Consulting Cover Letter - The Perfect Structure and Template

15/03/2022, 18:41 Consulting Cover Letter: The Perfect Structure and Template
Consulting Cover Letter: The Perfect

Structure and Template
What is a Consulting Cover Letter?

A consulting cover letter is a document that introduces yourself to a recruiter or resume

reviewer. In addition to your resume, cover letters are another component of your
application that consulting firms use to determine whether or not you should receive an
interview.
Cover letters are a quick way to screen out weak candidates. A cover letter that is generic
and filled with errors leaves a negative impression on readers. Poor cover letters signal a
lack of interest in consulting, poor writing skills, and a lack of attention to detail.
However, cover letters are also an opportunity to distinguish yourself from other candidates.
They can help get your foot into the door for a consulting job interview.
Through a cover letter, you can go beyond what is listed on your resume and provide further
context and background on your work experiences. Additionally, you have the opportunity
to tell readers who you are as a person, what your motivations are, and what makes you
special.
Cover letters also give you an opportunity to explain potential red flags in your application
or profile. Do you have a low GPA? Do you have a long gap in your work history? You can use
part of your cover letter to address these concerns.
Overall, if your resume is on the borderline between receiving an interview and not receiving
an interview your cover letter will be the deciding factor Candidates that don’t have the
https://hackingthecaseinterview.thinkific.com/pages/consulting-cover-letter 1/13
an interview, your cover letter will be the deciding factor. Candidates that don t have the
strongest resumes benefit the most from having outstanding cover letters.
While your resume is the most important component in getting consulting job interviews,
your cover letter can still make a meaningful and significant difference.
What do Recruiters Look for in Consulting Cover Letters?

Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of consulting recruiters. What would we want to see in a
candidate’s cover letter?
Ideally, we would want to interview candidates that have the highest potential to become
great consultants. In order to determine which candidates would make great future
consultants, we need to look at their background and work experiences to determine if they
have the right skills and qualities to succeed in consulting.
We would also want to interview candidates that are genuinely interested in a career in
consulting. It is a huge waste of resources to interview candidates that applied last-minute
because they are unsure of what kind of career they want to pursue.
Finally, we would only want to interview candidates that would likely accept a job offer if
given one. Interviewing candidates that are applying to the firm as a backup choice is not
ideal because it is a waste of resources since these candidates may not even accept the job
offer if given one.
Therefore, recruiters look for three major things in consulting cover letters:
Does the candidate have the skills, experiences, and background to become a
great consultant?

Does the candidate understand consulting and what they are getting into?

Is the candidate genuinely interested in working for the firm?

To have an outstanding consulting cover letter, you will need to address all of these points
and remove any doubt from the recruiter’s mind on whether you would be a great
candidate to interview.
How to Write the Best Consulting Cover Letter

There are six components to a great consulting cover letter. We’ll go through each section
and describe exactly how to best write each component.
Header

Salutation

Opening paragraph

Three body paragraphs

Closing paragraph

Signature

Header
This section of the cover letter is a formality. You’ll want to include the following information
in the header section:
Name

Email

Phone Number

Date you are sending the letter

Although your resume will already have this information, you want your cover letter to also
have your contact information to make it as easy as possible for recruiters to contact you.
Keep the header short to give yourself more room to write your cover letter.
Salutation
You should tailor your salutation to the consulting firm that you are applying for. Do not
start your cover letter with “To whom it may concern.” This salutation is not personalized
and feels cold.
Instead, identify which recruiter is the primary point of contact for you and address the
cover letter to that recruiter and their team. If you can’t identify the head recruiter, address
the cover letter to members of the consulting firm’s recruiting team.
Here are a few examples of salutations you can use:
Dear [Recruiter] and members of the McKinsey recruiting team,

