV, ideally related to leadership, impact, drive and teamwork
- Why you are interested in that particular firm, with additional 1-2 specific reasons
- Final remarks, mentioning again your interest and contacts
In part 2, you can write about experiences that show skills useful in consulting such as drive, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork and convincing others. If you need specific help, please feel free to PM me.
It is important that in part 3 you make your cover specific to a particular firm – the rule of thumb is, can you send the exact same cover to another consulting company if you change the name? If that’s the case, your cover is too generic.
Hope this helps,
Francesco
Hi there,
The trick is that it is not mandatory in every big firm. There is a chance no one will ever read it.
Starting with that:
- Don't write it longer than 1 page, but also:
- Be sharp, on point
- Be clear
- Structure it well
- emphasize your strengths
There is not much more than simply that principles which apply also to the CV.
Of course, preferably, have it checked by a professional.
Cheers, GB
Hello,
My suggestion in this case is not to spend too much time on the cover letter. It's becoming less and less important and some offices have made it officially "optional". It's enough not to write a bad cover letter that can attract the attention of the HR.
More over, cover letter will not be read by the interviewers but only by HR.
Best,
Luca
Hello!
Agree with Luca on this one. Most of the times, you don´t even NEED it, it´s mentioned as a nice-to-have that does not even get reviewed
Hope it helps!
Cheers,
Clara
Hi, I confirm it is not worth spending too much time preparing it. It should be half a page long, talking about why you, why consulting and why the firm
Best
Antonello
A handful of my guidelines on what to bear in mind when writing your 0.5/1pg cover letter below:
- Why them? Why consulting? Why you? - have 3 paragraphs to answer these three questions. This is the core objective of the cover letter
- Specificity - golden rule is if you can Find & Replace the firm name with any other name and the letter still makes sense, then that is a ding! Reference particular people, thought leadership, notable projects, events that are specific to that firm
- Pithiness - save the flowery, elaborate language for another time. Keep your sentences short and snappy. No need to sell that you wanted to be a consultant since you were 5 (unless true). 3 paragraphs is good enough to get all the relevant content in.