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A well-written Bain cover letter can make the difference between landing a Bain interview and getting rejected. Especially for borderline candidates, a clear and concise Bain cover letter can share your unique background and get yourself through the resume review stage.

I’m a former Bain Manager and interviewer and I’ve read hundreds of different cover letters. If you’re looking for a simple, step-by-step guide to writing the perfect Bain cover letter, then this article is for you.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover what Bain looks for in a cover letter, how to write a Bain cover letter, and insider Bain cover letter tips to help yourself stand out.

If you need professional help crafting the perfect consulting resume, check out our consulting resume review and editing service . Transform your resume into one that will land you multiple consulting interviews.

What is a Cover Letter?

A cover letter is a brief document sent with a resume to provide additional information about your skills and experiences. It introduces you to the employer, explains why you are a great fit for the job, and expresses your enthusiasm for the position.

A typical cover letter includes your contact information, an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

• Contact information : Provides your email address, phone number, and home address so that recruiters can contact you
• Introduction : Introduces yourself and mentions the job you are applying for
• Body : Highlights your qualifications and how they match the job requirements, providing specific examples to demonstrate your fit for the role
• Conclusion : Expresses enthusiasm for the position and thanks the employer for considering your application

Cover letters are typically tailored to the specific job or company that you are applying to. They should be clear, concise, and professional.

Does Bain Require a Cover Letter?

While Bain does not require a cover letter for most of their applications, a well-written Bain cover letter can significantly help you get past the initial screening stage and land an interview. Including a Bain cover letter can help make your application stand out and make it easier for recruiters to get to know you better.

Bain receives hundreds of thousands of resumes and applications every year. Bain uses cover letters to help screen candidates and narrow down the list of potential candidates to interview. The Bain cover letter is another data point in your application profile.

Additionally, cover letters are occasionally read by Bain consultants that are interviewing you. Interviewers will sometimes read your cover letter to get to know you better before meeting you. Learning more about your background and experiences makes the interview easier to conduct and run more smoothly.

Regardless of whether you decide to submit a cover letter, make sure to spend the majority of your time crafting the perfect consulting resume . Your resume is by far the most important component of your application.

What Does Bain Look For in a Cover Letter?

In a cover letter, Bain looks for problem solving skills, a results-oriented track record, leadership, and passion. These are all skills or qualities necessary to become a successful Bain consultant based on Bain’s interviewing website .

Problem Solving

Bain values problem solving skills because they are essential for diagnosing client issues, developing strategies, and implementing impactful solutions for clients. Strong problem solving skills enable consultants to adapt to a dynamic business environment.

Results-Oriented Track Record

Bain has a long history of achieving results for their clients. Having a results-oriented track record demonstrates an ability to deliver tangible, measurable results when working with clients. Bain places a heavy emphasis on results to ensure that their recommendations are not just theoretically sound, but also practical and effective.

The work at Bain is extremely collaborative and you’ll typically be working in small teams of 4-6 consultants. Bain values leadership because it reflects a consultant’s ability to inspire, guide, and manage teams effectively. This ensures successful project completion and client satisfaction.

Bain values passion because it enables consultants to go above and beyond in their work. Passion enables consultants to stay motivated, committed, and be driven to excel in their work. Additionally, it brings out energy and enthusiasm in people, which positively impacts team dynamics and client relationships.

How to Write a Bain Cover Letter

There are five steps to writing the perfect Bain cover letter: the contact information, the salutation, the opening paragraph, the body paragraphs, and the concluding paragraph.

We’ll cover how to write each of these sections step-by-step below, including what information to include and examples.

1. Contact Information

At the top of your Bain cover letter, you should include your contact information to make it easy for any Bain recruiter to contact you. In order of priority, you should list your name, email address, phone number, and mailing address.

To make your name stand out, make sure to bold it and make the font size significantly larger than the rest of your cover letter.

Here is an example of how this should look:

[email protected]

(123) 456-7890

123 Main Street,  San Francisco, CA 94105

2. Salutation

Next, you should start your Bain cover letter with an appropriate and customized salutation.

Do not start your cover letter with “To whom it may concern,” as 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 Bain Recruiting Team,
• To [Recruiter] and the Bain Recruiting Team,
• Dear members of the Bain Recruiting Team,

3. Opening Paragraph

The opening paragraph of your Bain cover letter is the most important part of the cover letter. Most recruiters will likely only read the opening paragraph of your cover letter and skim the rest of the cover letter.

Therefore, you should spend most of your time making this opening paragraph clear, concise, attention-grabbing, and memorable.

The opening paragraph should consist of two sentences:

• A sentence summarizing your background and credentials
• A sentence summarizing why you would be a great fit for the specific role you are applying for

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 of your opening paragraph should summarize why you would be a great fit for the specific role you are applying for.

Do your research to ensure that you are using the correct job title since many consulting firms have different job titles for similar positions.

Bain’s post-undergraduate role is called Associate Consultant while their post-MBA role is called Consultant. Their undergraduate summer internship role is called Associate Consultant Intern (ACI) while their MBA summer internship is called Summer Associate (SA).

The second sentence of your opening paragraph should list three reasons why you would be a great fit for Bain and the role. These three reasons will each become a paragraph in the body paragraphs section of your Bain cover letter.

What reasons should you select or pick?

Ideally, you should research the exact qualities or skills that Bain looks for and make these the three reasons you provide. We’ve done this research for you and highly recommend touching upon these skills or qualities:

• Problem solving skills
• Results-oriented track record

Here is an example of what an opening paragraph should look like:

I am a marketing professional with four years of experience working on digital marketing projects that have generated over $100M in revenue at Netflix and Amazon. I believe my problem solving skills, leadership, and passion make me a great fit for Bain.

4. Body Paragraphs

The next part of the perfect Bain cover letter are the body paragraphs. You will have three body paragraphs, one for each of the reasons you provided in the second sentence of your opening paragraph on why you’d be a great fit for Bain and the role.

These body paragraphs should best highlight your qualities and experiences.

Each of your body paragraphs should start with a bolded sentence that summarizes the entire paragraph. We bold the first sentence of each body paragraph to make your cover letter easier to be skimmed.

 Remember, most Bain recruiters are most likely going to be reading just your opening paragraph and perhaps the first sentence of each body paragraph. Therefore, take the time to make sure the first sentence of your body paragraphs are clear, concise, and impactful.

Ideally, you should include numbers in these summary sentences to quantify your achievements and results. However, you can also keep the summary sentence high-level and include numbers later on in the details of the paragraph.

After this first initial sentence, you can use the remainder of each body paragraph to describe the story or experience in more detail that the first sentence summarized.

Keep your body paragraphs concise. This increases the likelihood that the reader will actually read through the full cover letter. You do not want to have three large, chunky paragraphs.

Repeat this format and structure for each of your three middle paragraphs.

You can consider turning your three body paragraphs into three bullet points. This makes your cover letter easier to read or skim.

Here is an example of what a body paragraph should look like:

My passion for using data to drive tangible results helped me develop a customer ROI model that saved Amazon $50M per year.  I analyzed over 500K customer data points to create a model forecasting customer value. I quantified how much the average happy customer was worth versus a neutral and unhappy customer. From this model, I discovered that Amazon’s recent customer initiative of giving credit to unhappy customers had a drastically negative ROI. I persuaded the CFO to stop running this initiative and use the budget for higher ROI projects.

5. Concluding Paragraph

The final part of the perfect Bain cover letter is the concluding paragraph. This final paragraph should be very short, just two sentences.

In the first sentence, summarize the three reasons why you’d be a great fit for Bain and the role. This may sound redundant, but it is helpful to take this approach to reinforce the key messages you are trying to deliver.

In the opening paragraph, you told the reader the three key points you are going to tell them in the body paragraphs. In the body paragraphs, you told the reader these three key points. Finally, in the concluding paragraph, you remind the reader of the three key points you just told them.

This is an extremely clear and effective structure that makes your cover letter clear and memorable.

The second and final sentence of your Bain cover letter should be a call to action. The entire point of the cover letter is to get the reader interested in your application and give you an interview.

Therefore, you’ll want to mention getting an opportunity to further discuss your skills and qualities in an interview as the next step or action item for the reader to take.

Here is an example of what a concluding paragraph should look like:

Due to my problem solving skills, leadership, and passion, I believe I have all the qualities to become a successful Bain consultant. I would love the opportunity to be extended an interview at Bain to further discuss my candidacy and fit.

Bain Cover Letter Common Mistakes

There are many common Bain cover letter mistakes that the majority of candidates make. Common Bain cover letter mistakes include: name dropping, lengthy cover letters, poor formatting, rephrasing your resume, lack of evidence for claims, typos and grammatical errors, and generic statements.

Name Dropping

Name dropping can backfire if not done properly. Simply mentioning the names of Bain consultants you've interacted with can seem superficial if it was not a meaningful interaction.

Instead, focus on articulating the insights or experiences gained from these interactions and how they have shaped your interest in Bain. Show that your connection to Bain goes beyond just knowing people. Demonstrate your understanding of Bain’s culture and values.

Lengthy Cover Letters

A lengthy cover letter can be a major turn-off for recruiters who sift through hundreds or thousands of applications every day. Aim for conciseness and clarity, ensuring every sentence adds value.

Highlight your most relevant experiences and skills succinctly, showing respect for the reader’s time while still conveying your enthusiasm and qualifications for the role.

Poor Formatting

Poor formatting can distract from your key points and make your cover letter difficult to read. Use a clean, professional layout with consistent fonts, spacing, and margins. Break up text into short paragraphs or bullet points to enhance readability.

Rephrasing Your Resume

Your cover letter should complement, not replicate, your resume. Avoid listing your past roles and responsibilities like you would in a resume.

Instead, use the cover letter to provide a narrative that connects your experiences to Bain’s needs and culture. Highlight specific achievements and how they demonstrate your fit for Bain and the role.

Lack of Evidence for Claims

Unsubstantiated claims about your skills or achievements can weaken your Bain cover letter. Always back up your statements with concrete examples.

Instead of saying you have strong analytical skills, describe a project where you successfully used data analysis to solve a complex problem. This approach provides tangible proof of your capabilities.

Typos and Grammatical Errors

Typos and grammatical errors can significantly hurt your credibility. Proofread your cover letter multiple times and consider asking someone else to review it as well.

A cover letter free of errors demonstrates your attention to detail and your commitment to presenting yourself professionally.

Generic Statements

Avoid using vague phrases or generic statements that could apply to any consulting firm. Tailor your cover letter to Bain by referencing specific aspects of the firm that appeal to you. Show that you have done your research and are genuinely excited about the opportunity to join Bain.

Bain Cover Letter Tips

To give yourself the best chance of landing a Bain interview, make sure to follow these Bain cover letter tips: tailor the cover letter to Bain, quantify your accomplishments and results, pick your best stories and experiences, use the opportunity to explain any red flags, keep it short and punchy, and get help from others.

Tailor the Cover Letter to Bain

Customizing your cover letter specifically for Bain is crucial. Research Bain's values, recent projects, and unique aspects of its company culture. Mention specific Bain initiatives or programs that resonate with your professional interests and goals.

A good test to see if your cover letter is tailored enough for Bain is to replace all instances of Bain in your cover letter with a different consulting firm. If the cover letter still makes sense and works, then your cover letter is likely not tailored enough.

Quantify Your Accomplishments and Results

Quantifying your achievements helps to illustrate the impact you've made in your work experiences and extracurricular activities. Use numbers and percentages to showcase your successes.

For example, rather than saying you improved sales, mention that you increased sales by 20% over six months. Quantifiable results provide concrete evidence of your abilities and make your accomplishments more compelling to the reader.

Pick Your Best Stories and Experiences

Select a few key experiences that highlight your skills and fit for the consulting role at Bain. Focus on stories that demonstrate problem solving, a results-oriented track record, leadership, and passion. You should pick stories that are the most impressive, unique, or interesting.

Well-chosen stories and experiences can make your cover letter more engaging and memorable, helping you stand out from other candidates.

Use the Opportunity to Explain Any Red Flags

Red flags that require explaining include having a low GPA, gaps in work history, and an unexplained office choice. Use your cover letter to briefly address these issues in a positive light.

• If you have a gap in your resume, explain how you used that time productively, such as by taking courses or volunteering
• If your GPA is lower than ideal, highlight any upward trends in your grades or additional qualifications that demonstrate your capabilities
• If you are applying to an office that you have no connection to, explain why you are interested in the office and why you’d be interested in staying in that geography for the long-term

Keep it Short and Punchy

A concise, well-structured cover letter is more likely to capture and retain the recruiter’s attention. Aim to keep your cover letter to one page, focusing on the most relevant and impactful information.