To [Recruiter] and the Bain recruiting team,

Dear members of the BCG recruiting team,

Opening paragraph
The first sentence of your opening paragraph should be a powerful statement that
summarizes your areas of expertise and the number of years of experience. If you had to
summarize your entire background and work experience into one sentence, what would it
sound like?
This powerful opening sentence is used to grab the reader’s attention and introduce
yourself in an impressive way.
The second sentence should state what specific role you are applying for at the consulting
firm. Do you research to ensure that you are using the correct job title since many
consulting firms have different job titles for similar positions.
For example, McKinsey’s entry level role is called “Business Analyst,” BCG’s entry level role is
called “Associate,” and Bain’s entry level role is called “Associate Consultant.”
McKinsey’s post-MBA role is called “Associate” while BCG and Bain’s post-MBA role is called
“Consultant.”
The next sentence should describe why you are interested in the consulting firm. Do your
research on the consulting firm so that you are giving specific, compelling reasons why you
are interested. You need to convince readers that their firm is your top choice.
Example: I am a marketing professional with four years of experience working on digital

marketing projects that have generated over $100M in revenue at Amazon and Walmart. I am
excited to be applying for McKinsey’s Associate position. I am attracted to McKinsey because of
the firm’s leadership in their Marketing & Sales practice, unparalleled investment in mentoring
and professional development, and commitment to delivering outstanding results to clients.
Three body paragraphs
The next three body paragraphs should focus on why you would be a great fit for the
consulting firm and what qualities you would bring to the firm. These body paragraphs
should best highlight your qualities and experiences.
In order to tailor your cover letter to the specific consulting firm you are applying for, do
research to identify what qualities each firm is looking for. Many firms explicitly state on
their website the characteristics or things that they look for in candidates.
For example, McKinsey looks for leadership, entrepreneurial drive, personal impact, and
problem solving. Bain looks for problem-solving skills, the ability to lead, results delivery,
and passion.

Start this section of your consulting cover letter with a sentence that summarizes what three
qualities you’ll be highlighting about yourself.
Examples include:
I believe I would be a great fit for McKinsey because I have an entrepreneurial drive,
adaptable leadership style, and an aspiration to make a meaningful impact on the
world.

If given the opportunity, I would bring to Bain my problem-solving skills, leadership,

and passion.

In the following body paragraphs, go into more detail on each of these qualities or
characteristics. The key is to show readers that you have these qualities, don’t just tell them.
Carefully pick what stories or experiences you want to share. Pick the stories and
accomplishments that are the most impressive, impactful, and memorable.
Finally, keep your body paragraphs concise, which increases the likelihood that the reader
will actually read through the full cover letter. You do not want to have three large, chunky
paragraphs.
Below is an example of what a body paragraph could look like. You can start your body
paragraph with the quality you are going to be talking about in bold to make it easier for
readers to skim your cover letter.
Personal impact: While working at Amazon, I identified an opportunity to use customer data to
determine if Amazon’s $50M investment in customer service initiatives generated positive returns
on investment. I analyzed over 700K customer data points to create a model forecasting
customer value. I collaborated with data science, customer experience, and finance teams to get
their support and buy-in. In the end, I determined that Amazon’s investment had a negative 40%
return on investment. I presented my findings to my thirty-person team and CFO and convinced
them of my recommendation to stop the customer service initiatives. My work would save
Amazon $50M per year moving forward.
Closing paragraph
Closing paragraph
The closing paragraph should be very short, typically just two sentences.
In the first sentence, you should reiterate that you would be a great fit for the consulting
firm. In the second sentence, you want to thank the reader for their time and consideration.
Example: I believe that these qualities would make me a great fit for McKinsey. Thank you for
your time and consideration.
Signature
Finish your cover letter with a professional closing phrase and your name. Appropriate
closing phrases to use include:
Sincerely

Best regards

Respectfully

Thank you

Consulting Cover Letter Formatting

In addition to having great content in your consulting cover letter, you should also have
great formatting. The goal in formatting your cover letter is to make it look professional and
easy to read.
You want to make it as easy as possible for the reader to see that you are a great candidate
to interview. Follow the formatting tips below:

