Sample cover letter for Full Time position at Mckinsey

McKinsey Silicon Valley,

3075A Hansen Way

Palo Alto, CA 94304

United States

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to convey my interest for the Pharmaceutical and Medical Products Associate as advertised on your website.

I am an Imperial college graduate with a 2:1 in biochemistry and with an MRes with distinction in cancer biology. I am nearing the completion of an AstraZeneca CASE studentship PhD engineering theranostic liposomes for cancer therapy under the supervision of Prof. Kostas Kostarelos at the University of Manchester with the support of Dr. Ashford and Dr. Gellert at AstraZeneca. Throughout my scientific training, my focus has been to position myself in a role engineering novel constructs for cancer intervention. After successfully doing this, I am looking to leave academia and pursue a role in consultancy where I feel that my strengths will be better utilised.

I strongly believe that as a global consultancy, McKinsey would provide me an environment which would nurture my analytical and problem solving skills over a wide range of specialities. With my most recent training being in cancer drug development and oncology I am very interested in working with a company which solves problems relating to this field. With a background in biochemistry and a PhD in drug development, I have a good understanding of drug development strategies, therapeutic mechanisms and clinical data analysis. The innovative and critical approach with which your company addresses challenges resonates with my own approach to drug development and practical problem resolution. The milieus in which McKinsey works and the philosophy it takes to approach challenges would appear to nurture a fast-paced, stimulating and exciting work environment which I would like to become a part of.

My research experience is a varied one, which has taken me through a number of projects forcing me to gain a great deal of understanding of a number of disease areas, as well as differing scientific disciplines. My first research experience in which I provided AFM micrographs of protein networks in lipid-water interfaces at the UK Institute of Food Research under Prof. Vic Morris MBE. I developed analytical skills and useful experience working within a multidisciplinary government institute where my insight into biochemistry was valued as a rare commodity. This stimulated me to network with different departments of the institute to impact the development of the project. This led me to have my work presented at the 2010 World Congress for Food Science and Technology in Cape Town. I also gained a useful insight into research abroad working at the University of Southern California on a diabetes based molecular biology project under the supervision of Prof. Bangyan Stiles. I subsequently returned to this lab after being awarded the Lee summer studentship to investigate the molecular causes of liver fibrosis and its intervention.

After gaining a good understanding of biochemistry and experience in many biological and in vitro techniques, I joined Prof. Mahendra Deonarain, (now CSO at Antikor Biopharma), constructing antibody drug conjugates based on an scFv against a popular cancer biomarker, and a photosensitiser the group had developed. This gave me practical wet chemistry, formulation, purification and spectroscopic analytical techniques experience, whilst I developed the construct with which I carried out in vitro photodynamic cell cytotoxicity assays involving the use of a class 4 LASER.

After spending my scientific career in academia, I have gained an understanding of oncology from a molecular level, to the development of novel constructs for its intervention spanning a number of fields of study. My background in biochemistry gave me a little foundation for my PhD which was very much in the field of colloid chemistry, but allowed me to contextualise the strategy for the development of liposomal therapeutics, a field which I rapidly came to understand in great detail. My enthusiasm, and attention to detail has allowed me to overcome and understand the hindrances in the development of these novel constructs, providing me the resilience to learn from failure and further optimise my systems. This has resulted in my development of a number of systems of which I am truly proud.

Although I have spent the majority of my PhD working independently, I see myself as a good team player, truly enjoying the opportunities I have had to work with others towards common goals, whilst supporting those in need of technical and scientific insight. My varied background has allowed me to integrate well into a highly multidisciplinary and international lab. My ability to learn quickly has allowed me to understand and participate intellectually with everyone in the group, and nourished my understanding of the field of drug delivery and nanomedicine. I have been lucky as part of my PhD, to have had the opportunity to become confident in delivering numerous presentations, in a number of different settings both internal every 4-6 weeks within the lab and the university, as well as to legends of the liposome field in an international conference (CLINAM), and at AstraZeneca at the last two PhD review days.

I also spent time working in Palestine as part of an NGO teaching English in refugee camps, An-Najah university and a political youth club. During this time I also gained experience in journalism and provided security to the local population as best I could. Finding work there forced me to network extensively both to better understand the political and security situation as well as finding positions where my expertise would be best valued. I quickly learned some conversational Arabic in order to gain the trust of the local population, quickly making friends and gaining a better understanding of the situations at hand. With a turbulent security situation at times, I was forced to keep a clear head under stressful conditions and work as a team to protect those with whom we were working.

The reason I am applying for this role is to become involved in the implementation of the skills I have learned to help others. I have long yearned to be involved with projects which have potential practical applications rather than those which are limited to just improving scientific understanding however noble and fascinating. I feel that I can provide constructive scientific insight, enjoy the opportunity to use the wealth of available resources and bring an enthusiastic and diligent work ethic to a role in this division. I believe that McKinsey can provide the introduction and innovative atmosphere with which I can build a foundation in consultancy. I hope to develop the skills and leadership to progress within the consultancy industry and influence the development and conception of innovative projects.

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.