Use clear, direct language and avoid unnecessary jargon or overly complex sentences. By keeping your cover letter short and punchy, you ensure that your key points are communicated effectively and leave a strong impression.

Think of your Bain cover letter as a highlight reel of your professional and personal experiences and accomplishments.

Get Help from Others

You should have at least a few different people read your cover letter and give you feedback. Ideally, these people would be current or former Bain consultants. However, getting feedback from any current or former consultant, friends, colleagues, and mentors will still be greatly beneficial to you.

If you’re looking for some professional help to get peace of mind that your resume and cover letter are up to Bain standards, check out our consulting resume & editing service . Let us do the hard work for you to ensure that you have the best chance of landing a Bain interview.

Bain Cover Letter Examples and Templates

See below for a few examples of outstanding Bain cover letters.

Bain Cover Letter Example #1: Undergraduate student

You can download a template for this cover letter here: Bain cover letter template 1.docx

Bain Cover Letter Example #2: MBA student

You can download a template for this cover letter here: Bain cover letter template 2.docx

Bain Cover Letter Example #3: Working professional

You can download a template for this cover letter here:  Bain cover letter template 3.docx

Resources to Help You Break Into Consulting

Over 98% of candidates that apply to Bain get rejected. The Bain recruiting process is extremely competitive and selective.

However, don’t be discouraged. You don’t have to prepare your application and prepare for Bain interviews by yourself. Getting professional help from a former Bain Manager and interviewer can significantly improve your chances of getting a Bain job offer.

To give yourself a competitive edge over other candidates, check out our resources below:

For help landing consulting interviews

• Resume Review & Editing : Transform your resume into one that will get you multiple consulting interviews

For help passing case interviews

• Comprehensive Case Interview Course (our #1 recommendation): The only resource you need. Whether you have no business background, rusty math skills, or are short on time, this step-by-step course will transform you into a top 1% caser that lands multiple consulting offers.
• Case Interview Coaching : Personalized, one-on-one coaching with a former Bain interviewer.
• Hacking the Case Interview Book   (available on Amazon): Perfect for beginners that are short on time. Transform yourself from a stressed-out case interview newbie to a confident intermediate in under a week. Some readers finish this book in a day and can already tackle tough cases.
• The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook (available on Amazon): Perfect for intermediates struggling with frameworks, case math, or generating business insights. No need to find a case partner – these drills, practice problems, and full-length cases can all be done by yourself.

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How to write a killer cover letter

• November 16, 2017

Keith Bevans , the head of Bain & Company's global consultant recruiting, warned that a poor cover letter can hurt an applicant's chances of getting the job. "The cover letter becomes an important data point on how good they are at certain skills that might be relevant to the job they're applying for," he said.

Bain Cover Letter: The Expert Guide

Master your Bain cover letter with expert tips. Learn how to showcase your skills and stand out in the competitive consulting application process.

Posted August 16, 2024

Featuring Samantha G.

Management Consulting: Ask Me Anything

Starting tuesday, september 10.

10:00 PM UTC · 30 minutes

Table of Contents

Are you dreaming of landing a coveted position at Bain & Company ? Your journey begins with a stellar Bain cover letter. This crucial document is your first chance to make a lasting impression and showcase why you're the perfect fit for this prestigious consulting firm.

In this expert guide, we'll walk you through the ins and outs of crafting a winning Bain cover letter. You'll learn what Bain looks for in candidates, get a step-by-step breakdown of the writing process, and see successful examples to inspire your own. We'll also highlight common pitfalls to avoid and answer the burning question: does Bain require a cover letter? By the end, you'll be well-equipped to create a cover letter that opens your doors to consulting firms.

What Bain Looks for in a Cover Letter

When crafting your Bain cover letter, it's crucial to understand what this prestigious consulting firm values in potential candidates. While Bain doesn't require a cover letter for most applications, including one can significantly boost your chances of moving past the initial screening stage. Here's what Bain looks for in a standout cover letter:

Sharp Problem-Solving Skills

Bain places a high premium on problem-solving abilities . These skills are essential for diagnosing client issues, developing strategies, and implementing impactful solutions. To showcase your problem-solving prowess, provide specific, concise examples of accomplishments from your previous roles that highlight this skill. Remember, demonstrating this capability is crucial for advancing to the case interview stage.

Results-Oriented Track Record

Bain is impressed by candidates who can demonstrate a history of achieving tangible results . You don't need to list every successful project you've worked on; instead, focus on highlighting your most impressive achievement. This approach aligns with Bain's long-standing commitment to delivering measurable outcomes for their clients.

Strong Leadership Qualities

Leadership is a key trait that Bain explicitly seeks in its candidates. Whether your leadership experience comes from academic, professional, or extracurricular activities, make sure to showcase it in your application. Bain values leadership because it reflects a consultant's ability to inspire, guide, and manage teams effectively, ensuring successful project completion and client satisfaction.

Genuine Passion for Consulting

Bain appreciates candidates who demonstrate enthusiasm not just for consulting, but for life in general. Show your passion for the field by highlighting relevant experiences or achievements in your application. Additionally, Bain values individuals who want to make a positive impact on the world. You can illustrate this by mentioning a professional story or activities outside of work, such as volunteer experiences.

Remember, a well-written cover letter can be a powerful tool in your application. As Keith Bevans , the head of Bain & Company's global consultant recruiting, warns, a poor cover letter can hurt an applicant's chances of getting the job. Your cover letter serves as an important data point, showcasing skills relevant to the position you're applying for. By focusing on these key areas, you'll be well on your way to creating a compelling Bain cover letter that captures the attention of recruiters and increases your chances of landing an interview.

Read : How to Answer the "Why Consulting" Interview Question

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Bain Cover Letter

To craft a compelling Bain cover letter, you need to follow a structured approach that showcases your fit with the firm, highlights key experiences, and demonstrates your unique value as a candidate. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you create a standout cover letter:

Follow the Traditional Structure

Start with the traditional cover letter format, including the date, company name, and address. Your letter should consist of three to five paragraphs, presenting information in a concise yet comprehensive manner. Begin with a brief introduction explaining why Bain should consider you, emphasizing the value you'll bring to the firm.

Prepare a Professional or Academic Story

Select a professional experience or academic achievement that highlights your problem-solving abilities, leadership skills, and impact. For a professional story, focus on an instance where you significantly reduced costs for your company or launched a successful business venture. If choosing an academic story, describe a project where you demonstrated analytical skills and strategic thinking, such as leading a team to victory in a case competition.

Highlight the Most Substantial Results

In the body paragraphs, elaborate on your chosen stories, ensuring they're thorough and substantive. Quantify your accomplishments and results whenever possible. For example, you might describe how you reduced company spending by a specific percentage or increased revenue by a certain amount. This approach allows you to showcase your problem-solving skills, results-oriented track record, and leadership qualities – all crucial attributes Bain looks for in candidates.

Ensure a Formal Conclusion

In the closing paragraph, reaffirm your suitability for the role and express your enthusiasm about the possibility of working as a Bain consultant. Write a brief summary of the three main reasons why you'd be a great fit for Bain and the position. Conclude with a call to action, stating that you're looking forward to hearing from them.

Remember to keep your cover letter concise and impactful. It should not exceed one page. If you're struggling with space, consider adjusting your margins to as small as 0.25 inches on each side and using a font size as small as 11pt. By following this structured approach and highlighting your most relevant experiences, you'll create a compelling Bain cover letter that increases your chances of landing an interview.

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Follow this Bain Cover Letter Format

To create a compelling Bain cover letter, you need to follow a structured format that showcases your fit with the firm, highlights key experiences, and demonstrates your unique value as a candidate.

• Length : Keep your Bain cover letter concise and impactful by not exceeding one page.
• Font : Use 10–12-point professional, readable fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
• Spacing, Margins, and Alignment : Maintain 1-inch margins and 1-1.5 line spacing for a clean, professional look.

By following this format and highlighting your most relevant experiences, you'll create a compelling Bain cover letter that increases your chances of landing an interview. Remember to quantify your achievements wherever possible and address any potential red flags in your application.

Successful Bain Cover Letter Examples

To help you craft a compelling Bain cover letter, let's examine some successful examples. These samples demonstrate how to effectively showcase your skills, experiences, and passion for consulting.

A full cover letter should start with a professional heading. Include your full name, email address, phone number, and mailing address. This information makes it easy for recruiters to contact you.

Address your letter to a specific person, ideally the primary recruiter for your application. If you can't identify the head recruiter, use "Dear Bain & Company Recruiting Team". Avoid generic salutations like "To whom it may concern."

Opening Paragraph

The opening paragraph is crucial as it's often the only part recruiters read thoroughly. Make it clear, concise, and attention-grabbing. In two sentences, summarize your expertise and years of experience, then explain why you're a great fit for the role.

"As a recent MBA graduate with a passion for problem-solving and a track record of delivering measurable results, I am excited to apply for the Associate Consultant position at Bain & Company. My experience in data-driven decision making and team leadership aligns perfectly with Bain's commitment to helping clients achieve extraordinary results."

Professional Stories + Demonstrate Skills

In the body paragraphs, highlight your most impressive achievements that demonstrate the key qualities Bain looks for: problem-solving skills , results-oriented track record, leadership, and passion for consulting.

"During my summer internship at XYZ Corp, I led a cross-functional team to optimize supply chain operations. By implementing a new inventory management system, we reduced costs by 15% and improved delivery times by 20%. This experience showcased my ability to analyze complex problems, develop innovative solutions, and drive tangible results."

Formal Closing

In your concluding paragraph, briefly restate the main reasons why you're a great fit for Bain and the position. End with a call to action, expressing your interest in discussing your skills further in an interview.

"I am confident that my analytical skills, leadership experience, and passion for delivering impactful solutions make me an excellent candidate for Bain & Company. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how I can contribute to Bain's continued success. Thank you for your consideration."

Full Bain Cover Letter Example

“ [Your Name]

[Your Address] | [Contact Information] | [Your Email Address]

Bain & Company

131 Dartmouth Street

Boston Massachusetts 02116

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

I am writing to express my enthusiasm for the Associate Consultant position at Bain & Company. With a strong background in strategic problem-solving and a proven track record of driving impactful results, I am eager to contribute to Bain's reputation for excellence in consulting.

During my tenure as a Strategy Analyst at [Previous Company], I led a cross-functional team to develop and implement a market entry strategy for a new product line. This initiative resulted in a 20% increase in market share within the first year and positioned the company as a key player in a competitive market. My ability to analyze complex data, identify key insights, and craft actionable strategies was crucial in achieving these outcomes. These experiences have honed my skills in project management, strategic thinking, and collaborative leadership.

Additionally, my role as a Business Development Intern at [Another Previous Company] involved conducting in-depth market research and competitor analysis to identify growth opportunities. I successfully presented a comprehensive expansion plan to senior executives, which led to the company securing a significant partnership and expanding its footprint in a new region. This experience enhanced my analytical and presentation skills, as well as my ability to communicate complex ideas effectively.

My academic background in [Your Degree] from [Your University] has provided me with a solid foundation in quantitative analysis and business strategy. Coupled with my hands-on experience, I am confident in my ability to contribute to Bain's client-centric approach and drive tangible results. I am particularly drawn to Bain's collaborative culture and emphasis on professional development, which align with my career aspirations and values.

Thank you for considering my application. I am excited about the opportunity to bring my expertise in strategic consulting to Bain & Company and to learn from the talented professionals within your organization. I look forward to the possibility of discussing how my background, skills, and experiences align with the needs of your team.

[Your Name]”

Remember, well-crafted consulting cover letters can significantly help you get past the initial screening stage and land an interview. Keep it concise, impactful, and tailored to Bain's values and requirements.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Bain Cover Letters

When crafting your Bain cover letter, it's crucial to avoid common pitfalls that could hurt your chances of landing an interview. Here are some key mistakes to steer clear of:

1. Rephrasing Your Resume

Your cover letter should complement, not replicate, your resume. Avoid simply listing your past roles and responsibilities. Instead, use this opportunity to provide a narrative that connects your experiences to Bain's needs and culture. Highlight specific achievements and demonstrate how they make you a great fit for the role.