Keep your cover letter to one page: Your cover letter needs to be no more than
one page. If your cover letter is longer, you will need to find ways to make it more
concise. No one likes reading long cover letters, which is why almost all cover
letters are kept to a single page.
Use 1-inch margins: Margins less than 1-inch make the text in your cover letter
look cramped and small, which is not aesthetically pleasing. Using 1-inch margins
ensures that you give yourself enough room to write, but also keeps enough white
space around your text that makes it easier to read.
Use standard fonts: Use a font that readers are used to seeing that are easy to
read. You cannot go wrong with using Times New Roman, Arial, Courier New,
Calibri, or Verdana. These are standard, professional fonts that have been used for
many years.
Use 12-point font: You don’t want readers to be straining their eyes while
reviewing your consulting cover letter. Tiny font sizes make your cover letter
difficult to read. Therefore, use a minimum 12-point font size.
Submit your cover letter in a PDF format: Submitting your cover letter in a PDF
format ensures readers will be able to open your cover letter file and that there
will be no formatting issues. People have different versions of different word
processors, so submitting your cover letter as a word document may lead to
incompatibility issues.

Consulting Cover Letter Tips

Below are eight of the best consulting cover letter tips to help give your cover letter an edge
over other candidates.
Tip #1: Research the specific qualities that the consulting firm is looking for
In order to tailor your cover letter, research the specific qualities that the consulting firm is
looking for. Many consulting firms explicitly state what qualities or characteristics they look
for in candidates on their websites.

This not only demonstrates why you would be a great fit for the firm, but also demonstrates
that you are highly interested in the firm because you took the time to research the qualities
that they care most about.
Tip #2: Avoid simply repeating things on your resume
Many candidates make the mistake of simply repeating achievements and accomplishments
from their resume on their cover letter. This is a wasted opportunity because recruiters and
resume reviewers will be looking at your resume anyways.
Providing redundant information in your cover letter does not help strengthen your
application.
The cover letter provides an opportunity to go beyond what is listed on your resume. You
should take advantage of this by telling readers who you are as a person, what your
motivations are, and what makes you special.
You can include points from your resume, but make sure you provide further context on
your achievements and accomplishments so that readers can learn something new about
you.
Tip #3: Don’t use generic cover letter templates
As a recruiter, there is nothing worse than reading a generic cover letter. Recruiters read
thousands of cover letters each year. They know when a cover letter is written using a
generic template without much thought.
Do not fall into the trap of using a generic cover letter template and then inserting the name
of the consulting firm that you are applying for.
If you really want your cover letter to stand out, you’ll need to invest the time to write a
cover letter specific to each consulting firm that you are applying for.
To test if your cover letter is generic, swap the name of the consulting firm for another
consulting firm. If the cover letter still works and makes sense, your cover letter is likely too
generic.
Tip #4: Pick your best stories and accomplishments
Cover letters are meant to be short and sweet. You won’t have enough space to write about
all of your accomplishments and experiences.
Therefore, you should carefully pick what you share in your cover letter. Pick the stories and
accomplishments that are the most impressive, impactful, and memorable.
Tip #5: Quantify your results and impact
Just as you would do in your resume, quantify your results and impact that you share in your
cover letter. Consultants think in terms of numbers, so the more you can quantify your
achievements, the more impressive and credible they will be.
If you improved something at work, how much did you improve it by? If you helped increase
sales, how much did revenues increase? If a project you worked on performed well, how
much better did it perform compared to benchmarks?
Tip #6: Keep your cover letter concise and punchy
Recruiters sometimes read hundreds of cover letters over just a couple of days. Reading
cover letters is highly repetitive and recruiters have short attention spans.
Therefore, keep your cover letter concise and punchy to increase the likelihood that the
reader will get through the entire cover letter.
How do you make your cover letter punchy?

