Consulting Cover Letter Examples

Consulting
Management
Cover Letter
Consulting
Examples
Resume Sample

How important is a well-written cover letter?
•

The consulting job market can be tough. Catching the recruiter’s attention during the initial screening
requires a great resume and a well-written cover letter.

•

The majority of consulting aspirants realize the value of an exceptional CV or resume; however, many
are not aware of the benefits of crafting a powerful cover letter. Applicants often neglect the value of
a well-written cover letter because they put all of their energy into writing their resumes. But the
fact of the matter is, resumes and cover letters are equally important.

•

In fact, according to statistics reflected from a survey listed in the book The 100 Best Companies to
Work For, 75% of employers agreed that a well-written cover letter can significantly improve the odds
that a less eligible applicant will be asked to sit for an interview. The study also revealed that 53% of
employers prefer applications with both a resume and cover letter. Moreover, 91% of employers said
they would give greater consideration to applicants who have conducted research on their company
compared to those who simply send out generic cover letters. Simply put, the cover letter matters.

In this presentation, you will learn:

•
•
•

How to craft a cover letter
What great cover letters have in
common
Common mistakes to avoid

All rights reserved by ConsultingFact.com. More free consulting career advice on www.consultingfact.com.

2

Some employers will not actually read your cover letter, but simply scan it, looking for keywords such as
roles, skills, and accomplishments. Learning the art of crafting a compelling cover letter is a must for
every applicant.
Employers look through cover letters not only to learn about the skills you can offer but to gain more
insight on your personality as well. Your entire cover letter needs to be interesting and should consist of
no less than three and no more than five paragraphs. Take a look at these consulting cover letter examples
done per section of the letter:
Introduction

In most consulting cover letter examples you’ll see online, the first paragraph is
usually where you mention the position you’re applying for. It needs to sound
interesting enough to encourage the employer to read the rest of your cover letter.
Include your objectives and how you came to know about the opening. Try
incorporating the following strategies for a more personal approach:
• Networking - You may drop the name of an employee or anyone else
associated with the firm and mention how he or she has encouraged you to
pursue a career with their organization.
• Events - You may also refer to an event such as an inspirational talk given by a
client, a meeting with an industry expert, or any activity which inspired you
to pursue a career with their firm.
• Articles - You may likewise cite a particular case or study published by your
target firm and state how it has encouraged you to follow your management
consulting dreams.


3

Introduction

Here’s a good example of this section:
I have learned from your website that you are currently looking for a
Management Consultant for your Miami office. I want to express my interest in
this position. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Y, one of your engagement
managers, on a business convention last month. And I was greatly inspired by his
talk on designing competent marketing models as well as keeping up with the
trends in business strategy. I have learned a lot of valuable information which
have greatly motivated me to pursue a career in this industry.

Middle
Paragraph/s

The middle section of your letter can be either one or two paragraphs. You may
convey all your significant work experience and accomplishments in one paragraph
and how it relates to the consulting position. If the paragraph is well developed,
you probably don’t need a second. However, if you feel that a second paragraph is
needed to further demonstrate your different skill sets, it is perfectly acceptable
to add one.
Based on your credentials, select and highlight two or three of your skills and/or
accomplishments. Focus on experiences and achievements that prove you possess
the required criteria indicated in the job advertisement. This will help push your
application to the next round. Choose the details that are the most relevant to the
position and establish a strong connection between your competencies and the
vacancy. You can create a table to guide you in selecting your achievements for this
section and to ensure you have covered all the requirements of the job opening.


4

Middle
Paragraph/s

Here’s the example for the list of achievements and middle paragraph/s of a letter:
Educational
Attainment

•

Business Management Degree, University of Oxford

Professional
experience

•
•
•

2+ years as a marketing director
ABC Marketing Agency
3 month internship, IBM

Other
Requirements

•

Fluent in English, Spanish, and French

I have been a marketing director for more than two years now, and my
experience is well-suited to advise clients on strategic marketing issues. I
oversee marketing strategy by analyzing market potential as well as developing
advertising and promotion programs to achieve maximum sales of our products.
My education at The University of Oxford has thoroughly prepared me for
advanced business practices and strategies, market research, and consumer
behavior analysis. Moreover, during my three month internship at IBM, a global
technology company, I worked with a competent sales and marketing team in
providing recommendations and preparing presentations for tactical marketing
initiatives. Furthermore, I am fluent in three languages: English, Spanish, and
French. I feel that my knowledge, expertise, and experience will be a valuable
asset to your firm.