2. Name Dropping

While it might seem like a good idea to mention Bain consultants you've interacted with, name dropping can backfire if not done properly. If you haven't had meaningful interactions, it's best to avoid mentioning names altogether. Instead, focus on articulating insights gained from these interactions and how they've shaped your interest in Bain.

3. Lengthy Cover Letters

Recruiters sift through hundreds of applications daily, so a lengthy cover letter can be a major turn-off. Aim for conciseness and clarity, ensuring every sentence adds value. Keep your letter to one page, demonstrating your ability to communicate effectively – a critical skill for management consultants.

4. Poor Formatting

A poorly formatted cover letter can distract from your key points and make it difficult to read. Use a clean, professional layout with consistent fonts, spacing, and margins. The standard font size is 12 with 1" margins. Ensure there's enough white space to enhance readability.

5. Wrong Grammar

Typos and grammatical errors can significantly hurt your credibility. These mistakes imply a lack of attention to detail, which is crucial in consulting. Proofread your letter multiple times and consider asking someone else to review it as well.

6. Sloppy Conclusion

Don't underestimate the importance of a strong conclusion. Each story in your cover letter should conclude with a comprehensive summary, clearly linking it to a Bain value. Think of your concluding sentence as the cherry on top. Also, include a final sentence after your stories, reiterating the values you'd bring to Bain and expressing gratitude for their consideration.

Does Bain Require a Cover Letter?

When applying to Bain & Company, you might wonder if a cover letter is necessary. While Bain doesn't explicitly require a cover letter for most applications, including one can significantly boost your chances of moving past the initial screening stage.

It's crucial to understand that even if a cover letter isn't mandatory, it can be a valuable tool in your application. Keith Bevans, the head of Bain & Company's global consultant recruiting, emphasizes the importance of a well-crafted cover letter. He warns that a poor cover letter can hurt an applicant's chances of getting the job.

Bevans explains, "The cover letter becomes an important data point on how good they are at certain skills that might be relevant to the job they're applying for". This insight suggests that a cover letter can serve as a platform to showcase your skills and experiences that align with Bain's requirements.

However, it's essential to follow the company's instructions carefully. If Bain explicitly states that they don't require a cover letter in their application information, it's generally best to adhere to their guidelines. Ignoring these instructions might be seen as not following directions, which isn't a positive impression to make.

If you're uncertain about whether to submit a cover letter, consider reaching out to Bain's HR department or recruiting team for clarification. This proactive approach demonstrates your attention to detail and respect for the company's processes.

Crafting a winning Bain cover letter is a key step to landing your dream job in consulting. By showcasing your problem-solving skills, results-driven approach, and genuine passion for the field, you can make a lasting impression on recruiters. Remember to keep your letter concise, well-structured, and tailored to Bain's values and requirements . This approach can have a significant impact on your chances of moving past the initial screening stage.

Although Bain doesn't always require a cover letter, including one can give you an edge in the application process. A Bain cover letter gives you a chance to highlight your unique qualities and experiences that align with the consulting firm’s needs. By avoiding common mistakes and following the guidelines outlined in this guide, you can create a compelling cover letter that opens doors to your consulting career. In the end, a well-crafted cover letter is a powerful tool to showcase your skills and set yourself apart from other applicants.

What are the key elements of crafting an expert cover letter?

Experts recommend several crucial steps for writing an effective cover letter:

• Begin by thoroughly researching the company and the specific job role you are applying for.
• Focus your letter on future contributions rather than past achievements.
• Start with a strong opening to grab attention.
• Highlight your unique value and personal contributions.
• Express genuine enthusiasm for the role.
• Pay attention to the tone of your writing to ensure it is professional.
• Keep the letter concise.
• Finally, seek feedback on your draft to refine it further.

What is the purpose of a management consulting cover letter?

• A management consulting cover letter acts as an informal writing test. It is crucial in this field to communicate effectively via emails and presentations. The cover letter allows you to demonstrate your ability to tell a compelling story and articulate your thoughts clearly, which are key skills in consulting.

What is the ideal length for a consulting cover letter?

• A consulting cover letter should be concise, typically under 500 words, and should fit on a single page. It's important to be brief yet impactful, ensuring all relevant information is communicated clearly and succinctly.

How should I structure a cover letter for a strategy consulting position?

• When writing a cover letter for a strategy consulting position, focus on your analytical abilities, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills. Emphasize specific projects or initiatives where you have successfully applied these skills to achieve results. This will showcase your capability to handle the responsibilities of a strategy consultant effectively.

Looking to break into Bain & Company consulting firm? Check out these expert resources dedicated to helping you get into Bain & Company:

• 50+ Case Interview Questions From Top Firms
• How to Get an Interview at Bain & Company
• A Comprehensive Guide to MBB: McKinsey & Co., Boston Consulting Group, and Bain & Co.
• Big 4 Consulting Firms vs. MBB: What's the Difference

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Bain Cover Letter Sample

Written by . Posted in Cover Letter

Bain & Company is a world-renowned strategy consulting firm. They have been ranked the #1 best firm to work for by Consulting magazine for the past nine years. This leading firm works with large corporations and multinationals across industries throughout the world.

With such a prestigious reputation, it is not surprising that many aspiring consultants want to jump start their career at this organization. Because this job market is so competitive, failing to submit an eye-catching consulting cover letter would be a huge mistake. Recruiters at top-tier consulting firms, such as Bain, will not spend a lot of time reviewing your application, so a well-written and complete application is a must.

A complete consulting application includes more than an impressive resume; you also need an equally remarkable cover letter. In fact, the results from a recent survey revealed that 75% of employers indicated that a well presented cover letter can significantly improve the chances of a less eligible candidate landing an interview, and that 53% of employers favor applications with both a resume and cover letter.

A cover letter provides you with an opportunity to highlight your relevant skills and experiences as well as convey your enthusiasm for the consulting industry, so take advantage of it. You can look online for Bain cover letter samples to guide you in writing your application.

What Bain Looks For

Bain looks for candidates who can demonstrate they possess qualifications imperative to consulting such as sharp problem solving and strong leadership skills and a true passion for consulting.

Sharp problem solving skills are indispensable for any aspiring Bain employee. If you are not sure how to incorporate your problem solving skills in your cover letter, begin by  providing short yet specific accomplishments from your previous roles that demonstrate this skill. Remember, you need to exhibit this capability in order to move on to the case interview. Although your problem solving skills and thought process will be further evaluated during the case interview, you must first give them a glimpse of your potential in order to get to the next stage.

Bain is also impressed with aspiring consultants who present a results-oriented track record. You do not need to list all of your previous successful projects in your cover letter, simply highlight the most impressive one.

Strong leadership qualities are essential if you really want to work at Bain. The firm  explicitly states that they seek out candidates with proven leadership experience. Whether your experience in this area is school or work-related or even through your extracurricular activities, make sure your application displays this necessary trait.

Bain values applicants who show genuine passion for consulting and for life in general. Bain also appreciates enthusiastic candidates who want to make a change in the world. You can demonstrate your passion for consulting through the relevant experience or achievements you include in your application. You can also demonstrate your passion for change by citing your activities outside the office such as volunteer work.

When applying for a consulting position at Bain, you must be able to clearly demonstrate the characteristics listed above in your cover letter and resume.

Bain Cover Letter Structure

Your consulting cover letter should only contain three to five paragraphs, and the information needs to be presented in a concise yet comprehensive manner.

Bain Cover Letter Sample: Contact Information and Salutation

The most important thing you need to remember for this section is accuracy. As the recruiter will use the details you provide here to notify you, ensure that your email address and phone number are functional and accurate. Double check your contact information before you send your application.

Moreover, do not forget to address your letter to the correct person and list his or her title at the company. Many candidates overlook this simple detail when writing their cover letters. In fact, according to feedback from top employers listed in the book, The 100 Best Companies to Work For , 91% implied that addressing a cover letter to the appropriate individual improves an applicant’s chances of getting an interview. This is because it reflects the extra time you took to research and personalize your letter as well as your great attention to details. Failing to address these aspects in your cover letter may hurt your application.

Bain Cover Letter Sample: Introduction

The first paragraph is where you mention the purpose of your letter, which is applying for the consulting position. It needs to be interesting enough to encourage the screener to read the rest of your application. Basically, this section of your letter should address the question, “Why this job?” Explain how you came to know about the job opening and briefly state why you are interested in the position. Sound sincere and do not just repeat their publicity materials. A good Bain cover letter demonstrates that you have done your research and that your letter is targeted toward the organization and have not simply sent out the same cover letter to other employers.

To convey an original, targeted, and interesting voice, you can mention any of the following: networking, articles, or events. If you happen to have a conversation with a Bain employee, you may mention how that person has inspired you to pursue consulting. You may also refer to an event, such as an inspirational talk, wherein you learned the value of working at Bain. And you may state a particular case Bain handled that has inspired you to get into consulting.

Check Bain’s website for company information or ask colleagues who are associated with them, so you can add something original in your letter. You may also check out other consulting sites for good Bain cover letter samples.

“I am interested in the Associate Consultant position at Bain & Company. I have an avid interest in management consulting, and my conversation with Mr. X, one of your senior consultants, has further inspired me to seek this position. I believe this opportunity will provide me with unparalleled experience in business consulting.”

Bain Cover Letter Sample: Middle Paragraphs

The middle section of your consulting cover letter should answer the question, “Why me?” This section can be either one or two paragraphs and convey all your significant work experience and how it relates to the vacancy. Explain briefly and clearly why you are suited for the position without using the exact same words or phrases on your resume. Refer to your most relevant skills and accomplishments and match them to the requirements of the consulting position.

“My economics studies at Toronto University have provided me with analytical skills which I will apply to diverse business scenarios. My three years of experience as a marketing manager at Accelerator honed my ability to develop and implement marketing campaigns, as well as how to effectively collaborate with a team. I led a team which devised marketing initiatives for a global campaign for Z Brands, which resulted in a 25% increase in sales after three months.

I enjoy working with teams and hold several leadership positions within my various extracurricular activities. I am currently the Vice President for X Group, and I also participate in a non-profit organization that tutors local youth in math and reading. I believe that my strong work ethic, analytical skills, and initiative have given me the requisite skills and ability to contribute to the growth and success of your firm.”

Bain Cover Letter Sample: Conclusion

The closing paragraph of your Bain cover letter should reaffirm your suitability for the role. Demonstrate your enthusiasm about the possibility of working as a Bain consultant and  state that you are looking forward to hearing from them. Statistics from the survey mentioned above revealed that 88% of employers agree that applicants should mention their interest in being interviewed in their cover letters.

Finally, do not forget to sign your letter. If you are submitting a paper application, you must place your handwritten signature above your name. This is a sign of proper business etiquette and professionalism. If you are sending an email application, a signature may not be necessary; however, you must not forget to write your name at the bottom of your letter.

“I look forward to the opportunity of being interviewed in order to share more about my experience and skills that I could bring to your company. Thank you for your time and consideration.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A Bain cover letter needs to be perfectly written and presented. If you want to land a consulting job with this prestigious firm, avoid committing the following mistakes:

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Consulting cover letter guide (for McKinsey, BCG, Bain, etc.)

Today we’re going to explain everything you need to know about writing consulting cover letters.

We’ll start by reviewing an example cover letter that got interview invitations from ALL the MBB firms (McKinsey, BCG, and Bain). 

And then we’ll explain exactly how you should write your own cover letter to land consulting interviews. Here’s a full list of the topics in this guide:

• Example cover letter

How to write your consulting cover letter

Consulting cover letter tips.

• The skills consulting firms look for

Consulting cover letter screening process

• Get help with your cover letter

Let’s get to it! 

Click here for a consulting letter/resume review with an ex-MBB consultant

Example cover letter (which got interviews at mckinsey, bcg, and bain).

Below is an anonymised cover letter from a candidate who got interviews at McKinsey, BCG and Bain. So you can trust that this template works.

The image here highlights the different sections of the cover letter, but we’ll dive deeper into the text later, and you can also get a downloadable copy below.

Free download of the consulting cover letter example, here. 

In the next section, we’ll go step-by-step through each part of the cover letter and explain how to go about writing it. But before we dive in, please note the following points about the above template:

• A lot of people use this template. Get inspiration from it, but every sentence in your letter should be written from scratch.
• This cover letter might sound impressive. It's one of the best ones we’ve seen. But even if you have not achieved as much as this person, you can still get an interview.

With that said, let’s dig into the cover letter writing process!

As a starting point, this video provides a nice overview of the full writing process for a consulting cover letter. 

