What shouldn't I do? What about cover letters and resumes?
Recruiting is a rough and stressful time for most prospective analysts. The banks know this and generally do a good job of making sure you have a good experience while interviewing with them. You must absolutely make sure to keep your cool and your typing in check while writing up your cover letter. While the your resume is kept in check somewhat by the format, you can potentially go wild on your cover letter.
While your cover letter probably won't help you land a job, it can absolutely hurt you. Do you really want to be an investment banker? Good. Do you really want to work for this firm? Good. Am I going to regret having not hired you in five yea... what the f...?
The second link is WSO's exclusive interview with this young man. He knows he screwed up, and that's why we actually feel kinda bad for this guy (but he's still a great example for up-and-coming analysts, and he should take solace knowing this). You don't want this to happen to you, so make sure someone who cares actually reads your cover letter before you send out something similar.
The posts by Mis Ind are a great way to see screw-ups and things that aren't really necessary on a resume. Take note, your resume is what gets you in the door.
What Not to Do Series:
