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No matter how impressive your resume may be, you don’t have a high chance of getting to the interview stage of the job application process without a solid cover letter.
Your cover letter connects your resume’s accomplishments and skills to the company’s needs and goals. This is the time for you to tell your professional story and how joining the organization you’re applying to is the best next step for both you and your potential employer.
As a consultant, your cover letter is also a kind of a screening test. Consultants have to be excellent communicators, and that extends to their writing as well. Submitting a poorly written cover letter gives hiring managers every reason they need to toss your application to the side and move on to someone else.
On the other hand, a well-written cover letter builds a good impression that you can continue to build on in your interview.
In this article, you’ll find advice on what to include in your cover letter, as well as a sample letter that you can use as a reference point for your own writing.
Looking for a job? These position are hiring now near you:
Your Contact Information
The Date
The Recipient’s Information
Salutation
Opening Paragraph
Body Paragraphs
Closing Lines
Even though you’ll likely submit your cover letter electronically, it’s still a good idea to format it as you would a formal business letter and then submit it as a PDF to ensure your fonts and formatting transfer correctly.
Put your name and contact information at the top of the page, whether that’s part of your letterhead or simply typed out.
Add a blank line beneath that, and then add the date you’re going to be submitting the letter.
Add another blank line, and then put the recipient’s name, job title, company name, and company address. The result will look something like this:
Gina Rodriguez
2232 E Mountain Dr.
Charlotte, NC 33333
ginar@email.com
333-444-5555September 25, 2020
Wesley Myers
Hiring Manager
Wilson Consulting
4454 N West St.
Next, craft a professional salutation. A simple “Dear” followed by the person’s designation and last name is always a good option. You can also use just their first and last name if you aren’t sure if you should use Mr., Ms., or Dr.
If you don’t know who you’re writing to even after you’ve done as much research as you can to find out, you can address them by their job title instead of their name.
Dear Mr. Myers,
Dear Frank Bassett,
Dear Hiring Manager,
Once you have your header and your salutation finished, it’s time to jump into the body of your cover letter.
Usually, hiring managers working to fill a consulting job have a large number of applications to sift through in a short amount of time, so it’s crucial to catch their attention right off the bat. Aim for a balance between personable and professional, and be sure to include the name of the position you’re applying for and the name of the company.
You should also include two or three of your biggest professional accomplishments or skills that set you apart. You’ll go more in-depth with these later on in your letter, but summarizing them here will help you pull readers in more quickly.
Your cover letter should only be one page, so make sure you choose only the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the job posting.
Here’s an example of an opening paragraph:
I’m writing in regard to the consulting position at Wilson Consulting. With my master’s degree in business management and my two years of experience as a marketing analyst at Eastern Marketing, I was excited to see this opening and how it aligns with my skills and interests.
Now it’s time to write the body paragraphs of your cover letter. It’s especially important in these sections to make sure you write them anew for every position you apply for. Creating a basic cover letter and submitting it as a one-size-fits-all won’t get you far, and even tweaking a template you’ve made won’t be very effective, especially in the competitive world of consulting.
As you write this section, make sure you’re putting your best foot forward without lying. This may seem like a tall order, but it is not only possible; it’s necessary.
If you get to an interview and hiring managers find out you stretched the truth, you’ll lose any chance of getting that job, and you might damage your reputation and miss out on opportunities at other companies as well.
Here are the elements you should be sure to include in your body paragraphs:
Explain why you’re the best person for the job. This is where you expound upon the main points you listed in your introduction. Talk about your relevant experiences and how they shaped you into the professional you are today, and discuss what makes you stand out as a candidate.
Now is the time to brag about yourself, but be factual as you do so. You should only mention accomplishments and skills relevant to consulting and the position you’re applying for, but that doesn’t mean they all have to be experiences from a consultant position.