Now let’s break things down further.

1. Introduction

Example - Introduction

Mary Taylor - [email protected]

DD / MM / YYYY

Dear Sir / Madam,

I would like to apply for an Associate position at McKinsey in London.

This section is a formality. It should simply state the following information:

• Your name and email address. You can replace your email address with a postal address although those are not commonly used anymore.
• The date on which you are sending your letter
• The position, company, and office to which you are applying

Keep it short and sweet.

2. Why you? 

Example - Why you?

I started working as an Analyst at Big Finance in New York in September 2020 and was quickly promoted to Associate in a year and a half instead of the average four years. While at Big Finance, I advised a broad range of clients who constantly gave me positive feedback and regularly asked to work with me again. Before joining Big Finance, I graduated as the top student of my MEng in Chemical Engineering at Prestigious University in the UK. While studying, I received two competitive scholarships and awards. In addition, I developed my leadership skills as the President of the Prestigious University Consulting Club. High energy was essential to lead a team of 5 managing the club and growing the number of members by 20%.

This is your "GOLD MEDALS" section. It is the first section of your cover letter and therefore the most important one.

It should state the TOP 3 achievements of your life to date that are relevant to consulting. These achievements should be as unique and as memorable as possible. When your reviewer reads them they should think "Wow, that's impressive. I want to know more about this person."

To write this section you need to step back and ask yourself "What are the most impressive things I've done with my life so far?" This is not an easy question to answer. 

In our experience discussing this with a close friend can help. It's sometimes easier for them to quickly point out the impressive things you have done as they are an external observer.

In addition, notice how achievements are QUANTIFIED in the example above. Saying you have been promoted "in a year and a half instead of the average four years" is much more powerful than saying you have been promoted "quickly." You should quantify your achievements whenever possible.

This section is your chance to grab the reader's attention. If there's nothing impressive in it, they will stop reading and just scan the paragraphs. So don't miss your opportunity!

3. Why consulting?

Example - Why consulting?

There are several reasons why I want to pursue a consulting career. To start with, I know I will enjoy being a strategy consultant because I have already worked in a strategy team in the past. This was in summer 2019 when I was a Strategy Intern at Big Grocery Retailer in London. In addition, I think consulting is a unique opportunity to comprehensively learn about business management by working on a variety of company situations. Over the past two years, I have started building my business skills while advising clients on financial matters at Big Finance. I now look forward to learning more about companies’ management at McKinsey. Finally, I want to work in consulting because I truly enjoy interacting with clients. Throughout my work experiences I have built a successful track record of developing and maintaining relationships with clients including, for instance, the senior strategy team at Big Grocery Retailer.

Once you have convinced your reviewer that you have impressive achievements under your belt they'll be thinking: "Ok, this person is impressive. But do they REALLY want to be a consultant? Or are they just applying because they're not sure what to do with their career."

The third section of your letter should therefore answer the  "Why consulting?" question . But here is the thing about this question: There are some reasons to go into consulting that you should tell your reviewer about. And some reasons that you should really keep to yourself.

For instance, one of the mistakes candidates commonly make in their cover letter is to write something along the lines of "I'd like to spend 2 or 3 years in consulting to learn more about business in general and then decide what I want to do." This is a HUGE mistake. 

Consulting firms want to hire FUTURE PARTNERS. Not employees who will stay for a couple of years. You can watch the video below for more details about this.

The best approach for your "Why consulting?" section is to write about past experiences that really show you know what you are getting into. The perfect situation is if you have done an internship in consulting or in corporate strategy and have enjoyed it. If that's the case, this is the perfect section to write about it.

But even if you haven't done related internships, there are plenty of angles you can use to connect your past experiences to what you will do as a consultant. For instance:

• You might have enjoyed working with clients when you were in M&A or in Sales
• You might have enjoyed structuring and solving tough problems as an engineer

You should use these experiences to say that "working with clients" or "solving tough problems" is something you KNOW you enjoy doing; and you look forward to spending more time doing this as a consultant.

When they read this section, your reviewer should think: "Ok, this person is impressive AND they know what they are getting into."

4. Why McKinsey / BCG / Bain / Other?

Example - Why McKinsey?

McKinsey appeals to me for three reasons. To start with, the different people from the company I have met and worked with all told me they had truly enjoyed their time there. For the past two years, I have worked for Michael Smith, a former Engagement Manager from the London office, who now works for Big Finance. Additionally, I regularly read McKinsey’s reports on financial services and think the insights delivered by Sarah James and others in the Finance practice are truly superior to that of other consultancies. By joining McKinsey, I therefore think I would have an opportunity to work with and learn from the best consultants in the industry. Finally, the fact that McKinsey was selected by Finance Supercorp to shape its digital strategy also played an important role in my decision to apply. This was a first-of-its-kind contract in finance and it shows that while at McKinsey I could get the opportunity to work on truly unique projects.

If you have managed to convince your reviewer that you have an impressive background and that you really want to be a consultant, you have a VERY HIGH chance of getting an interview. 

The only question that's left for you to answer is: " Why McKinsey  / Why BCG? / Why Bain? "

Top consulting firms  have a lot in common. In most regions, they cover the same industries and work for similar clients. They also pay similar salaries, and the career path is more or less the same from firm to firm. So what should you write about in this section?

In our experience, the most efficient way to set yourself apart in this section is to write about three specific elements:

When you write "I've met with Michael Smith," or "I've read report X," or "I've heard about project Y," you are making an argument that's SPECIFIC enough for your reviewer to think: "Ok they've done their homework."

If you stay too GENERIC, your argument will be much less credible. For instance, writing something like "While at McKinsey, I'll be exposed to a broad range of industries which I'm excited about" is a weak argument because you could swap McKinsey for BCG or Bain in that sentence.

In fact, this is the ultimate test. If you can swap McKinsey with another name in your "Why McKinsey?" section you are not being specific enough. You need to work on your paragraph again and mention SPECIFIC people, reports, or projects that you find interesting.

5. Conclusion

Example - Conclusion

For all these reasons, I am very enthusiastic about the chance to work at McKinsey. I am available for an interview at any time and look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Mary Taylor

The last section of the cover letter is a formality again. It should include the following elements:

• A sentence or two saying that you are enthusiastic and available for interviews at any time
• Your final signature

So how do you make it easy for your reviewer to put your cover letter on the "Accept" pile? We have put together the 10 tips below to make sure you can achieve this and avoid common mistakes.

Tip #1 Don't use a template letter

Writing cover letters is painful. But trust us, reading hundreds of them can be at least as painful. That's why you should make every effort to make your letter interesting and genuine. 

It's ok to get inspiration from templates such as the one we provide in this guide. But every sentence in your letter should be written from scratch.

Tip #2 Keep it to one page

One of the unwritten rules of consulting cover letters is that they should not be longer than one page. The trick to achieve this is to only select the MOST RELEVANT experiences from your  resume  and to summarise them. 

The points you decide to highlight should clearly demonstrate that you would make a great consultant.

Tip #3 Standard format and font

It's tempting to use an eye-catching font and format. But that's actually a bad idea. You only risk your interviewer thinking: "I've never seen this font, it looks really weird. Who is this person?" Your cover letter should stand out because of its content, NOT because of its format.

Tip #4 Not the time to be shy

Your cover letter is not the time to be shy. If you went to Harvard and have three Olympic medals, now is the time to say it! Most of us don't, and that's fine. But the point is that you should really push yourself to bring your most impressive accomplishments forward.

Tip #5 Network, network, network

This might sound surprising, but a big part of the cover letter is  how much networking you have done . Having networked with people from the firm you are applying for pays dividends for multiple reasons. 

First, they might recommend you to the HR team. But most importantly, these people will give you insight into what makes their firm UNIQUE. Then you can quote what you've heard in your cover letter (and name drop the person you heard it from) to show that you really understand the firm you are applying for.

Tip #6 Read, read, read

Unfortunately, networking is not always easy or possible. In these cases, your second best option is to read as much as you can on the firms you are applying for. You should read about the firm's projects, reports, and partners and find pieces of information you are really interested in. 

For instance, if you did your master thesis on electric vehicles, try to find who works in this area at the firm and what they have to say about it. And then mention what you have found in your cover letter.

Tip #7 One letter per firm

One question we often get is: "Should I write one letter per firm?" The answer is YES. But it's not as hard as it might sound. 

Every cover letter needs to answer three questions: Why you? Why consulting? And why this firm? The only paragraph you will need to change in every letter is the one about "Why this firm?" For each firm, you will have to do the networking and reading mentioned above.

Tip #8 Start writing early

Writing an outstanding cover letter is VERY HARD. Most candidates underestimate how much time it takes and start this process too late. You'll need to take a step back and reflect on everything you have done to date to highlight your most relevant experiences. 

This takes multiple iterations. Start early.

Tip #9 Get feedback

In our experience, great candidates all look for feedback and iterate on their cover letter until it's truly as good as it can get. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it.

It’s best to get feedback from peers or consultants. These people will be able to point out which parts of your letter they don't get or don't find impactful enough. If you’d like to have an expert review your cover letter, check out our team of  ex-consultant coaches .

Tip #10 Proofread multiple times

Finally, you should check and double check your letter for typos and grammar mistakes - multiple times. A cover letter is (not so secretly) a writing test and you should really treat it like one.

What consulting firms look for

To get multiple interviews at  top consulting firms , it’s extremely important to understand what those firms are actually looking for. 

The good news is that most of the leading consultancies are looking for basically the same skills. 

To illustrate this point, here’s what  McKinsey  and  Bain  say that they’re looking for in candidates, along with our own translation of what they mean:

There are also a few unofficial items that consulting firms will look for on your resume, and you can read about those in our  consulting resume guide .

Next, let’s talk about the typical cover letter screening process.

Screening process

Now let's talk about HOW your cover letter will be handled once you send it. Here's how it works.

Your application will be sent to a JUNIOR CONSULTANT who recently graduated from your University. They will score your documents based on a grid provided by the HR team. 

Consultants usually have to score 200 to 400 applications in about 2 weeks. And this is sometimes on TOP of their normal project. It's not uncommon for them to leave the job to the last minute and to have to do it on a Friday night just before the deadline.

Why is this important? The point we are trying to make is your application is part of 100 other applications. And the person who will review it will be tired by the time they get to your cover letter. If they don't understand something, they won't Google it. It's your job to make their job easy.

Why consultancies ask for a cover letter

There are two main reasons why consulting firms ask for cover letters.

First, partners bill several thousand dollars per day to their clients. The opportunity cost of interviewing you is HUGE for the firm. Put yourself in the shoes of a consultancy for a second. What are the top 3 questions you want to answer before investing money in interviewing a candidate?

• Have they demonstrated the skills needed to be a consultant?
• Do they know what consulting is and what they are getting into?
• Are they genuinely interested in working for our firm?

If you don't answer these three questions in a structured and impactful way, your chances of getting past the screening process are very low. This is why every cover letter should be structured as follows:

• Why consulting?
• Why this firm?

The second reason consulting firms ask for a cover letter is to test your writing skills. Consultants write all the time: emails, PowerPoints, Word documents, etc. They spend about 50% of their day writing. And a lot of the time their job is to summarise very large quantities of information in a succinct way.

This is exactly what you have to do in your cover letter. You have to a) look back on all your past experiences, b) select the relevant experiences to convince the reviewer that you are the right person for the job and c) summarise all these experiences in a way that's easy to read and digest.

Cover letters are a disguised writing test. Candidates who end up getting invited for interviews recognise this early on. Making a good impression on paper is way harder than making a good impression in person.

Are many candidates ready to invest HOURS in writing the perfect cover letter? No. That's the whole point. That's how you can set yourself apart. If you spend enough time making sure that your letter is as impactful as it can be, you stand very high chances of getting invited for interviews.

Another reason that it can help to have a cover letter is to explain anything on your resume that may look unusual to a reviewer, such as a time gap or a non-traditional background for consulting. 

Whatever your unique situation is, if you’re not confident in how your cover letter looks today, then we can help you. 

Get an Ex-MBB consultant to review your cover letter

The guide above, in addition to our guide on  consulting resumes , should go a long way in helping you craft documents that will get you interviews. 

But if you still feel you need additional help, we have a team of ex-MBB recruiters and interviewers who would be happy to provide feedback on your cover letter.

You’ll get feedback on how to immediately improve your cover letter, including what experience to focus on, how to optimise your phrasing, formatting, etc.

Start by browsing profiles for available coaches.

