A Winning Cover Letter

[Trigger1]

With the spring week recruiting season being here this is a must-read before you start to write your cover letters.

"What makes a good cover letter for a banking application? Victoria McLean, managing director of City CV and a former recruiter for Goldman Sachs, says it needs to be banking specific – if you’re a student, you can’t just adapt a covering letter from another sector and send that off to a bank. Peter Harrison, managing director of Harrison Careers, a finance-focused careers consultancy, says you need a different cover letter for every job you apply to. Whoever you are, you’ll need to tailor your cover letter to the role you want.

However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t write a cover letter that follows a template, as long as you adapt it each time. This template should follow the following format: Introduction. Why me? Why you? Why this job? In total, the text within the template should be no more than 750 words, or one A4 page, long."

More: http://news.efinancialcareers.com/uk-en/186319/cover-letter-template-will-get-job-banking/

 

[lawrence_neal1]

The post is a bit old but I know here's how to write a winning cover letter:
- adapt it to the company and above all the job position you target
- be clear and concise
- give details about your missions, your objectives and your achievements
Hope it helps

 

[Daniel Plainview1]

For junior positions, banks ultimately want to hire a person who possesses traits that will help the desk make money. It is worth bearing this in mind when you are outlining your specific qualities in the cover letter. One question you will ask yourself several times throughout your career is 'how am I adding value?'. This is the exact same question banks will want to know of new graduates.

As a junior trader for example, your ability to multi-task, to handle pressure and to listen to instructions from senior traders are all desirable skills, so provide examples of times when you have demonstrated such skills to good effect.

 

[Socius1]

I always thought from HR people that the only point about the CL is that there are no errors in it. It is much more crucial to tailor the CV to the position where you apply to.

I see it more as a hurdle with no upside but potential downside.

 

[Gpearson971]

I always thought from HR people that the only point about the CL is that there are no errors in it. It is much more crucial to tailor the CV to the position where you apply to.

I see it more as a hurdle with no upside but potential downside.

Tailor the CV? I always thought that it was the CL that was tailored and the CV was standard?

 

[ShittyBanker1]

Cheers

 

[Mikepolenak1]

Isn't 750 words 3x the usually recommended length? Isn't 250-300 words the optimum length? I am always tempted to write long CLs, but I think that would usually discourage HR people from the start.

 

[azy1431]

Isn't 750 words 3x the usually recommended length? Isn't 250-300 words the optimum length? I am always tempted to write long CLs, but I think that would usually discourage HR people from the start.

Mines about 500 and no-ones ever said its too long?

 

[SephiZack1]

Every cover letter I have read is addressed to a specific person. How do we address it to a specific person for a spring week application?