If you had a leadership role while you were in college, mention that. If you graduated top of your class, say so. If you have rave reviews from your clients at a previous job in another field, that’s valuable as well. All of these skills and experiences can be applied to a consulting position; you just have to explain how.
Talk about why you decided to go into consulting. Consulting is a unique field because many people come in from or leave for other fields. It’s also often a lucrative and prestigious position, so it’s not unusual for workers to go after it just for the benefits.
As a result, employers want to know that you’re invested in the position you’re applying for. Even if your reason is that you want a little experience and a nice paycheck before you move on, take a minute to figure out if you have a deeper (and truthful) reason for going after this position, or at least why you think you’d enjoy it.
Weave this into your professional journey, explaining what you’ve learned so far and what you want to learn as a consultant. You should also describe what you’re passionate about and how that relates to consulting, because employers want workers who care about what they do.
Share why you want to work at this particular company. Consulting firms are often very similar to each other as far as the clients they serve, the industries they work with, and even the salaries they pay and the culture they promote.
Hiring managers want to know that you’re invested in getting this position and understand what the company’s about, so it’s important that you share that with them.
One of the best ways to do this is to talk about specific company projects that you’ve heard about, reports about the organization that you’ve read, or, if you can, specific employees at the company who you’ve worked with or met.
This is where your networking can come in handy because not only does mentioning a name give you more credibility that you know what you’re getting into, it also opens the door for that person to put a good word in for you. People want to work with people they like, so even if all they know about you is that they like you, that’ll go a long way.
Here are some sample cover letter body paragraphs:
Just a year after I started at Eastern Marketing, I moved into a role where I managed project teams from ideation to completion. This allowed me to work with people from multiple different departments and to understand their concerns and needs. Our projects were all successful, and my boss consistently received positive remarks about me and my work.
My time as a marketing analyst developed not only my analytical skills, but also my teamwork, management, marketing, and strategy skills. It also gave me experience in efficiently collecting and using data to improve an organization, and it showed me that I love helping businesses solve problems. This is why I decided to pursue a role in consulting.
After working with Bruce Cahill, one of your current consultants, I came across your company on a project. I was impressed with his professionalism and mastery of his field, and I knew I wanted to be a part of the organization that valued those things.
The good news is that your cover letter closing should be pretty straightforward, with just a note communicating your enthusiasm for the position, your desire for an interview, and your thanks for their time and consideration.
For instance, your closing paragraph may sound something like,
I’d be honored to speak with you further about this position. Please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your consideration.
Finally, you should sign off with a “Sincerely,” followed by your full name. Add your handwritten signature and then type it below if you’re formatting your cover letter as a formal business letter.
For example:
Sincerely,
Gina Rodriguez
Looking for a job? These position are hiring now near you:
Gina Rodriguez
2232 E Mountain Dr.
Charlotte, NC 33333
ginar@email.com
333-444-5555September 25, 2020
Wesley Myers
Hiring Manager
Wilson Consulting
4454 N West St.Dear Mr. Myers,
I’m writing in regard to the consulting position at Wilson Consulting. With my master’s degree in business management and my two years of experience as a marketing analyst at Eastern Marketing, I was excited to see this opening and how it aligns with my skills and interests.
Just a year after I started at Eastern Marketing, I moved into a role where I managed project teams from ideation to completion. This allowed me to work with people from multiple different departments and to understand their concerns and needs. Our projects were all successful, and my boss consistently received positive remarks about me and my work.
My time as a marketing analyst developed not only my analytical skills, but also my teamwork, management, marketing, and strategy skills. It also gave me experience in efficiently collecting and using data to improve an organization, and it showed me that I love helping businesses solve problems. This is why I decided to pursue a role in consulting.
After working with Bruce Cahill, one of your current consultants, I came across your company on a project. I was impressed with his professionalism and mastery of his field, and I knew I wanted to be a part of the organization that valued those things.
I’d be honored to speak with you further about this position. Please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Gina Rodriguez