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Prepare for a Consulting Career
MANAGEMENT
CONSULTING
Cover Letters
and Resumes
Six Steps to a Successful Application
1
Management Consulting Cover Letters and Resumes
1st edition
2010 - Consultingfact.com
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management consulting cover letters and resumes
contents
STEP 1:
Introduction Identify Your
01 Relevant Skills
07
ERIC WILLIAMS
STEP 3:
Contact Information / Header 527 Broadway Street Chicago Illinois 60803 Phone: (555) 123-0821 E-mail: ewilliams@email.net
Resume
STEP 2: SUMMARY:
RESUME
Write Your
General management experience from a Fortune 500 shipping company
Structure
Summary Academically well founded with an MBA from a top 20 business school
and a degree in mechanical engineering
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Professional Experience
Resume
08/2009 General Manager, Anders Shipping, Tunis, Tunisia
Your Resume
Responsible for Anders Shippings North African operations covering annual
revenue 20 million USD and a work force of 65 FTEs
Expanded the business into Morocco, which currently contributes with annual
revenue of 5 USD million
Education
07/2004 07/2007 Sourcing Manager, Anders Shipping, New York, NY
16
Headed a sourcing department with 4 FTEs
10
Optimized the procurement of several categories resulting in annual savings of
10 million USD
SKILLS:
PERSONAL INTERESTS:
Full address
Contact Information / Header
STEP 5:
of the firm
Structure
March 1, 2010
Your Cover
Opening Application for Consultant position at Cain & Company
My career plans and conversations with Sr. Associate Consultant Christian Andersen and Case Team
Letter
Leader Peter Jackson about the firm and culture convinced me to pursue a career at Cain & Company. My
educational background in the field of engineering (BSc) and business administration (MBA), along with
my professional experience in a leading shipping company, makes me an excellent candidate for a
position as Consultant.
Experience and Education
I have a varied background which will serve me well as I work with a variety of people in the
Letter
management consulting field. I currently work for Anders Shipping as General Manager with
responsibility for the companys North African operations. It is a position that afforded me the
opportunity to travel widely and develop effective analytical skills and the ability to work with a variety
25
of people. My educational foundation is an MBA from Columford, with a concentration in strategic
Motivation management. I also have an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. Between my undergraduate
and MBA programs, I worked as a Sourcing Manager with Anders Shipping. In my position there, I
served in a leadership capacity, with ten staff in my department. This leadership opportunity has been
invaluable in my continued professional development.
20
There are several characteristics that your firm demonstrates which motivate me to become a part of the
team. Cain & Company has a clear, strong focus on the private equity segment with leading capabilities
Personal Skills within due diligence services. Further, Cain & Company is a truly global firm, which offers a great
opportunity to work in an international environment. I find these qualities highly motivating and
appealing.
Sincerely,
Eric Williams
STEP 6:
Proofread Appendix
and deliver 35
30
3
management consulting cover letters and resumes Introduction
Introduction
Getting into management consulting is
extremely competitive. You need to have Consultingfact.com aspires to be
excellent qualifications, but this is far from the number one online resource for
enough. These great credentials need to be management consulting application and
presented in a professional cover letter and interview preparation. We develop tools
resume in order for you to make it to the and products that will help you land your
interview rounds. The top three consulting dream job in management consulting.
firms receive more than 150,000 applica-
tions a year. Typically, the first screening of Consultingfact.com was founded in
an application does not take more than 45 Copenhagen, Denmark by a former
seconds to complete. It is therefore vitally management consultant from McKinsey
important that your application is focused
and structured. Our aim with this guide is to read in this guide is based on our experience
provide you with the necessary tools to make of receiving offers from management consult-
a professional cover letter and resume that ing firms and recruiting from two of the top
will allow you to compete for a spot in the three firms in the world.
interview rounds. We will ensure that you
Before we get to the business of creat-
do not commit the classic mistakes, which
ing great resumes and cover letters, we just
will get you discarded in an instant. What you
4
management consulting cover letters and resumes Introduction
want to congratulate you with your choice of As a new consultant, you can expect to
career. A career at a management consulting work within all of these practice areas and
firm is definitely recommendable. We know across numerous industries. Your learning
from experience that working in management curve will be steep. Not everybody will make
consulting firms will provide you with variety it to the partner level, but a few years with
of challenging assignments that are bound a consulting firm is an excellent investment
to develop your skill set both on a personal regardless of where you end up. We can defi-
and professional level. nitely recommend it.
