Sample cover letter for Internship position at Javelin Group

For the personality and challenge

Having recently spent 15 months at IBM, on my placement year, holding various consulting roles I learnt a great deal of technical and softer skills by working with predictive analytical software and engaging with clients on a number of accounts. More importantly, I learnt how important it is to work for a firm that shares your own individualistic virtues. Seeing how work is ingrained into one’s life and therein strongly correlated to ones emotions, happiness and passions the importance of matching the personality of an individual to the culture and personality of the firm, holds great significance. The Javelin Group’s diverse, intelligent, non-hierarchical workforce and a meritocratic environment is something that is appealing. Although IBM was fun, the firm’s personality does not match that of my own. After extensive research of Javelin Group and the fact that my favourite projects at IBM were in the consumer goods industry, the culture and what Javelin Group do has greatly intrigued me, acting as motivation for this application.

I want to help solve some of the toughest business problems the world has to offer, with a team that have the capabilities to do so and I want to have fun doing it. This is something I believe I can do at Javelin Group.

My Experience and Understanding of the Retail Industry

My experience at IBM and education at Lancaster has developed my character and has prepared me for a career in consulting at Javelin Group. Although experience has been on varied “(strategy) consulting” projects cross industry, I have worked with clients such as Mondelez and the Co-operative Group while at IBM so, I have an understand of the consumer goods industry. At Mondelez I produced slides and research on how competitors and other firms set their “point of sales” strategy; while at Co-operative I created a profitability calculator for a “Request for Information” meeting, looking at how to improve sales.

Although extensive experience in the Retail industry has not been achieved I do have experience in the consulting industry and how to behave as a consultant in analysing industries, companies, running workshops and producing deliverables to be signed off by the client.

In addition I am also passionate about the retail industry, especially the digital side of the industry. While at IBM I looked at how Santander could derive insights from Twitter (users tweeting about Santander) and then use that information about the users on social media to send promotion offers or “topics of discussions” for when the client next meets with a bank manager. Big unstructured data is changing the landscape for all industries and this is amplified in the retail and consumer goods industry due to the way in which individuals use social media to review products that have emotional elements to them. This has paved the way for a rise in things such as aftersales care (across digital platforms) of the customer in order to maintain repeat clients.

Why Me?

Throughout my working career and education, I have always demanded more from myself. When at IBM I could have worked on one account for the whole year and performed well. However, I demanded more and when opportunities came to work on new projects I jumped at every occasion and was rewarded by being offered a contract for another year at IBM (Executive Assistant to the UKI Leader of Distribution). In addition, this drive can be seen in personal life also, while working I was the youngest member to be invited into the “Warwick Rotary Club” and coached a younger football team in spare time. I feel my traits, experience and drive both in my professional and personal life mean Javelin Group would be the perfect environment for me.