First, try to reduce the number of words needed to tell a story or explain an
accomplishment. Second, focus on sharing only the most impressive and unique stories and
accomplishments. This will make your cover letter more interesting to read.
Tip #7: Mention current or former employees you have talked to
If you’ve spoken with employees of the consulting firm that you are applying to, mention this
in your cover letter. It is a simple, but effective way to demonstrate that you are interested in
the firm.
However, don’t just mention names for the sake of name dropping. Go deeper and explain
what you talked with these employees about and what you learned about the firm from
these conversations.
Doing this signals to recruiters that you are genuinely interested in the firm because you
took the time to learn about what it is like to work at the firm and what makes the firm
great.
Tip #8: Double check that you are addressing the right firm or person
Finally, double check or triple check that you are addressing the cover letter to the right
consulting firm or person.
If you were a recruiter for McKinsey, how would you feel if a candidate submitted a cover
letter that is addressed to BCG or Bain?
There are many stories of candidates with strong resumes and backgrounds getting their
applications rejected because they accidentally forgot to change the consulting firm’s name
on their cover letters. Don’t let this happen to you.
Ideally, you will be writing customized cover letters that are tailored to each firm, so you will
Ideally, you will be writing customizedConsulting
15/03/2022, 18:41
coverCover
letters that are tailored to each firm, so you will
Letter: The Perfect Structure and Template
not need to be replacing a consulting firm’s name for another firm’s name for your cover
letters.
What to do when Consulting Cover Letters are Optional?

Some consulting firms, such as McKinsey, make their cover letter optional to make it easier
for candidates to apply. If a cover letter is optional, what should you do?
If you have a strong resume, you likely won’t need to submit a cover letter in order to get an
interview.
If you were previously rejected from the consulting firm, it may be beneficial to submit a
cover letter in order to explain how you have improved and grown since your last
application. You will need to convince recruiters why you are a great candidate to interview
this time around.
Finally, if you have any red flags on your resume, such as a low GPA or a long gap in work
history, it will be beneficial to submit a cover letter to explain these circumstances. You will
need to remove any doubt from recruiters’ minds that these red flags do not reflect your
quality as a candidate.
If you don’t fall into any of these categories, you should submit a cover letter if it adds
incremental value to your application beyond what is listed on your resume. If you are just
going to be submitting a generic cover letter, it may not help your application much.
However, if you are willing to take the time to research the consulting firm and write a
customized cover letter, you should definitely do so. Outstanding cover letters can only help
your overall application.
Land your Dream Consulting Job

If you found this article helpful, you’ll love our comprehensive case interview course. The
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15/03/2022, 18:41 Consulting Cover Letter: The Perfect Structure and Template

Consulting Cover Letter: The Perfect

What is a Consulting Cover Letter?

A consulting cover letter is a document that introduces yourself to a recruiter or resume

What do Recruiters Look for in Consulting Cover Letters?

Is the candidate genuinely interested in working for the firm?

How to Write the Best Consulting Cover Letter

Three body paragraphs

Date you are sending the letter

Here are a few examples of salutations you can use:

Dear [Recruiter] and members of the McKinsey recruiting team,

To [Recruiter] and the Bain recruiting team,

Dear members of the BCG recruiting team,

consulting firms have different job titles for similar positions.

Example: I am a marketing professional with four years of experience working on digital

Three body paragraphs

If given the opportunity, I would bring to Bain my problem-solving skills, leadership,

Consulting Cover Letter Formatting

Consulting Cover Letter Tips

that they care most about.

Tip #2: Avoid simply repeating things on your resume

Tip #3: Don’t use generic cover letter templates

Tip #4: Pick your best stories and accomplishments

Tip #5: Quantify your results and impact

Tip #6: Keep your cover letter concise and punchy

How do you make your cover letter punchy?

Tip #7: Mention current or former employees you have talked to

What to do when Consulting Cover Letters are Optional?

Land your Dream Consulting Job

Try the course for free today.

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