Change management
Corporate renewal
Written test
Corporate strategy
Cost & supply chain management Combined verbal and written test
Customer strategy and marketing
Growth strategy
Information technology Case interviews
Mergers and acquisitions
Organization Market estimations
Performance improvement Business cases
Private equity Brain teasers
5
management consulting cover letters and resumes Introduction
Written Test
Most management consulting firms
also test their applicants via a written test.
The written test usually consists of various
numerical and verbal multiple-choice ques-
6
management consulting cover letters and resumes Introduction
Structured thinking
The ability to think in a clear and organized way. This is useful for problem solving
and analysis. Math skills also fall in this category and are often used to exemplify
structured thinking skills.
Business judgment
Have a good judgment of business and strategic issues. This is important for case
solving a key management consulting discipline. A good way of practicing this is
by reading business media and trying to understand the underlying issues behind
different news stories and their respective strategic choices.
Communication:
Both written and oral communication skills are important in management consult-
ing. In this pre-interview phase you should focus on your written communication
skills. Be clear and to the point in your written and oral messages.
Personal impact:
Personal impact is hard to define, but think about it sometimes you are around
people who are good at influencing others. As management consulting firms look
for future leaders, they will look for that leadership talent in you.
Team skills:
Cooperation with other people is essential as a management consultant, you work
in project teams and are surrounded by both clients and coworkers. These must
be demonstrated while you are presenting during an interview, whether they are
explained or shown through actions.
7
management consulting cover letters and resumes Introduction
8
STEP 1:
Identify Your
Relevant Skills
This step will show you...
STEP 1:
Identify Your
Relevant Skills
Before for you start any writing, the first achievement you list must relate to at least
thing you need to do is to analyze your own one of six management consulting key suc-
profile in order to determine what your key cess factors: structured thinking, business
selling points are for a job as a management judgment, communication, personal impact,
consultant. team skills or drive and motivation.
Start by making a long list of your sig- To help you decide which of your achieve-
nificant achievements, experiences, skills ments and experiences are relevant for a job
and interests in a professional, academic or in management consulting, you can use the
personal setting. Armed with your long list, below framework. Plot in your achievements
it is now time to prioritize it. Keep in mind in the first column and tick off which of the six
that the achievements need to be relevant success factors it relates to. Note that an item
to management consulting, thus each of the can easily cover more than one success factor.
10
management consulting cover letters and resumes Identify Your Relevant Skills
Skills:
Fluent in Spanish X
Experienced Microsoft
X
Excel user
Experienced Microsoft
X
PowerPoint user
-
Personal interests:
Ran a marathon X
The above framework is filled with examples to guide you. See the appendix of this
11
guide for an empty version of the above table, which you can use for your own analysis.
management consulting cover letters and resumes Identify Your Relevant Skills
Management consulting firms are aware that most recent graduates do not have
substantial professional experience, but keep in mind that you still need to show that
you fulfill all six success factors.
