Sample cover letter for Internship position at lazard

1. What it is about Lazard that has made you want to apply to its Spring Insight Programme?

• Why does Lazard stand out amongst its competitors?
• Why do you think Lazard would benefit from employing you?
• What do you think you would gain from working for Lazard?

I was fortunate to meet Lazard representatives at LSE, and interacting with them made me realise that the entrepreneurial and collaborative culture at Lazard is what I am looking for. Lazard has also impressed me with its strong global presence and small deal teams. Through further research, I found out that Lazard remained unharmed and even managed to report a huge in both revenues and profits in 2010, stood out from its competitors after the financial crisis. I believe one of the reasons lies in Lazard’s particular focus on financial advisory and asset management. I am always a good team player and willing to take responsibility. For example, as the event officer of LSE China Development Society, I co-organized the Bridging Minds Symposium, one of flagship events, and successfully invited Professor Danny Quah and four student representatives in the panel discussion. These experiences helped me become more proactive, detail-oriented and persistent. During my internship at Soochow Securities, I worked on the initial public offering of Etron Electronics & Co. and conducted an in-depth research of the global solar energy storage market. It not only furthered my ability to work under pressure but also improved my technical knowledge, especially accounting and valuation. Studying towards a BSc Economics degree also equips me with strong numerical skills and commercial awareness. Apart from these experiences, dancing and practicing new dance moves cultivate my positive attitude, confidence and stamina, which are very transferable to the fast-paced working environment. The spring internship opportunity provided by Lazard to expose myself to the frameworks of such a prestigious company and further my understanding of the industry makes me compelled to apply. Through this internship, I could develop myself further to suit Lazard’s environment and hopefully be a part of Lazard’s success in the future.

2. Tell us something about yourself or something you have experienced that will differentiate you from other candidates applying for the programme.

• What is the characteristic/experience?
• Why have you chosen this characteristic/experience to differentiate yourself?
• How would this characteristic/experience be useful to Lazard?

As the vice director of school prom last year, I was proud that I contributed to its success besides furthering my teamwork, leadership and problem-solving skills. As it was the first time for students to organize a prom, we had to start everything from scratch. Seeking sponsorship was extremely vital. Working as a team of 5, I took the leading role in drafting pitch books and negotiating with companies. However, the result didn’t come as what we expected and only one of fifteen companies agreed to offer us the sponsorship. As a leader, I decided to confront this challenge by finding alternative solution. After thorough contemplation and advisory from the director, I decided to gain sponsorship from our school. In the end, our efforts paid off after negotiating with school principal and financial officer for nearly 10 times, and we received £1000 in sponsorship funding. This laid foundation for the smooth running and success of the prom, which attracted over 200 attendants. Through this experience, I have not only built my leadership skills but also successfully overcame the difficulty of funding shortage. In addition, this example demonstrates my teamwork, time management skills and responsibility, which are the qualities that differentiate me from other candidates. I understand that in financial advisory, employees need to have the ability to meet tight deadlines, work under stress and cope with unprecedented challenges. I hope this experience showed my capability to thrive in situations where I am challenged to perform at my highest level.