Related articles:

Writing your MBB cover letter

Updated: Sep 17, 2020

MBB firms (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) usually require a cover letter. They’ll read it immediately after reading your CV, provided your CV has captured the recruiter’s attention. Whether you are writing a BCG, Bain or McKinsey cover letter, these tips all apply!

One page, font 11 minimum, 3-5 paragraphes.

Cover letters require some work. The single question that they should answer is: What makes you a good candidate for management consulting? Your job is to link your experience, passions and drive with what consulting firms are looking for in a candidate.

Depending on your profile, they’ll be looking for slightly different things:

The fresh-out-of-school candidate (undergrad and grad)

If you just graduated and don’t have at least 6 months of work experience yet, you won’t have much business experience to share. Still, there are a few things you can do to make your cover letter stand out to management consulting HR:

Show that you’re a team player: talk about projects, especially those where you had a leadership role. Summarize context, challenges, actions and impact of the 1-2 most impressive projects.

Tip: It’s best to structure your answers in a STAR framework. Learn more about the STAR framework and other in-depth interview tips in the ZeroToMBB book.

Show that you’re passionate and driven: demonstrate your ability to start and see personal projects through. Talk about your motivations, the challenges you faced and how you have overcome them. Nobody wants to work with a boring teammate, so this is the place to really talk about what excites you!

Show that you’re a problem solver: take examples of technical or team-related challenges that you faced and describe the strategies you put in place to solve them.

Show that you’re willing to learn and be flexible: management consultants can work for very diverse industries and functional sectors. They work hard, and they are always on the road. If you’ve specialized in a technical topic, talk about your learning journey and mention any awards and recognitions. Give examples of your ability to handle a high workload.

Why you want to work in consulting: if you don’t come from business school, it might be less obvious why you want to switch to consulting. Typical reasons include: broadening your horizons, working with diverse people, or exploring the world of business. Offices in different locations serve different industries, so search online for the industries linked to the office you’re applying to, and see if you have relevant experience in it.

The 5-years-of-experience and/or MBA candidate

If you have some work experience and want to move to consulting, or are graduating from your MBA, the bar for the cover letter is high. Here are some of the topics to cover:

Show that you’re a leader: show a track record of leadership positions, with high impact projects and large teams.

Show your expertise in a business topic: management consulting firms are craving candidates with strong industry or functional knowledge. This is your time to tell what you know from your previous work and link it to how this will be useful as a consultant. Look at what industries your office is focused on, and if there’s no match, broaden your search to a regional level.

Show your business acumen: managing clients, working internationally, building financial models, managing budgets, having a track record of business impact, all these examples show that you are an experienced professional that could be put in front of a client with confidence.

Show that you’re passionate and driven: demonstrate your ability to start and see personal projects through. Talk about your motivations, the challenges you faced and how you have overcome them. Nobody wants to work with a boring person so this is the place to really talk about what excites you!

Looking for more details on what makes a great cover letter for MBB? Read more in the ZeroToMBB book , filled with end-to-end tips on how to ace the interview and land the offer.

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A Consulting Cover Letter that Lands Interviews: Our Complete Guide

• Last Updated January, 2024

Rebecca Smith-Allen

Former McKinsey Engagement Manager

The recruiting season is approaching fast, and there’s one thing you’ll need to get your foot in the door for an interview at a top-tier consulting firm: an impressive cover letter.

What should you talk about in your consulting cover letter?

How do you distinguish yourself from the tons of other candidates applying to Bain, BCG, McKinsey, and other top consulting firms this year?

If you’re asking yourself these questions, don’t worry! 

In this complete guide to writing a consulting cover letter, we’ll tell you exactly what points you need to address in your cover letter to put your best foot forward and land that interview.

We’ll discuss:

• What a cover letter is
• The RIGHT way to structure one
• The Red Flags that get candidates rejected and how to overcome them
• 5 Tips on writing an effective consulting cover letter

We’ll  also share:

• 2 cover letter examples that landed candidates interviews at the top firms.

Let’s get started!

Consulting Cover Letter – Why It Matters

What Is a Consulting Cover Letter?

The consulting cover letter is a separate document from your resume; it puts the work experience you outline on your resume into context to show why you’re a great candidate.

The WRONG Way to Structure Your Management Consulting Cover Letter

Most of the Internet articles on writing a cover letter talk about structuring them with the following sections:

• Why are you interested in consulting?
• Why are you interested in the firm you’re applying to?
• What makes you a good fit?

This is not the best way to approach writing your consulting cover letter. My Consulting Offer has helped hundreds of clients land interviews and get offers with top management consulting firms like BCG, Bain, and McKinsey.

We’ve even helped people who faced extra hurdles because they had low GPAs, majored in subjects other than economics or business, or attended non-core schools.

Our clients received interview invitations and job offers because our cover letter process works.

The RIGHT Way to Structure Your Management Consulting Cover Letter

Want to know the best way to structure a cover letter that has statistically been shown to get more interviews?

Watch this video before proceeding.

Now that you watched the video (Watch now if you haven’t yet because the impact of the rest of the article is only 10% of what it could be if you watch it). 

As you found in the video, the best  way to structure your cover letter is to Google the characteristics the consulting firm you want to work for seeks in consulting candidates and then show you have those characteristics .

Yes, you read that right. Go to the Bain Careers page and read about what they’re looking for in candidates. You’ll find it on this page . 

Every consulting firm has values they take very seriously, and that drive the candidates they target, so you will want to know what they are for each firm you apply to. 

As an example, Bain wants consultants with:

• Problem-solving skills
• The ability to lead
• Results delivered

You will use each of these to develop a paragraph or section of your consulting cover letter.

For each, choose a specific time from your professional or personal experiences that shows you possess that characteristic. 

If you have more than one experience that shows you exemplifying a characteristic, pick the strongest example.

Then, create a story that briefly explains the context around your example, describes the action(s) you took, and shows concrete results. 

Quantify the results of your actions whenever possible.

• Results delivered – When I took over as the leader of my sorority’s annual fundraising event for a local food bank, I wanted to make it even more successful than in prior years. Each year, we threw an event and asked people to bring packaged food products or a donation. I went beyond that by asking the college’s academic departments to collect donations from faculty and staff as well. Packaged goods contributions to the food bank increased by 50%, and financial donations increased by over 300%.

Proof the My Consulting Offer Cover Letter Structure Works

This strategy of showing how you’ve exemplified the characteristics the firm is looking for in applicants works particularly well if you are applying to management consulting firms from a non-traditional background. 

If you’re a student with a liberal arts major, in a non-MBA master’s degree or doctorate, or attending a non-core school, you should definitely use our approach. It shows the reader that you’d be an asset to their team and have what it takes to be a successful consultant at their firm. This makes them focus less on your non-traditional background.

One of our early clients was an undergraduate who’d spent his summers interning in Michelin-star restaurants in New York City because he aspired to run a Michelin-star restaurant as a career. 

He didn’t have high-level positions in these internships; he worked in the kitchens. He cut the tomatoes for the tomato soup and did similar food prep.

He wasn’t even in charge of making the tomato soup!

As graduation approached, he decided that while he knew all about the kitchen side of the restaurant business, he wanted to learn about running the front of the house. To do that, he looked into consulting jobs.

But he had no business experience.

In his cover letter, we developed stories about:

• Managing the kitchen effectively, even on hectic Saturday nights
• Managing chefs with many years more experience than he had himself
• Landing jobs at top-rated restaurants by showing up at the restaurants before they opened and networking his way in with perseverance

These stories showed he had the leadership experience, people skills, and drive needed in consulting, things that wouldn’t have been clear from his resume alone.

Why My Consulting Offer’s Approach to Writing Consulting Cover Letters Is So Effective

My Consulting Offer’s approach highlights the characteristics consulting firms value in applicants to develop your cover letter.

• You don’t need to explain “Why McKinsey/Bain/BCG?” because you’ve taken your bullet points from their firm career pages .
• Your stories explain why you’re a good fit.
• You can cover the question “Why consulting?” in just a sentence or 2 because you’ve demonstrated you understand what consulting firms look for in candidates through your stories. This question is especially important for applicants with non-traditional backgrounds or experienced hires. 

Just add a short opening, 1-2 sentences on “Why consulting?” and a short conclusion to these paragraphs, and your cover letter will be ready to submit. 

Mistakes People Make with Their Consulting Cover Letters that Lead to Rejection

There are red flags that can get applicants’ resumes placed in the “no” pile. These are:

• A gap in their work history.

A low GPA  can be a problem because management consulting firms target people who can solve tough business problems. But if your GPA  is low due to extenuating circumstances, such as a problem with your own or a family member’s health, or if you needed to work many hours each week to finance your education, firms will often overlook this.

Small offices at top consulting firms often have a problem. People choose them because they think they’ll have a better shot at getting an offer from the firm. But later, these same people want to move to a different office, leaving that office understaffed. 

If you’re applying to an office because you genuinely want to live in that city, tell the recruiters why you want to live there (examples: near family, proximity to outdoor activities, etc.) They need to see that you are not planning to try to transfer to another office or they won’t want to invest in you.

If you have a gap in your work history, a consulting firm might think you were fired and had difficulty finding another job. If health or another issue was the cause of the gap in your work history, it’s important to explain that.

If you have any of these or other red flags in your consulting application, take the time to explain them in your cover letter so that they don’t derail you from getting an interview.

Writing Your Management Consulting Cover Letter – A Step-by-Step Guide

• Opening – keep it short and sweet. Just introduce yourself and express interest in working for the firm you’re applying to, mentioning the specific position you want. Include your 1-2 sentences on “Why consulting?” here.
• Central paragraph 1  – As explained above, find what the firm is looking for in consultants from their Careers page and dedicate one paragraph to each characteristic.
• Central paragraph 2 – Create a story from your experience that shows you have that characteristic. You should include 3-4 stories in your cover letter.
• Central paragraph 3 – Quantify results whenever possible.
• Central paragraph 4 – Order these stories in the way that works to your advantage, with the strongest story first, the second-strongest last, and weaker (but still good) stories in the middle.
• Address any red flags.
• Express your interest again and close the letter.

That’s it! You now have an impressive cover letter.

5 Tips for Writing a Cover Letter that Lands the Interview

• Tip #1 – Start with the characteristics valued by the consulting firm you’re most interested in. You should tailor the cover letter for each firm to the characteristics they list on their Career page. You’ll find, however, that you can re-use stories because all consulting firms value leadership, drive, teamwork, and creating impact.
• Tips #2 – Pick the most compelling stories from your experience. You probably have multiple stories you could use for some values. Choose just one story. If in doubt, the one where you solved the biggest problem or where you had the biggest impact is probably the best. Don’t worry if you have another great story, you’ll get to talk about it in your consulting interviews.
• Tips #3 – Quantify results wherever possible. Showing that you increased revenue/ attendance/ donations by x% quickly and effectively displays you can get things done. Same with cost reductions or reduced time/effort to get work done.
• Tip #4 – Tighten your language to show your point as efficiently as possible. Never say more than you need to in order to make your point. Recruiters screen thousands of applications, and they appreciate communications that get right to the point. Consulting partners will also appreciate this skill once you’re on their team and drafting PowerPoint slides for client meetings. Keep your cover letter to one page. 
• Tip #5 -Use Fiverr or another service to ensure you have no grammatical or spelling mistakes. You only get one chance to make a good impression. Don’t send out a letter with a big mistake, especially if you can prevent it with $5. 

Consulting Cover Letter Examples

The best way to get a sense of what an effective management cover letter looks like is to read one. 

We’ve got 2 examples of letters that helped My Consulting Offer clients land interviews: one from an undergraduate student’s application to McKinsey and one from an experienced-hire candidate’s application to Bain.

Successful Consulting Cover Letter Example 1

Undergraduate consulting cover letter example.

Why Is This Undergraduate Consulting Cover Letter Sample Effective?

This consulting industry cover letter written by an undergraduate is effective because it addresses key characteristics that McKinsey looks for in their applicants, as you can see   on their careers page :

• Personal impact
• Entrepreneurial drive

While it only calls out 2 of the 4 characteristics McKinsey is looking for, entrepreneurial drive and problems solving, these stories also showcase the candidate’s personal impact. 

The 3rd characteristic the cover letter calls out, teamwork/ collaboration, is also highly valued by McKinsey and other consulting firms. 

The entrepreneurial drive paragraph is effective because it shows this candidate works hard and overcomes obstacles that would stand in the way of other candidates.