Professional Experience
In the management consulting world, pro- your professional experience with a potential
fessional experience is extremely important, a jobyou want the recruiter to see that you
commodity that is never overlooked and can have the potential to think in a way that is
usually be one of the deciding factors when beneficial to management consulting. Busi-
hiring someone for a new position. If you ness sense goes hand in hand with your pro-
have had a limited amount of professional fessional experience, you want to show that
experience (still a student or recently gradu- you have the business sense to last and be
ated), then include all jobs you have had as an successful in management consulting.
adultwhether it is being a teaching assistant
Communication of your experience is
at university or working part-time as an office
key, so remember to explain everything you
clerk. The key is to show drive and motivation
have done so that everything is clear to the
in any sort of professional capacity, and if that
recruiter. When telling about your previous
does not include the field you are applying for,
work experience, consider how each job
you must prove that what you have is relevant
affected you personally and utilize those emo-
as well. There is another side to the coin,
tions or thoughts in constructing the way you
however. You should not have a multitude of
detail each previous experience. Also keep
irrelevant jobs that you have only listed to fill
in mind the times you worked with a team,
spacebe conscious of what will make you
whether on a specific project or if your whole
seem like the best candidate for the job.
job was as part of a team, because it is always
Consider the ways your professional expe- useful to have someone who works well on
rience can apply to the six management con- a team. The quality and sometimes quantity
sulting success factors. Structured thinking of your professional experience can reveal
is one of the most important things that link the type of drive and motivation you have to
12
management consulting cover letters and resumes Identify Your Relevant Skills
succeedalways show that you put yourself or graduating from a top-notch university are
wholeheartedly into all of your previous work perfect indicators of an applicant with great
experience. drive and motivation.
Education Skills
This section is obviously most important This section is obviously going to be dif-
when you are applying for jobs as a recent ferent from person to person, and you should
graduate; the prestige of your school as well always try to be somewhat introspective and
as your GPA and extracurricular activities will ask yourself, What other relevant skills do I
be your key selling points. When possible, possess that are NOT included in professional
be sure to include anything special about experience or formal education? Examples
courses you have taken, i.e. if you studied could be language/cultural knowledge, spe-
abroad or organizations you were involved cial software knowledge (such as Bloomberg,
in related to academics. Relevant experience etc.), or applied skills (such as advanced finan-
such as helping professors in consulting proj- cial modelling). Skills can be applicable all
ects, co-writing papers, etc., is always useful over the board, depending on each different
to include. This section will require the most capability.
detail and emphasis for recent graduates.
Skills like the learning of a new language
They will need to prove themselves to man-
or computer programming are very useful in
agement consulting recruiters without having
communication, as it gives you an advantage
much professional experience.
in those areas that other applicants do not
Again, communication is important in have. Skills like these can also have a pro-
explaining your school, the activities you par- found personal impact, because they often
ticipated in, and any awards you won while take hard work to develop and you can learn
at university. The experiences you had as a many things along the way that should be
student are likely to have affected you in many communicated in your resume or cover letter.
ways, so you want to be sure to show that Using examples of team skills learned can be
your university experience shaped you and very important to a management consulting
taught you many skills that would make you recruiter, as long as you make them applicable
an excellent management consultant. Exam- to the position to which you are applying. A
ples of leadership in campus organizations are great example is having built team via volun-
a great way to show that you have solid team tary work outside of the school system.
skills and can apply them to a management
consulting position. Having a high GPA and/
13
management consulting cover letters and resumes Identify Your Relevant Skills
Interests
Once you have portioned out the majority include. These can especially stand out in the
of yourself within the categories of profes- mind of the recruiter if they are voluntary
sional experience, education, and key skills, and positive in the community. This can be
it is time to include everything else that does anything from monthly soup kitchen working
not fit into those categories. This especially to coaching a youth football team.
helps you stand out from other candidates
Applying your own personality to manage-
in the recruiters mindsit gives your profile
ment consulting can be somewhat difficult,
some specific qualities that set you apart.
but it is your responsibility to find ways to
You should be sure to include membership shape your own interests in a way that boosts
in any organizations (anything from profes- your management consulting resume and
sional to social) as well as any responsibilities cover letter. Interests that help you build your
or leadership roles you have taken within the skills and improve yourself are very useful
organization. Otherwise, any extracurricular in showing your structured thinking skills as
hobbies or interests relevant to the position well as your forward thinking in regards to
you are applying for are also important to business.
