Sample cover letter for Full Time position at Gozel Holding

1^St Paragraph - The first paragraph is all about explaining why you’re writing It needs to be short: no more than 35 words in length, says Harrison.

McLean agrees: “The first paragraph is just to say who you are and why you’re writing the letter.”

This might read something like. “I am an X with X year history of X at global banking giants including X as well as X. I have been working for X for the past X years.”

When you’re writing a cover letter that’s 300 words or less, you can ditch this paragraph. – There’s just no space for it.

The second paragraph is harder. This is where you need to start selling yourself and explaining why you’re such a hot catch for the bank you’re applying to. Don’t use empty phrases like, “I am a determined, motivated individual.” Look at the key words and skills used to describe the job you’re applying for and explain how you match them. Focus on results and on outcomes. Be specific. Talk about what you’ve studied and how it’s relevant, says McLean. If you’ve studied finance and know how to do a DCF, now’s the time to mention that. If you haven’t studied finance but have good relationship management skills and you want to work in M&A (a relationship-focused business), mention them here. Provide EVIDENCE for the skills you’re claiming to have. Don’t just make empty statements.

If you’re a student, Harrisons says you should use this paragraph to reference your excellent academics and any awards you’ve won.

Third paragraph If you’re a student trying to get a first job in banking, this is a crucial paragraph. Having set yourself up as a great hire with the skills necessary to do the job in question, you need to explain why you want to do that job. – Why financial services? Why that sector? Why that job? Why M&A? Why sales and trading? Why compliance? “Link your skills back to your motivation for working in the sector,” says McLean. – If you want to work in operations, explain how you have a passion for building systems and improving efficiency, as evidenced by your system for serving customers in your weekend job.

The fourth paragraph is all about explaining why you want to work for that particular bank. Again, you need to be specific. McLean says graduates often copy and paste from banks’ own websites. She says it’s not unheard of for them to write, “I want to work for Goldman Sachs because you have 170 locations across 90 cities in over 30 countries.” This will get you nowhere.

Instead, you need to cite some reasons that will make you stand out. If you’re a student, it helps to say that you’ve met some of the banks’ staff and were impressed by them. Citigroup, for example, suggests that student cover letters reference encounters with the bank’s staff at recruitment events. Harrison agrees: “Mention the names of two employees you have read about or ideally have met,” he advises. Explain what it was that they said or did which persuaded you that the bank is a good fit for you. Think about the bank’s culture, ethos and vision.- But don’t copy and paste from its list of business principles!

Mark Hatz, a former M&A associate at Goldman Sachs and Perella Weinberg Partners who now helps people get jobs in banking, says stressing your rapport with people you’ve met from the firm is particularly important when you’re applying for a job in M&A or capital markets: “These are advisory businesses and they want to see that you can build a rapport and work in a team. If you get the job, you’ll also be spending a lot of hours in the office with these people, so showing you like them is very important.”

It also helps to reference the bank’s strategy, to mention any awards its won, and to cite any conversations you’ve had or comments you’ve read from other industry professionals and analysts who’ve given concrete reasons why it’s good place to work. Everything in this section needs to be positive. – You need to explain why you want to work for Deutsche Bank specifically without writing anything that denigrates its rivals. The more senior you are, the more you will need to reference solid strategy points at this stage.

Finally, you need to end with a call to action. McLean suggests completing the letter with the following sentence: “I really look forward to hearing from you. I am available for interview and contactable by X.’

Simple. Except all of this has to be written in 750 words – or just 300 if you’re a student applying to Goldman Sachs.