Sample cover letter for Internship position at Morgan Stanley

Dear MS recruiting Team

I am writing to apply to the Morgan Stanley insight programme running in 2015. I’m an extremely ambitious individual with a hunger to prosper in a fast-paced and dynamic environment and always keen to take on challenges. Despite having just left school, I am still eager to continue learning, albeit in a very different way, and therefore have a strong desire to take part in this spring insight and learn more about not only the business itself, but also the banking industry as a whole and how to be successful within it.

While I am aware of Morgan Stanley position on the financial map and the areas of the company that it places strong emphasizes on –such as wealth management - I am keen to learn more about the specifics of the firm and the individual roles within it – something that would be possible through enrolling on this insight week at Morgan Stanley. During the couple of days I spent at MS this summer, I was able to acquire large amounts of information about certain roles and the expectations that go with them and am keen to learn more.

My motivation for taking part in this programme stems from my interest in the financial markets, and the complexity of the banking world, and my interest was heightened by the work experience I have done at both Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank. A good example of my interest in markets is the time I’ve spent this summer trading online with small demo accounts. Instead of making educated assumptions about the performance of certain stocks and commodities, I would carefully choose two company stocks, two commodities and two currencies to invest in and follow their individual progress. Taking it even further, on a weekly basis I produce a formal, but concise, documented stock pitch for a company of my choice and send it to personal contacts within the banking world - all of whom provide feedback on how to improve my analysis and presentation.

I would say that it is the pace and the way the markets, big or small, are ever changing that attracts me particularly to financial services. As a result, I place confidence in my adaptability to different situations and hope my learning agility will set me above other candidates.

Something that Morgan Stanley prides itself on is its strong sense of teamwork – something that I find comes naturally to me now. Therefore I believe that I am suited to a role within a bank and should thrive in a dynamic environment such as this during the weeks’ insight. Probably the best example in which I have had to both work as a team, and indeed led the group, was during the week-long exercise organized by Entrepreneurs In Action. The role was challenging at times - having to deal with problems that members of team had, as well as resolving disagreements and disputes that arose between team members – however it was a learning experience and extremely enjoyable working with such a large group of people and overcoming stressful situations.

While I am extremely keen to pursue a career in the investment banking world, I am currently unsure which area in particular will best suit me given my skills and previous experiences. Therefore I hope that this programme will not only provide me with the information I need to make a decision about which path I will eventually follow but act as something to set me apart from my peers in future job applications.

Sincerely,