Consulting: building a cover letter

I know everyone hates cover letters, so hopefully this will make it an easier experience.

Cover letters typically have 3-5 sections covering 1/2 to 3/4 of a page.

Introduction Paragraph: mention the job you are applying for, and why you are interested in the company.

Body paragraph(s): mention specific experiences AND how the experiences tie in to the job you are applying for. Write 1-3 body paragraphs.

Conclusion Paragraph: outline how your experiences have prepared you for the job you are applying for, and why you want to join the company. At this point, mention people you have talked to from the company and what (good) things they have said about the company.

Here is a sample cover letter to read through. As you can tell, it is adjustable for various different job applications, depending on the company you are applying for.

Cover Letter (Master)

.docx

Download DOCX • 21KB

Below is a sample cover letter I used to apply to Boston Consulting Group (BCG). It yielded an interview.

Cover Letter (BCG)

.docx

Download DOCX • 18KB

I can recommend you DO NOT copy the cover letters here (for obvious reasons since your experiences will not match up). However, feel free to use them to guide how you write your cover letters.

(Additionally, I believe these cover letters are too long, 3/5 of a page of text should be enough)