Continental European applicants are allowed to put more emphasis on their personal
hobbies. This can be anything from hiking to motorcycles and will help you differenti-
ate yourself from the candidates.
Refer back to the framework and see how your experiences, skills, and interests can be
examples of each category can fit into the six useful in your application for a management
success factors of management consulting. consulting position.
Now you can easily see how any and all of
14
Contact Information / Header
Resume
Summary
Professional Experience
Education
Skills
Personal Interests
STEP 2:
Structure
Your Resume
STEP 2:
Structure Your
Resume
Successful resumes for management con- The recruiters will likely look at your
sulting positions need to be well-planned and resume for no more than 45 seconds. There-
thought out. You cannot just take a standard fore, your resume must stand out. Manage-
resume you have used in the past and email ment consulting firms look for the most qual-
it. Instead, you need to look at each aspect ified and talented employees possible, so
of your professional career as well as your building a resume is about marketing yourself
personal interests and skills. Next, place them to your potential employer. You should by
in an ordered, clear, and informative manner now have identified your relevant skills. The
that will put a positive light on you within the link between those skills and the way you
context of management consulting. This sec- present them is the main deciding factor in
tion will help you structure and design your whether or not you progress to the interview
resume clearly and concisely. stage.
United States vs. Europe A good resume lists the usual qualifica-
tions for a management consulting job, but
In North America, the term resume a great resume should also stand out to a
is often used, while Europeans use recruiter by illustrating the applicants unique
the term curriculum vitae. personality and above-and-beyond creden-
tials.
16
management consulting cover letters and resumes Structure Your Resume
Structure Length
The resume should be structured con- The ideal resume fits as much information
cisely and direct, written solely in a pro- as possible on a single page, and it should
fessional manner that gives your potential only go over this if necessary. If you find it
employers proper knowledge of your relevant necessary to move onto a second page, there
qualifications. Remember that resumes are should at least be a half page of content if not
not one-size-fits-all. Each time you submit a the entire page. Recently graduated appli-
resume it should be tailored towards the job cants without significant professional experi-
you are applying for. ence should keep the resume on one page.
In the US, the purpose of your resume is to sell your results while the purpose in
Europe is to sell yourself. In the US, experienced applicants should give a brief account
of each position theyve held and any other qualifications. In Europe, however, it is
normal to summarize all of your professional experience as well as your education.
Because the European recruiters ask for more content, it is normal for a resume to be
about two pages as opposed to the conciseness of American resumes, which should
be about one page. European management consulting firms want to know more
about you than American firms. Personal information (age, marital status, and race)
and a photograph are encouraged in some places such as Germany. American firms,
however, do not need or want to know much about who you are, they just want to
know what you have done and what you can do for their firm in the future.
17
management consulting cover letters and resumes Structure Your Resume
Resume
Summary
Professional Experience
Education
Skills
Personal Interests
18
management consulting cover letters and resumes Structure Your Resume
19
management consulting cover letters and resumes Structure Your Resume
the motivation and drive it takes to run a No single layout guarantees success, and
marathon are much more impressive and we suggest that you get inspired by one of our
relevant to management consulting than win- design templates in the Appendix. Below are
ning a fantasy football league. Be very aware some important guidelines that you should
of what the recruiters are looking for, and list always keep in mind when designing your
relevant interests that are likely to impress resume:
them and make you seem like a capable and
superb candidate for the position. Volunteer
D o not exaggerate your design
work in the community is also quite valuable,
Remember that the management con-
because showing your values and work ethic
sulting industry is rather conservative,
outside of the office can help you stand out
therefore resumes hoping to shine in
as a management consulting prospect.
that field should be clear and simple
Design to follow
Between the amount of resumes that Maintain formatting consistency (if
management consulting firms receive and you use something like italics, capi-
the amount of time allowed to screen each tal letters, bullet points, bold font, or
resume, it is easy to see how it is very impor- underlining, be sure to use each in the
tant for your resume to stand out. Even same context throughout the resume)
though the screening process within each Do not exaggerate with font size or
management consulting firm is very profes- use non-traditional fonts. We suggest
sional and content-based, it still requires you that you use one of the fonts below:
to focus on design of your resume. Not only Calibri Tahoma Times New Roman
can the wrong layout give an underwhelming
Make sure there is space on your
impression to those reading your resume, but
resume both in the margins and
an unappealing layout can just as easily send
between sections
your resume into the trash.