The problem-solving paragraph is effective because it shows the candidate’s structured approach to solving a problem. It also shows this approach worked.

The collaborative story works because it shows that this candidate was able to make strong personal connections from a very young age and that they respect people from all walks of life.

The candidate makes clear with his/her stories that they understand what McKinsey is looking for and that they’ve demonstrated those characteristics.

Successful Consulting Cover Letter Example 2

Experienced hire consulting cover letter example.

Why Is This Experienced Hire Consulting Cover Letter Sample Effective?

• Problem-solving skills (addressed in Passion for Results and Lasting Impact.)
• The ability to lead (addressed in all 3 stories.)
• Results delivered (addressed in Passion for Results with quantified impact.)
• Passion (addressed in Drive & Character)

Each of the 3 stories in this cover letter presents the applicant as someone who has the characteristics top management consulting firms look for. 

Moreover, the 3 stories together demonstrate that he or she has “the whole package.” He or she isn’t smart but a poor team player or good at problem-solving but lacking the passion needed to get things done in a difficult, real-world environment.

The fact that the applicant could speak to all of the things Bain looks for helped them land interviews and then offers with multiple top firms.

What About Firms Like McKinsey, Which Don’t Require a Cover Letter?

Some management consulting firms, such as McKinsey & Company, have made submitting a cover letter optional. 

Should you bother to spend the time to write one if they don’t seem to care?

If your resume clearly shows you are a good fit for the consulting firm,  you don’t need to submit a cover letter. Things that would make you look like a good fit include:

• Attendance at or a degree from a core school where the firm recruits through on-campus interviews and hires consultants every year
• An undergraduate degree in business or economics or an MBA
• Leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills clearly demonstrated through work and volunteer experience on your resume

If your resume doesn’t clearly communicate that you’re a good fit for the management consulting industry and their firm, in particular, your application will be strengthened by including a cover letter. 

You should also submit a cover letter if you have been previously rejected from that firm so that they know you have taken steps to improve your application since last applying.

You’ll want to think about stories to use in your behavioral interviews   anyway, so if you’re unsure whether you need a cover letter, it’s safest to write one.

To see the power of an improved cover letter, watch this video on how My Consulting Offer helped Cynthia get invited for an interview at every consulting company she applied to.

Are you ready to write your management consulting cover letter?

We bet you are since you now know:

• What a consulting cover letter is
• The red flags that get candidates rejected and how to overcome them
• Our 5 Tips on writing an effective consulting cover letter
• Plus, you’ve seen 2 Consulting cover letter examples that worked

Still have questions?

If you have more questions about writing effective consulting cover letters, leave them in the comments below. One of My Consulting Offer’s former MBB recruiters will answer them.

Other people who were writing their cover letter found the following pages helpful:

• Consulting Resumes
• BCG Cover Letter
• Consulting Networking
• Case Interview Prep : The Ultimate Guide
• Our List of  Top Consulting Firms and their company values
• The Non-MBA Master’s Student’s Guide to Landing a Consulting Job

Do You Need Help Writing a Perfect Consulting Cover Letter?

Thanks for turning to My Consulting Offer for advice on writing your cover letter. We’ve helped over 700 people get offers in consulting and 89.6% of My Consulting Offer clients land  interviews and offers with a consulting firm. Most land more than one. We want you to get that opportunity to interview with McKinsey, Bain, BCG and other top firms!

For example, here is how we helped Tao land interviews at Bain, BCG, and McKinsey.

Join our FREE Webinar:

How 800+ candidates have landed consulting offers at mckinsey, bain and bcg, 2 thoughts on “everything you need to know about the consulting cover letter”.

Thank you Davis for this powerful tool you shared. Really, I havent thought of cover letters telling stories or narrating how you used the needed skills and the value you added using them in your past roles. No wonder I have been getting rejections based on my red flags – not having to work with the big 4s or having multinational experience. All these does not matter as long you can demonstrate the skill set you used to add value in your previous roles which must be inline with what the prospective role needs. I really aporeciate this exposure and I look forward to getting calls from recruiters going forward as I apply your strategy to my cover letters subsequently. Thanks a lot. Esther.

Hey, Esther, We’re so glad the tips we discussed about writing your consulting cover letter were helpful! Good luck in your job search!

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We are excited to invite you to the online event.

Where should we send you the calendar invite and login information.

Does anyone has a Bain cover letter sample? Thank you!

Does anyone have recent Bain and McKinsey cover letter samples?

Hey, sure I can send my old cover letter from when I applied.

PM me for details!

could you share it with me as well? I don't find where to write a message :o

Hi ,I sent you the PM for the cover letter. Can you send it please

Hi, could you please share your cover letter with me as well? I am planning to apply to Bain in Jan, so would be great to have a look at yours. Thx!

Hi Alessandro, please could you send me your cover letter, thanks in adbance

Hi Alessandro, could you please share your cover letter with me as well? Thank you in advance!

Hi Alessandro, I am also interested in the cover letter.

Hi Alessandro, please could you share your cover letter with me. Thank you in advance!

Hi Alessandro, I would be grateful if you could send it to me also. Thank you in advance :)

Hi Alessandro, if its not too much trouble I would like to take a peek at your cover letter for inspiration! Thank you in advance :)

Hi Alessandro, could you please share your cover letter with me? I am going to apply for the internship these days. Thank you very much!

Hi Alessandro, can you please share your cover letter with me as well? It would really help my application. I have also sent private message to you and shared my email address. Thank you very much!

Can just provide the high-level structure (I believe it's relatively easy to write 4 paragraphs):

• Intro of who you are
• Why you (several reasons)
• Why "The Company" (Usually 3 reasons)

In terms of the content:

Why you  is about your career path and extracurricular activities. Depending on your experiences either start from the first or from the last role (the later you are in your career the more sense it is to start with last one). You can mention a couple of your unique selling point and structure your lifepath around it. Add memorable projects or experience with high impact / cool brands / etc. that will stay in the memory of the reader.

Why "The Company"  question can include the following arguments:

• Brand / positioning / market share in the region
• More clients / projects / expertise in the industry you are interested in
• More well-known stories of success in your city
• Your friends working there
• Your interactions with the other consultants before the interview
• Your prior experience of working with the Firm on a client side
• Office traditions
• Work experience with firm alumni

• Select category
• General Feedback
• Case Interview Preparation
• Technical Problems

Career in Consulting

All About Bain Recruitment Process

If you want a job at Bain, you might ask yourself, what is the Bain recruitment process?

Bain & Company is the third largest of the prestigious “MBB” ( McKinsey & Company, BCG , or  Bain & Company ). 

Bain, founded by former Boston Consulting Group consultants, has grown by 15% annually for two decades.

Of the big three, Bain stands out for its culture .

Bain is known for entrepreneurship, tailored solutions, and a work-hard & play-hard culture .

Bain is also #2 on Glassdoor’s 2020 Best Places to Work list.

Bain & Company is a great company for candidates interested in private equity as a post-consulting exit opportunity.

Its sister company, Bain Capital, also uses Bain & Company consultants in private equity engagements.

Bain’s recruitment process is one of the most selective  as well: 

It is common for only the top 1-3% of consulting applicants to receive offers .

In this article, I will remove the mystery of the Bain recruitment process , including the resume and cover letter screening, the Bain Online Test, the experience interview, and the case interview. Plus, Bain’s special twist: the written case interview.

Let’s find out what it takes to become a Bainee .

Table of Contents

Get the latest data about salaries in consulting, an overview of the bain recruitment process.

From the time you apply, until you accept the job offer, you will have to progress through a series of steps in the Bain recruitment process.

Most of the time, this process takes between 4 and 6 weeks, with often 14 days between steps on average. 

However, the two rounds of interviews can be planned for 2 consecutive days.

The typical feeder into Bain is through a target recruitment school published here.

Undergraduates participate in an Associate Consultant Internship before the typical fourth year.

MBAs complete the Summer Associate program between the first and second years.

Let’s see which deviations from the standard Bain recruitment process, as shown in the picture above, can happen.

If you are applying to a South American office, particularly Brazil, it is likely that you will have to take the Bain Online Test before, maybe, being invited to interviews.  

Finally, you may have a different interview process if you apply to a non-consulting position within Analytics & Customer Insights, Digital & Innovation, or Business Services. 

For instance, your interview could include coding tests and project discussions with product engineers, portfolio reviews with other designers, or discussions about coaching and agile methodologies. 

To conclude, check the video below.

This video from Bain & Company shows what Bain looks for when hiring Consultants.  

Show Your Uniqueness: The Resume And Cover Letter Screening

Your resume, with a cover letter, is the first step to a very lucrative job at Bain & Company.

Yet, less than 30% of applicants receive a call for an interview.

So, what is Bain looking for when screening your resume and cover letter ?

First, Bain Is Looking For Academic Performance

A recent study from poetsandquants.com shows which schools are the top MBA feeders in the consulting industry .

For instance, top MBA programs with good placement in the consulting industry include MIT, London Business School, INSEAD, and Columbia Business School. 

Secondly, Bain Is Looking For Specific Qualities

Bain & Company is looking for  people with certain characteristics and skills .

Therefore, all  your resume and cover letter content should demonstrate that you have mastered these skills .

To be more precise: your resume and cover letter content must show  how you used these skills  and  the IMPACT you had .

Lastly, Bain Wants To Understand Your Motivation To Join The Firm

Are your cover letter and resume ready for applications?

Check these two articles to learn how to write winning resumes and cover letters and get lots of examples: consulting resume: 17 advanced writing tips , and  how to write a persuasive and customized cover letter . 

Don't Stress Out: The HR Screening Interview

In most cases, the HR screening interview is conducted by phone and is aimed at briefly reviewing your background.

For instance, the HR screening interview can include a list of questions such as :

• Background questions include “Tell me about yourself” or “Describe your work history.”
• Motivational questions include “Why are you interested in consulting?” and “Why Bain & Company”?
• Specific skill-based questions  include “Tell me about a time when you had to solve a problem in a team”

For this stage, you can expect a 20-minute interview.

Note : This in-depth guide will teach you how to answer those questions later.

Alternatively, to a phone screen, you may be asked to complete the One Way Interview (or One Way Video Interview) .

Bain is following BCG in introducing this interview method .

The Bain one-way interview is a series of interview questions asked (similar to the questions above) and answered via the video interview website Spark Hire.

Hence, you won’t be speaking with a live interviewer.

Instead, you’ll receive the interview questions when you log onto the site from your laptop.

Spark Hire will record a video of your answers for a Bain recruiter to review at a later time.

To conclude: you won’t have a case interview at this stage .

Show Your Logical Reasoning: The Bain Screening Test

The Bain recruitment process includes a screening test.

And the type of test you’ll have to take depends on the office you are applying to.

But the type of test will be one of these 2 types:

• A GMAT-like test (also known as the Bain online test or Bain Gorilla test)
•  The Bain SOVA assessment

Let’s explore these two tests in the next two sections:

The Bain & Company Online Test

As a Consultant or Associate Consultant at Bain, you will spend a lot of time reading and analyzing data (from a graphical chart or an Excel spreadsheet).

Besides, you will have to derive insights from these data and connect these insights to your client’s problem.

The Bain Online Test tests your ability to complete these tasks well.

Indeed, this test has been designed to assess how you use  deductive, inductive, and quantitative reasoning abilities to solve problems logically. 

First, the  Bain Online is a digital test like the McKinsey PST and BCG Potential Test, with a similar feel to the GMAT and GRE. You can expect 25 multi-choice questions for 50 minutes. 

Secondly, the two  most common types of questions you can have are:

• Calculate X, Y, and Z given the following data
• Which of the following conclusions are accurate given the following data

These questions will come in two sections : a business case study with multiple-choice answers and an analytical reasoning section ( GMAT-like questions).

Thirdly,  no business background is required .

You only need your common sense to answer the Bain Online Test questions.

Lastly, be prepared if a calculator is not allowed , and use your natural abilities.

Math questions are solvable with simple math or approximation.

To conclude,  the most challenging part of this test is the time management .

Manage the time allotted to ensure you do your best.

In fact, wrong answers are penalized, while not answering is not.

The Bain SOVA assessment (aptitude and personality test)

This Bain online assessment, also called the Bain online test, is a 75-minute test that can be taken on your own device from anywhere.

The test will examine how you react in certain situations and how you respond to new information.