5

Concluding
paragraph

Always end your cover letter on a positive note. Briefly state what you can offer
the company and don’t forget to express your appreciation for the time they took
to review your application. You may also stress your flexibility with regard to
interview schedules. As you may have noticed, most consulting cover letter
examples are professionally closed with “Sincerely,” “Best Regards,”
“Respectfully,” etc. above the signature. Here’s a good example:
I take pride in my passion to effect positive change for a wide range of
institutions. What’s more, I have initiative and innate leadership potential. I
look forward to speaking with you about this opportunity at your convenience. I
sincerely thank you for your time.


6

What great cover letters have in common
The five qualities common to all great letters are explained in the table below:
Use a
personal
tone

Your letter should sound like you and not somebody else. While you want your
prospective employer to be impressed with your credentials, you should not use a
generic voice. You may use consulting cover letter examples found online as guide but
ensure to edit it to make it sound more like you. You can incorporate keywords but
don’t make it sound too formal.

Be concise

On average, recruiters only spend a minute per application. Great cover letters are
short yet contain enough information to pass initial screening. Keep your letter to a
single page—brevity is key.

Stimulate
curiosity

An effective cover letter encourages the employer to learn more about the applicant.
Again, this will depend on how you present your background. Provide specific instances
or experiences wherein you successfully demonstrated your expertise.

Prove your
suitability
to the
position

Your highlighted accomplishments should always be related to the position you are
applying for. There are many qualified people out there, but why you? Focus on details
which will prove that you are the most suited applicant for the job. Great consulting
cover letter examples effectively demonstrate how to do this.

Share your
knowledge
about the
firm

Make sure you research the company. As you express the reasons why you want to work
for a particular firm, reveal your knowledge about their organization. For instance if
you apply at McKinsey, ensure you demonstrate that you are a problem solver, an
achiever and a leader capable of creating positive impact.


7

Rehashing
information from
your resume

Data redundancy is a common cover letter mistake. Your letter must be a summary
of your work experience and skills, but it should not contain the same information
as your resume. Use your cover letter to entice recruiters to refer to your resume
for more details.

Inaccurate
details

Lack of attention to details can cost you your dream job. Listing the wrong firm
name, position, or contact information can ruin your candidacy. This can happen if
you are sending out a series of applications and forget to change the details. Or
when you use some consulting cover letter examples online and forget to replace
original details.

Rambling on
and on

This document is not the place to write your autobiography. You will never catch
the attention of your employer with a massive amount of content. Only the most
relevant and proven qualifications (leadership experience, analytical thinking
skills) or affiliations should be included. Other professional details should be listed
on your resume. In addition, it is suggested not to elaborate on your educational
background in your cover letter. However, you may do so if you’re a fresh graduate
and has no working experience yet.


8

Getting too
casual

Although you should use your own voice in your cover letter, don’t get too casual
with your tone. A good letter exudes your personality but exhibits elegance and
professionalism as well. Never use slang words and don’t use a lot (if any) of
exclamation points. Notice how good consulting cover letter examples are
structured. You should likewise structure your thoughts using appropriate style and
language. Using fancy fonts can hurt your application and your choice of formatting
will likewise reflect your written communication skills, so be very careful when
choosing a design.

Typos and
grammatical
errors

Many aspiring consultants send out their letters without proofreading them first. As
a result, some grammatical errors and awkward phrases are not corrected. These
types of mistakes can greatly affect your candidacy. Consultants are expected to
have a flair for communication, particularly in writing, as one of their
responsibilities is to prepare presentations and reports for diverse clients. Errors in
your letter reflect your inability to write quality deliverables. In fact, according to
a survey titled Confessions of the Recruitment Industry, a single spelling or
grammar mistake can incite employers to throw your application into the trash.

Submitting an effective cover letter is crucial if you want to outshine the competition. Read and study
how great consulting cover letter examples are done. An interesting letter can improve your chances of
being invited to the much-anticipated interview. Don’t waste the time and energy you’ve spent on
devising the perfect resume by writing and submitting a poorly-structured cover letter.


9

Free Guide: Learn How to Break Into Consulting

Do you want to break into consulting? Download our free PDF guide, which
will show you the necessary steps and best practices on how to prepare.

1

2

3

Consulting Interview Process: Get an overview of the
application and interview process when applying to
management consulting firms. Receive tips on how to write
your cover letter and resume and get prepared for the
written tests and interviews once you get there.
Interview Preparation: Learn what you need to practice to
receive an offer from one of the top-tier consulting firms.
See our step-by-step framework to case study solving, learn
how to develop your own frameworks and get mental math
tips.
Case Study Example: Know what to expect from a case
study interview round. Read a real-life case study interview,
which includes a variety of topics. See the practical
application of the step-by-step framework to case study
solving.

Consulting Cover Letter Examples

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Featured

Featured (20)

Consulting Cover Letter Examples