Do not use colors
20
ERIC WILLIAMS
527 Broadway Street Chicago Illinois 60803 Phone: (555) 123-0821 E-mail: ewilliams@email.net
RESUME
SUMMARY:
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
EDUCATION:
SKILLS:
PERSONAL INTERESTS:
Write
Your Resume
This step will show you...
STEP 3:
Write Your
Resume
You should now have structured the ing for someone who is well-rounded. Your
resume and be aware of the formatting resume should include multiple items within
requirements. The last part is to compile the each category. While professional experience
content and write your resume. is obviously the most important part of your
resume, do not neglect the other sections.
Do not use technical language
Be sure that you use language applicable Simplify titles etc.
to various types of business backgrounds. If It may seem impressive to say you held
your background is non-business (such as the position of Director of Creative Oper-
engineering), use language that non-engi- ations, but will the recruiter reading your
neers can understand when you refer to resume understand what this means? Most
a position you have held or a project you likely, those reading your resume outside
worked on. the context of your former employers will
not. When in doubt, simplify the terminol-
Organize in categories
ogy you use.
It is very important that you put each item
in its proper category. For example, even if
Do not lie or exaggerate the facts in
you ran a marathon with some buddies from
your resume. The recruiter might check
!
work, it still counts as a personal interest or
your references or research about you
accomplishment, not professional experience.
on the internet.
Management consulting recruiters are look-
22
management consulting cover letters and resumes Write Your Resume
23
Contact Information / Header
Full address
of the firm
Title Date
Opening
Motivation
Personal Skills
Closing
Signature
STEP 4:
Structure Your
Cover Letter
This step will show you...
STEP 4:
Structure Your
Cover Letter
Most people find it hard to write a cover
letter due to its rather subjective nature. Before you start writing the cover letter,
Cover letters are very important in your appli- you should read this chapter. It is impor-
!
cation to a management consulting firm, so tant to know the proper structure and
there is no way around it. A great consult- format the document correctly before
ing cover letter leaves the recruiter with the you start to write. This order will save
impression that the candidate is extraordinary you a lot of time, as you will know
and has the necessary skills to perform well exactly what content you need once
as a management consultant. These include you reach step 5.
a candidates written communication skills,
which among other things show how diligent that the applicant has done the homework
a candidate is in grammar, spelling, etc. Fur- and performed the mandatory research on
ther, a great cover letter also demonstrates the specific firm and the industry.
25
management consulting cover letters and resumes Structure Your Cover Letter
Full address
of the firm
Title Date
Opening
Motivation
Personal Skills
Closing
Signature
26
management consulting cover letters and resumes Structure Your Cover Letter
27
management consulting cover letters and resumes Structure Your Cover Letter
28
management consulting cover letters and resumes Structure Your Cover Letter
Example of a closing:
!
I have enclosed my resume, diplomas and grade transcript for your review and look
forward to hearing from you. If you need any references from my latest position,
please do not hesitate to contact me.
29
ERIC WILLIAMS
527 Broadway Street Chicago Illinois 60803 Phone: (555) 123-0821 E-mail: ewilliams@email.net
March 1, 2010
My career plans and conversations with Sr. Associate Consultant Christian Andersen and Case Team
Leader Peter Jackson about the firm and culture convinced me to pursue a career at Cain & Company. My
educational background in the field of engineering (BSc) and business administration (MBA), along with
my professional experience in a leading shipping company, makes me an excellent candidate for a
position as Consultant.
I have a varied background which will serve me well as I work with a variety of people in the
management consulting field. I currently work for Anders Shipping as General Manager with
responsibility for the companys North African operations. It is a position that afforded me the
opportunity to travel widely and develop effective analytical skills and the ability to work with a variety
of people. My educational foundation is an MBA from Columford, with a concentration in strategic
management. I also have an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. Between my undergraduate
and MBA programs, I worked as a Sourcing Manager with Anders Shipping. In my position there, I
served in a leadership capacity, with ten staff in my department. This leadership opportunity has been
invaluable in my continued professional development.
There are several characteristics that your firm demonstrates which motivate me to become a part of the
team. Cain & Company has a clear, strong focus on the private equity segment with leading capabilities
within due diligence services. Further, Cain & Company is a truly global firm, which offers a great
opportunity to work in an international environment. I find these qualities highly motivating and
appealing.
I am enclosing my resume for your review, and I look forward to hearing from you. If I may provide
further information for you, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Eric Williams
STEP 5:
Write
Your Resume
This step will show you...
STEP 5:
Write the Cover
Letter
It is time to write the cover letter now, cover letter is pressed for time, so you should
once you have considered the structure, con- aim to write it concisely, and at the same time
tents and the formatting. be thorough. This requires you to be very pre-
cise in your wording. I.e., do not include extra
As mentioned before, communication is
words and unnecessary details and leave out
one of the six management consulting success
lengthy explanations. Use short and simple
factors. This includes written communication.
words, sentences, and paragraphs.
You should therefore use a clear, concise, and
professional language. Your cover letter needs Do not use technical language
to inspire confidence with a business-like Management consultants have various
tone. At the same time you should also avoid backgrounds, but you must always assume
using old fashioned and over-polite language. that they are experts in business issues.
Below are tips for writing your cover letter. Remember this when you write your cover
letter. If you have a non-business background,
Be concise but thorough
be careful with the words you choose to
You can expect that the reader of your
describe your background. If you are an engi-
31
management consulting cover letters and resumes Write Your Cover Letter
32
STEP 6:
Proofread and
Deliver
This step will show you...
STEP 6:
Proofread and
Deliver
Once you are finished with writing of your Cover Letter Proofreading
resume and cover letter, you must thoroughly Check all the facts on your cover letter.
check for spelling, grammatical, and format- Besides the language, double check all firm
ting errors. names, addresses and names. Cover letter
mistake number one is to include the wrong
Resume Proofreading
firm name that is an automatic trip to the
Look over the facts and make sure all infor-
trash bin.
mation is correct, just in case your employer
goes fact-checking with one of your refer- Have at least one other person check
ences. Be sure you have the proper dates !
your cover letter and resume for spell-
listed for your former jobs, as well as your ing and grammar errors.
position titles and the type of work you did.
In this regard, proofreading is not just about
Delivery
errors in your typing; it gives you another
When you feel confident that your cover
chance to be sure you are writing your resume
letter and resume are both ready, there is still
in an effective, honest manner.
some work to do. Different consulting firms
have different ways of accepting applications.
Take a long break before proofreading.
! The same firm usually also has varying policies
You should preferably do it another day
in from country to country so make sure to
to have a fresh mindset and you will
check this. The two most common ways of
probably see mistakes that you did not
delivery are either through email or through
see before.
an online application form.
