Cover letter length - Standard length?
What is the standard length for an IB cover letter? Word count on samples I've seen ranges from 250 to 500.
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fit it all on one page
No one reads cover letters.
You are probably right. Last year my friend used his Goldman cover letter for his HSBC application. Got 1st round interview. Without actually changing "Goldman Sachs" to "HSBC" :)
So, 400-450 words?
You should try to not exceed 3 paragraphs.
Babboonish http://wallity.com
I think IB FAQ puts it best: keep it short (two paragraphs). If you've met some of the jr. or sr. guys enough that they'd remember you (oh yeah, the guy who swam across Lake Michigan), I would mention you've talked to them and briefly mention a compelling reason that they have for working there and why that resonates for you. But don't push it. If you're not sure. Keep it basic, keep it simple, done.
At my bank, not only to read them meticulously, but we also track cover letter statistics. Word counts between 336.2 and 341.1 have had the greatest success at earning 1st round interview slots. Happy?
I would say HR's only real job is separating the cover letter from the resume for the bankers to read.
The cover letter holds almost no weight other than to put you at risk for being dinged. Make it very simple, very bland, and just say all the usual things. If you have mistakes in it or you make outrageous claims, your cover letter will be circulated and laughed at. The two paragraphs mentioned above will do just fine.
~~~~~~~~~~~ CompBanker
My cover letter just got raped by a 2nd year analyst at a MM. Thankfully. I've only blown it on 4 BBs and still have plenty of firms left. I'm just pissed they've seen my old one now.
Apparently the team at his firm reviews the resume book of the shortlists along with their cover letters. This was prepared by HR. And they scrutinize both docs of this small set along with sheets from interviews in the end intensely.
He also said you can go over 1 page and a 4-pager made it to final rounds.
He's in M&A and this is in Asia/Australia. Maybe things are different in the US. In Australia I've been given resume samples that run on 3 pages (ie Rhodes scholar with 2 bajillion things to say about consulting with BCG and his time as a doctor).
One of his bottom lines was something like, "if you're a shithead, it shows, and you don't get in."
With due respect, I'm going to therefore conclude that there's no blanket statement...
Cover Letter Length (recommended?) (Originally Posted: 01/04/2008)
Hey all, making cover letters for all the resume drops I'm doing (applying to like 10 places). Just wondering what the length of cover letters should be around. For example, resumes have a one-page limit, so if a cover letter is on one page would it be OK?
My letter is about 350 words. Paragraph 1 - 75 words - I go to school, am impressed by your company Paragraph 2 - 120 words - academic and work experience Paragraph 3 - 120 words - leadership Paragraph 4 - 50 words - Look forward to seeing you
And yeah, I've browsed old threads for a while. Most actual people in the industry have said they don't read cover letters...but no ones thrown out a word limit or anything.
Sorry for asking an annoying wannabe SA question...I promise in two years I'll be giving valuable advice to make up for it.
cover letters can hurt you but almost never help so my advice is keep it as short as possible, don't make mistakes (typos, etc) and try not to state anything that makes you sound naive about the position for which you are applying. i'm a fan of 1 short paragraph plus 1 closing sentence.
yeah short n sweet, 2 paragraphs .. 3 tops
Can anyone give an example of a short cover letter? All the samples I have found online are not short at all. Also, when I try to cut down my cover letter from 3 to 2 paragraphs, the material sounds quite jumbled and disjoint.
Any advice?
The three sample letters I have from other people who got SA spots and then FT offers at my school (non-Ivy target) are all like 400 words and 4 paragraphs...Though analysts (as demonstrated above) prefer short but sweet.
a buddy of mine is a head hunter out of Stamford, and I've heard him say "longer the cover letter...less qualified the candidate"
Cover letter length - Any suggestions? (Originally Posted: 07/30/2008)
I get two different answers. 1. Follow the diagram off Vault, Monster, Career Center meaning make it like 3-4 paragraphs. 2. Ibankingfaqs tell me to make it short and sweet. 1-2 paragraphs. They assume that the recruiters read the cover letters over there blackberrys and want it short.
Any suggestions of which choice? From previous posts it seems as though cover letters do more harm then good.
2
so just strict 2 paragraphs about your previous experience and why you want the internship/job?
Your job is to get your point across while being as concise as possible.
Do you guys include a header on your cover letter? For example, I use the exact same header I used on my resume, which lists name, address, email, etc, and put it at the top of my cover letter. Do you think this is too much or is it standard?
header is fine
blackberry comment is one to take heed of. ideally, you should've already spoken to the person you are sending your info to - in that case, your cover letter can be one quick paragraph. one and done.
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