Sova assessments power the test and include 6 sections:

• Situational Judgement Test
• Numerical Reasoning
• Verbal Reasoning
• Logical Reasoning
• Personality Questionnaire
• Video interview

Get 4 Complete Case Interview Courses For Free

You need 4 skills to be successful in all case interviews: Case Structuring, Case Leadership, Case Analytics, and Communication. Join this free training and learn how to ace ANY case questions.

Do NOT Neglect It: The Experience Interview

After the screening process, there is a selection process consisting of multiple interviews. 

This section will tell you everything you need about the behavioral interview .

But, before we start, I want to point out a mistake made by too many candidates:  do NOT neglect your preparation for this part of the interview.

What To Expect During The Experience Interview

During each of your behavioral interviews ,  you can expect the four following types of questions :

First, “ Tell me about yourself ” or “Walk me through your resume.” 

Then, “ Why Consulting? “.

Thirdly, “ Why Bain? “.

Finally, several behavioral interview questions . 

You can expect the experience interview (also known as a fit interview) to last around 10 minutes. 

With one exception : during the second round, one interview of the three interviews may consist of only behavioral questions. 

Now, let’s go through these 4x questions. 

Tell Me About Yourself

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

This question, or common variants such as “Walk me through your resume,” is an easy and open-ended start to a conversation where your interviewer wants to know the following:

• What are your motivations, and what drives you?
• Which problems you had to solve, and how you solved them ?
• What is your academic background?
• How do you deal with people ?
• What impact have you had in the past?

Related article : Tell Me About Yourself: How to Answer This Question.

Why Consulting?

A natural question following “Tell me about yourself” is “ Why consulting? ” .

Because the second most important thing that Bain wants to know after who you are is:

• if you understand what Consulting is,
• and if you are truly interested in pursuing a career in that industry .

Why’s that?

Because Bain doesn’t want you to leave after six months when you would have realized that the consulting lifestyle doesn’t fit your objectives.

So, whether Consulting is a thoughtful career choice or an “I don’t know what to do, let’s try” career choice, there are many good reasons why Consulting can be a good opportunity.

7 Reasons Why Consulting Can Be A Good Career Opportunity

• #1 - It's a good career choice after University if you don't know what to do : if you don't know what to do after University or after your MBA (you're not alone!), then Consulting is a safe bet. You'll have the opportunity to explore which career, sector or specialty is right for you
• #2 - You'll have a strong impact : you'll have the opportunity to work on and solve the most pressing problems faced by big corporations
• #3 - You'll have a strong exposure to C-level Executives : early on in your career, you'll work directly for CEOs, CFOs, CMOs, etc. and start developing the soft skills to become a senior Executive later
• #4 - You'll learn a lot : Consulting firms invest a lot in training their consultants. In addition, the feedback culture is very strong and you'll get full performance reviews regularly
• #5 - You'll work with bright people : consultancies pride themselves on hiring bright and interesting people. Plus, with 3-month projects on average, you'll meet a lot of different people in consulting
• #6 - You'll have the opportunity to work in an international environment : large consultancies sell work to businesses and governments all around the world
• #7 - You'll have access to an amazing alumni network : having worked in a consulting firm will give you access to its alumni network that will help you throughout your career

2 Other Reasons Why Consulting Can Be A Good Career Opportunity (But You Can't Tell Them To Your Interviewer)

• #8 - You'll have great exit opportunities : headhunting firms or big corporations love ex-consultants. Even now, 5 years after I left Consulting, head hunters still contact me on Linkedin to point out interesting opportunities
• #9 - You'll earn a lot of money : consulting is also known as a very well-paid industry. The average base salary for a Bain Consultant is $156,000 a year according to Glassdoor. Plus, your salary will increase between 10% and 25% each year

Besides listing a couple of reasons why you want to pursue a career in consulting, a compelling answer should explain WHY these reasons are important for you . 

To conclude this section, you can check this article to learn how to craft a compelling answer to the “why consulting?” question. 

Next, “Why Bain?” : This question evaluates your motivation to join Bain&Company.

I have explained in this article how to have a compelling answer to this question.

Behavioral Interview Questions

• Describe a challenging situation when you have had to work hard to achieve something, in a limited time, outside your comfort zone 
• Tell me about a time when you have had to work with someone with an opposing opinion 
• Describe the greatest challenge you have had to overcome when working effectively together with a group of people 

Watch the video on this  page  to see Bain’s examples of the experience interview.

Hence, be prepared to go into detail and explain your options, your decisions (and why), what was difficult, what you enjoyed the most, etc. 

Be Exceptionally Structured: The Case Interview

The case interview is another problem-solving test.

Bain believes the best way to assess your problem-solving skills is to discuss a real client scenario with you .

This helps them understand how you structure tough, ambiguous business challenges, identify important issues, deal with all the implications of facts and data, formulate conclusions and recommendations, and articulate your thoughts in a fast-moving discussion.

For instance, you can watch this that outlines what to expect during the case interviews:

Besides what is outlined in the above video, you can watch what a real interview looks like in the next video:

Interviewer-Led vs. Candidate-Led Interviews

The Bain-style case interview follows the candidate-led case study interview format .

What does that mean?

First,  your interviewer will present a problem .

After asking clarifying questions, you must structure an approach to solve this problem.

Secondly, it is up to you to determine the course of the conversation – with some help from the interviewer.

Here are the steps Bain evaluates:

• Problem structuring – organize the problem into an issue tree
• Hypothesis – direct the conversation by choosing a logical path to follow
• Analysis – review a graph and synthesize information relevant to the client
• Quantitative analysis – solve a simple mathematical calculation without a calculator and synthesize the results for the client
• Synthesis – the partner or client CEO is in the elevator with you. What do you recommend they do?

Your interviewer knows the details you learn by asking good questions.

But don’t worry.

The interviewer won’t let you get stuck.

Good examples of interviewer-led cases can be found in the sample cases on the Bain  website.

Furthermore, you can read my free case interview guide .

Other consulting firms, such as McKinsey & Company, might use  interviewer-led case study interviews , in which the interviewer asks a series of formal questions about the case.

The Bain Written Case Interview

Bain gives some candidates – depending on the office – a written case study.

Don’t worry.

It’s not an essay .

You’ll craft two handwritten slides.

Bain believes some candidates do better when offered extra time to formulate thoughts.

The written case study is a chance to use the extra time to demonstrate your problem-solving skills .

Your interviewer will give you 20-30 PowerPoint slides .

You can ask your interviewer questions.

You’ll then have 55 minutes to craft a recommendation.

One slide will show your recommendation , and another for your rationale .

Your interviewer will then discuss your recommendations with you for 40 minutes.

My advice to you is the same as with the candidate-led case study interviews.

But with extra time, you should strengthen your argument by considering alternatives and counter-arguments .

Keith Bevans, Bain’s global head of recruiting, talks about the written case study in this video.

Bain Wants You To Succeed

Unlike in many industries, management consulting firms tell you exactly how to interview.

The challenge is meeting Bain’s level of excellence.

To help you and other candidates meet baseline expectations, Bain provides these resources to candidates :

• Job-level specific advice
• Two interactive practice case interviews
• Mock interview examples at the Associate Consultant and Consultant levels

I want you to succeed, too: you can find a list of 250+ practice cases  on this page.

Related article : 11 must-know frameworks to ace your case interviews.

You’re Almost Done: Ask the Interviewer Great Questions

You’ve made it through the behavioral and case study portions.

Now, the interviewer asks if you have any questions.

Bain is genuinely interested in your questions. Interviewers want to know you are passionate about consulting and working at Bain & Company.

Here are some ideas for great questions:

• Make a connection with your interviewer . Ask questions about their background and their current work that interest you
• Explore the culture of the office at which you are interviewing
• Clarify the structure of the office, Bain, or client engagements

You can read this article to build your list of smart questions to ask at the end of your interviews. 

The Infamous Blacklist: Does It Exist? And How to Overcome It

The jury is out on if there is a Bain blacklist.

Here’s what I do know: only apply if you are ready to interview .

Remember, management consulting is a destination job for university programs and experienced hires.

Competition is strong .

For instance, if you do not pass the interviews, consulting firms will request you wait 12-18 months until you reapply .

Even then, Bain & Company may want to see a significant career change as evidence your skills have improved to pass another set of interviews, such as through a graduate degree, significant promotion, or work at a top-tier company.

Don’t dwell on the question of the blacklist, but remember, competition is tough.

Be confident before you interview.

Offered an interview but not feeling ready? I can help you prepare in as little as 4 weeks .

The Bain Recruitment Process: Conclusion

To conclude, you now better understand the essentials of the Bain & Company interview process.

Curious about the recruitment process for other top firms? Read more here:

• Boston Consulting Group

Now I want to hear from you:

Do you have any questions about the process?

With which part of the process do you struggle the most?

Leave a comment below.

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4 thoughts on “All About Bain Recruitment Process”

Pingback: How to answer “Why McKinsey?”, “Why BCG?”, or “ Why Bain?” questions - Career in Consulting

A wonderful and exceptionally accurate precis of the recruitment journey. I can attest to that from first hand knowledge.

Well done Sebastian

i can’t book for a call!

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Consulting Cover Letter: a comprehensive guide

• Understanding Consulting Cover Letters
• Practicalities of Writing Your Cover Letter
• Section-by-Section Breakdown
• Quality Control

A stellar cover letter is going to be a basic pre-requisite if you want to land a top-tier consulting job at the likes of the MBB’s, Kearney, LEK, Deloitte etc.

More than half of consulting candidates are rejected based on their applications alone , before they ever make it to interview. This means that, for all the emphasis on case interview prep, your resume and cover letter, together with networking , are the single greatest determinant as to whether you land your dream MBB job or not .

Candidates typically have some realisation of the importance of applications, but make the mistake of devoting all their time to the resume alone as they assume it is the "important one". They assume that the accompanying cover letters are always fairly generic and/or are merely a formality that don't actually get read.

However, the idea that your cover letter is any less important than your resume is a hugely damaging misconception.

In fact, speaking to consultants currently involved with recruitment at MBB firms, we are told that cover letters have been becoming more and more important recently. This is for a couple of reasons:

• More and more resumes are coming in basically perfect (the proliferation of material like our excellent free resume guide has a part to play here). This means that cover letters are increasingly being focussed on as a way to differentiate top candidates.
• Cover letters are more indicative of your soft skills and personal fit with the office culture than a resume. Since firms are having particular difficulty finding candidates with the right social skills (especially post-Covid), cover letters become more and more salient in the filtering process.

To up the ante even more, add to this the fact that applications are increasingly read by AI tools as well. Whilst a human reader working in a hurry and skimming a document in a hurry might have simply missed an error, you can be sure the computer will pick up on any mistakes you make.

So, how do you get things right?

Putting together a decent consulting cover letter can be tricky and will probably take longer than you think. The demands are different and quite a bit more rigorous than for cover letters you might have written for other industries.

Luckily though, the strict demands on consulting cover letters mean that there is an equally strict set of rules to follow when writing them - as long as you follow these and put the time in to do things properly, you can reliably turn out an excellent document.

This guide will help you understand what it is recruiters want to see in a good cover letter and take you through the steps to draft your best possible offering. To make things as clear as possible, we discuss a template cover letter section-by-section.

Help is at hand!

Writing applications can be pretty daunting, especially with a dream job on the line.

Before we dive into all the complex nitty-gritty of how to turn out your cover letter, we should let you know that we have an editing service where a 5+ year experienced MBB consultant helps you draft your best possible resume and/or cover letter. You can read more here:

Explore Professional Editing

This isn't obligatory, but is a great option for those who feel overwhelmed and want some help to get things right, as well as for those who want the inside track in terms of optimising something that is already close to the mark.

This application editing can also be done as part of a broader mentoring package, where that same experienced mentor helps you through the whole consulting selection process, from networking, through to case interview prep. You can find out more here:

Learn More About Comprehensive Mentoring

1. Understanding Consulting Cover Letters

To write a good one we will first need to understand the demands it must meet. That is to say, we need to understand the function of the cover letter and precisely how it will be assessed.

Let's start by going through some important points:

1.1. Function of a Consulting Cover Letter

The basic function of a consulting cover letter is to tell recruiters three things:

• Why you are worth employing
• Why consulting is a perfect fit for you
• Why you are interested in the target firm in particular

As we will see later, a standard management consulting cover letter is broken down into three paragraphs, addressing each of these issues more-or-less separately.

In many ways, the demands of your cover letter sit between your resume ) and your fit interview (which you will be invited to only if your resume and cover letter make the cut).