34
management consulting cover letters and resumes Proofread and deliver
You should save your application in a PDF You need to make sure that the PDF files
file. The great advantage of PDF files is that you send are not too large (more than 5 MB).
they keep the exact formatting regardless of Some email servers will simply not allow the
which operating system or application saves consulting firm to receive large files and you
or opens the file. It does not even matter risk the firm not receiving your application.
whether it is a PC or a Mac. Never send your
The content of the email itself should be
application in original Word files. Sometimes
rather neutral do not try to grab the atten-
they include different revisions of your docu-
tion of the recruiter by using creative subject
ment, and this might cause problems. The
lines. A couple of ideas for them are:
easiest way to save your application as a PDF
file is to use PDF printer software. Search Mark Beck, Management Consulting
on this term on Google and you should find Intern
plenty for free. Sarah Nielsen, Experienced Hire Applica-
tion
Email delivery
The body text of the email should be very
There are a couple of things you need to
short, and should basically state the position
be aware of when sending your application
you are applying to, a list of the attached files,
via email.
and your contact details. Remember that
email body text is not an application.
35
Appendix
Contents of the Appendix
Skills:
Personal interests:
37
management consulting cover letters and resumes Appendix
The action verbs below are the most commonly used. Use them in both the cover letter and resume.
38
management consulting cover letters and resumes Appendix
Alexander J. Powers
th
2837 50 Street | Atlanta | Georgia 30330 |Phone: (123) 555-0050 | E-mail: apowers@email.com
August 1, 2010
Atlanta, Georgia
McConsult & Company, Inc.
45 Business street
Atlanta, Georgia, 30305
After attending a workshop with McConsult & Company employees in Atlanta January 25, I was
convinced that working for McConsult & Company would be the right thing for me. Because of my
established leadership experience and my analytical and problem solving abilities, I believe that I am an
excellent fit for McConsult & Company.
I recently graduated from the University of Atlanta with a bachelors degree in economics. As you may
know, acceptance into the University of Atlantas School of Business is very competitive, and the school
is consistently on the Princetons Top 10 U.S. Business Colleges. The economics degree program at UA
allowed me the flexibility of choosing a minor in consulting. My GPA in this rigorous program was 3.80,
including a 4.0 in the consulting minor coursework. While studying at UA, I found that, while there were
organizations for business students in other areas, no society for undergraduate economics students
existed. I founded, and subsequently became the first President of the UA Economics Society. In addition
to these learning and leadership opportunities, I did an internship at JP Sachs Investment Bank in New
York. At JP Sachs, I further developed and applied my analytical capabilities in the area of corporate
finance with special emphasis on valuation techniques.
Working in the management consulting area has become my primary professional goal. Of all of the
areas I could pursue with my degree and experience, this area provides the best fit and the most
challenge. My impression of McConsult & Companys culture is a winning one where enthusiastic people
desire continuous personal challenges and development, with teamwork being of utmost priority. Such
culture intrigues and motivates me. Also, McConsult & Companys leading position in the market, makes
it an obvious organization to pursue a career.
Management consulting is a field in which I can put the person abilities I have developed into practice.
These include leadership, analytical skills, communication skills, and creativity. As president of the UA
Economics Society, I developed the ability to listen carefully to opposing sides, the ability to gain
information from many sources and synthesize it, and the ability to work with a variety of people. These
skills would serve me well in the position of Business Analyst.
I have enclosed my resume and academic transcript for your review, and I look forward to hearing from
you. If you need any further information, including references, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Alexander Powers
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management consulting cover letters and resumes Appendix
Alexander J. Powers
th
2837 50 Street | Atlanta | Georgia 30330 |Phone: (123) 555-0050 | E-mail: apowers@email.com
RESUME
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Jun 2009 Aug 2010 Summer Intern
JP Sachs Investment Bank, New York, NY
Valued and analyzed utility and toll road companies as a member of the
transaction team in a top tier investment banks private equity unit.
Sep 2008 Jun 2010 Teaching Assistant, University of Atlanta (UA), Atlanta, GA
EDUCATION
Sep 2007 Jun 2010 Bachelor of Science in Economics, University of Atlanta (UA), Atlanta, GA
GPA: 3.9 (top 5%)
Aug 2004 Jun 2007 High School Diploma, Allen High School, Port Thomas, GA
GPA: 3.8
SKILLS
Language:
Fluent in French and English
Computer Skills:
Expert:
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.
Working knowledge:
Bloomberg
PERSONAL INTERESTS
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management consulting cover letters and resumes Appendix
ERIC WILLIAMS
527 Broadway Street Chicago Illinois 60803 Phone: (555) 123-0821 E-mail: ewilliams@email.net
March 1, 2010
My career plans and conversations with Sr. Associate Consultant Christian Andersen and Case Team
Leader Peter Jackson about the firm and culture convinced me to pursue a career at Cain & Company. My
educational background in the field of engineering (BSc) and business administration (MBA), along with
my professional experience in a leading shipping company, makes me an excellent candidate for a
position as Consultant.
I have a varied background which will serve me well as I work with a variety of people in the
management consulting field. I currently work for Anders Shipping as General Manager with
responsibility for the companys North African operations. It is a position that afforded me the
opportunity to travel widely and develop effective analytical skills and the ability to work with a variety
of people. My educational foundation is an MBA from Columford, with a concentration in strategic
management. I also have an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. Between my undergraduate
and MBA programs, I worked as a Sourcing Manager with Anders Shipping. In my position there, I
served in a leadership capacity, with ten staff in my department. This leadership opportunity has been
invaluable in my continued professional development.
There are several characteristics that your firm demonstrates which motivate me to become a part of the
team. Cain & Company has a clear, strong focus on the private equity segment with leading capabilities
within due diligence services. Further, Cain & Company is a truly global firm, which offers a great
opportunity to work in an international environment. I find these qualities highly motivating and
appealing.
I am enclosing my resume for your review, and I look forward to hearing from you. If I may provide
further information for you, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Eric Williams
41
management consulting cover letters and resumes Appendix
ERIC WILLIAMS
527 Broadway Street Chicago Illinois 60803 Phone: (555) 123-0821 E-mail: ewilliams@email.net
RESUME
SUMMARY:
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
EDUCATION:
SKILLS:
PERSONAL INTERESTS:
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management consulting cover letters and resumes Appendix
Whitney Coleman
UPenn Box 283940
Philadelphia, PA 28304
(378) 398-0937
whit.coleman@email.com
January 3, 2010
StarConsulting
290 75th Street
Philadelphia, PA 29034
My considerations for a future career as a management consultant lead me to explore the possibility of an
internship position at StarConsulting. I learned about this position from Senior Associate Lynn Howard. My
strong academic record and leadership skills could contribute great value to StarConsulting.
Through my management consulting classes I have learned a great amount about the theories and work
flows behind management consulting. I have demonstrated high academic performance and my current
GPA is at 3.9/4.0. I have also been a member of the Management Consulting Association (MCA) during my
time here, and I served as president in 2009 where I helped other students make valuable connections with
management consulting professionals as well as provide opportunities for students to find internships.
I find the management consulting industry very interesting as I like to work with competent people with
diverse backgrounds. Also, I like to push the limits and develop myself professionally and personally. An
internship with StarConsulting would be a great start on my career as you have a great reputation on
focusing on developing the interns substantially during the program.
The position as president of MCA developed my leadership skills and taught me how to run projects in
larger teams. The fellow students usually gave me positive feedback about my abilities on motivating them.
I would be a great asset to your organization as an intern and hopefully a full-time management consultant
in the future. Enclosed to this cover letter, you will find my resume and grade transcripts. Please let me
know if you need further information or references for any of my previous positions.
Sincerely,
Whitney Coleman
1
43
management consulting cover letters and resumes Appendix
Whitney Coleman
UPenn Box 283940
Philadelphia, PA 28304
(378) 398-0937
whit.coleman@email.com
Resume
Summary I am a Finance Major with strong analytical and leadership skills. My objective is to obtain
an internship and eventually full-time employment with a management consulting firm.
Software skills Advanced skills in Excel and PowerPoint, User skills in Microsoft Project
Language skills Fluent English and Spanish
2
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management consulting cover letters and resumes
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