A consulting cover letter helps demonstrate the same skillset as your resume and you will effectively be selecting a few of the key points from your resume to amplify in the cover letter.

However, the objective of this document is not simply restating the facts on your resume, but rather creating a persuasive link between your personal story and the job you are applying for. In effect, the main purpose of your cover letter is to show that you are a great fit for the job you are applying for across the board. As such, you need to convey your personality and your motivation to do the job - things that are not readily assessed via your resume alone.

These are exactly the qualities that are also assessed in your fit interview. Indeed, just as with the Additional Information section of your resume, the information in your cover letter is very likely to form the basis of questions in your fit interview - where your personality and motivation are assessed again. Thus, just as with the Additional Information section of your resume, when you are drafting your cover letter you should be keeping half an eye on how you would be able to work the items you select into compelling fit interview answers.

All this means that our article on the fit interview is especially worth a read as you get started on cover letter writing!

1.2. Motivation

Consulting is a tough life and the average consulting recruit only stays in the industry for around two years - which means that many of those applicants who are lucky enough to land jobs will have left within 12 months.

Beyond this, many of those entering consulting only ever intend to stay for a couple of years before bailing out into roles in private equity or internal strategy, becoming a start-up founder, or any of the other typical roles where consulting experience will enhance their career chances.

This constant loss of talent is a big problem for consulting firms, who don't want employees to disappear as soon as they have accrued the training and experience required to be genuinely useful to the company. In effect, firms want to ensure they get a positive return on investment on training you.

As such, recruiters will be trying to identify candidates who are genuinely in it for the long haul - who want to make partner someday and who have the necessary motivation to push them through the years of long hours and tight deadlines en route.

Of course, we realise that you the reader might well be one of the candidates who only really plan to stick with consulting for two years before parachuting out into another industry. Realistically, this is a perfectly sensible career trajectory and we're certainly not going to tell you not to do so.

However , if this is the case, your application and subsequent interview are really not the time to discuss it. If you have ever had any inkling that you might consider sticking around and making a long-term career in consulting, then this is the inclination to channel during the selection process.

We return to discuss your rationale for entering consulting in our section-by-section breakdown of the letter itself.

1.3. A Test in Itself

Your target firm uses your cover letter to learn more about you in a couple of ways. Obviously, they receive all the information you communicate explicitly - all the achievements and experience and positive character traits you tell them about. However, your cover letter is also used by the target firm as an implicit (but very real) test of your writing skills and other qualities. It is important to realise this dual function and keep it in mind during drafting.

At a basic level, using correct, industry standard formatting etc shows that you have the professionalism and diligence to find out and follow the rules. As we will discuss later, writing a letter specific to the firm you are applying to also demonstrates your commitment to that employer.

More directly, though, your cover letter is used by consulting firms as a test of your writing skills. Writing consulting cover letters is not an easy business - if it were, you wouldn't be reading this guide! Composing a good cover letter requires you to assemble a body of information, synthesise it and present it in a compelling form.

Importantly, this is a set of skills - summarising complex information into compelling prose and extracting key points in data - that consultants use every day. Your cover letter is one of the main ways firms check for your competence here.

Similarly, readers will be very interested in your ability to use your cover letter to market yourself. In effect, consultants must constantly sell themselves, their firm, and their recommendations to clients. Indeed, this is becoming a larger and larger part of the job as more of the analytic side of consulting work is automated. As such, the ability to communicate persuasively is a key management consulting skill.

1.4. The Reader

With any piece of writing, the first thing you need to consider is who the intended reader is. This is especially important for consulting cover letters.

During the application screen, as well as filtering by AI tools and HR staff, your cover letter will be placed with one or two hundred others and passed to a junior consultant (often a recent alum from your university) to assess. Generally, this will be piled on top of that consultant's normal workload and often they will end up with very little time to get through this mound of applications. As such, your reader will be tired, possibly slightly grumpy and in a hurry - probably only skimming what you have written.

Keep this reader in mind at all times and write in a way that makes their life easier. This means making everything as clear, easy to read and precise as possible!

2. PRACTICALITIES OF WRITING A CONSULTING COVER LETTER

So, we have a good idea of the basic job of a cover letter needs to do, what ground it needs to cover, and how it will be assessed. Now it's time to get down to business and actually get the thing written!

To this end, we'll look at a few practical points about how to meet the requirements mentioned above, before focusing one-by-one on the five main segments of a management consulting cover letter.

2.1. FORMAT - DOING THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE

Just as with your resume, formatting a consulting cover letter is really not the time to embrace your creative side. Failing to stick to the standard rules of formatting risks being rejected immediately, without your letter even being read.

The tired junior consultant tasked with plowing through a pile of cover letters is unlikely to be in the mood for a strange font or weird layout and will simply send your application directly to the bin.

As noted above, standard formatting shows that you are professional enough to take the application seriously and that you have bothered to find out what is expected from your cover letter. The best way to understand how you should format this document is simply to take a look at our examples below, which are formatted in a standard "safe" manner.

In particular, though, you should make sure your letter conforms to the following basic standard:

• Standard typeface at a normal size
• No longer than one printable page
• Normal size margins etc - no extreme formatting to pack more words on the page!
• Name, contact information, and date at the top, in the manner of a traditional letter - you can include a postal address if you like, but an email address is perfectly sufficient nowadays - and will save space
• Standard structure explained below - opening, three main paragraphs, closing

2.2. Content - Being Unique!

You might have to keep the format strictly in line with everyone else, but it is absolutely crucial that the actual content of your letter is unique!

Always remember that your cover letter will be part of a stack of 1-200 deep. The content needs to really impress the reader if you are going to stand out from the pack and earn yourself an invitation to interview.

To achieve this, you are going to have to draw on your most impressive achievements and experiences and then portray them in the best possible fashion, to really make your reader pause and take note, rather than toss your letter towards the bin with the others.

Content that is unusual is also helpful in making your application memorable and might prompt interview questions where you can be well prepared to shine. During an application process with so many competitors, it pays to have something unique to you - a USP - to differentiate you from your peers.

However, this will only add value if it is relevant to management consulting!

In our discussion below on how to introduce yourself and your abilities, we'll discuss how you can emphasize your personal "spikes" - which help make your cover letter more unique.

2.3. Be Specific!

Your letter needs not only to be unique, but also highly specific .

Many candidates think that they can save a bit of time by just writing a one really "good" cover letter and using that for all their applications without any modifications. This might be true (or almost true) of a good resume. However, if you think that the cover letter you wrote for McKinsey will be able to be used without any changes to for Bain and BCG as well, we can tell you now that that letter wasn't good enough to get you a job with any of those firms!

As noted previously, a major function of your cover letter is to gauge your motivation to stick with the company if you are lucky enough to be hired. Your recruiter wants to make sure that you are genuinely keen to work for their specific firm for the foreseeable future. Any suggestion that your cover letter is just a generic chunk of text sent out to everyone in scattergun fashion obviously makes this idea pretty difficult to maintain - and will see your application heading towards that bin in short order.

To avoid this, then, take the time to write a separate letter for each firm you apply to. In these letters, you should include content that is specific to your particular target firm. What is more, this specific content should not be something generic or some kind of empty platitude.

If the best you can come up with is an obvious truth - or even worse, a common misconception - you will betray only a very shallow level of engagement, and will only succeed in vexing your reader.

Instead, you should be able to make specific remarks which show genuine insight. This will clearly demonstrate both your commitment to and knowledge of the firm.

These points will be particularly relevant to the section of the cover letter where you explain your decision to apply to your target firm, and we will pick up this discussion again later in this guide. However, there is room for material specific to your target firm in all sections of your cover letter.

3. Section-by-Section Breakdown

Let's go through the different sections of a standard management consulting cover letter one-by-one.

We will give examples as to how you might approach each section - however, it is imperative that you don't simply copy from specimens that we or anyone else have written. The examples here are only a guide as to how you should approach the different elements of a cover letter, not components to be lifted as-is.

Your own cover letter needs to stand out from a very strong field. Think about it - how can you possibly stand out by copying others? Beyond this, though, any hint that you are just copying from another source will see your whole application rejected immediately.

On a similar note here, we strongly advise against using an AI chatbot like ChatGPT to write your cover letter. Aside from that tool not knowing enough about your own life experiences, interests etc to say something with the correct degree of specificity, you run the risk of sending in a cover with the same writing style - or possibly even the same turns of phrase - as everyone else who did the same thing. Indeed, recruiters across many industries are already getting used to spotting AI-generated applications .

As we noted earlier, there are three main questions your cover letter must answer - why you, why consulting and why that firm in particular. The three main paragraphs of your cover letter will answer these three questions in sequence.

Provided you are careful to link everything together properly, there is actually some flexibility to vary the ordering of these paragraphs. You will always introduce yourself first, of course, but you can then state why you are interested in the specific firm before you explain what drew you to consulting, or deal with these in the reverse order.

In the interests of simplicity here, though, we will just deal with why-consulting-in-general first, followed by why-that-firm-in-particular.

The following examples are taken from an entry-level cover letter from an applicant to Bain London - and the detailed content is obviously tailored to that office.

In contrast to the relative ease with which a resume can be repurposed, you will have to significantly change the specifics of your cover letter as you apply for different offices and firms. Obviously, our candidate below can't just send this off to Bain New York without changing quite a lot of content. Similarly, this won't work as a cover letter for the London offices of McKinsey, BCG or Deloitte a wholesale rewrite.

With all this said, what is crucial is that the overall structure and format is maintained. This will be the case whether you are a recent graduate, Ph.D. or MBA. Even experienced hire cover letters will maintain the same fundamental format - though there will be (even) more expectation on the quality of the content.

3.1. OPENING YOUR CONSULTING COVER LETTER

The opening to your cover letter is very straightforward and is pretty much impossible to mess up if you follow basic rules.

First, you should record your name, email address, and the date of sending. You can include a postal address if you like, though this is no longer a strict requirement and takes up a lot of space. Your first sentence should state the specific position to which you are applying at the relevant office and firm.

The only issue that should give you any cause for concern here is to Whom the letter is addressed. Where possible, you should be addressing the letter to a named person - usually the recruiting manager of the office to which you are applying. However, where you cannot find a name to address your cover letter to, it is perfectly acceptable to begin "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Sir or Madam".

Jane Wu [email protected] 05/05/2019

Dear Ms Douglas,

I am writing to apply for the Associate Consultant position at Bain and Company's London office.

3.2. Introducing Yourself

After this brief opening, proceed straight to introducing yourself. Don't be shy - this is not the time for understatement or modesty! Top consulting firms are looking for exceptional individuals. Here, you need to leave the reader in no doubt that you are just such an exceptional individual!

To do this, looking at all the information you assembled for your resume, ideally, you should recount the three most impressive achievements in your life so far.

Of course, do this with an eye to achievements that are particularly relevant to consulting (your golf handicap might be good, but nobody in the workplace cares). Also, realise that the things we are most proud of personally might not actually be the ones that are most impressive to others (your golfing probably isn't great anyway). Try to look at your resume as if you are reading one from someone else. Alternatively, ask a friend what stands out to them.

It's your resume's job to paint a balanced picture of you as a well-rounded candidate with all the skills required to excel in consulting. However, in your cover letter, it can be beneficial to emphasise one or two particular strong suits, where you are exceptionally gifted. These are what consultants call "spikes". What recruiters are really looking for is well-rounded, generally capable candidates with a few "spikes" that might be especially useful.

I have recently graduated from the University of Cambridge with a first-class BA/MSci in Physics. At Cambridge, I was consistently near the top of my year academically and won a number of competitive scholarships and prizes; including the award for the best final year research project. During my third year, I was selected as the best of a very large field of applicants to take part in a prestigious summer research project at MIT. I was also elected as a Student Representative for two consecutive years.

3.3. Why Consulting is a Good Fit

Your job here is to provide a strong narrative demonstrating why consulting is a good fit for you and why it makes sense at this point in your career as a natural progression from what you have done before.

This is much the same as what is required from your answers in any subsequent fit interviews you receive. As such, our article on the fit interview , as well as our more comprehensive fit interview course and/or lessons in the MCC Academy , are highly relevant here.

Now, as we noted above, it is important to remember that there are some reasons to get into consulting that your target firm will be happy to hear about and others that will very definitely not impress.

We're not here to judge your reasons, whatever they are, for wanting a consulting job. However, there are certain reasons that you should probably not highlight if you would like to actually get that job.

Some candidates are not sure what career they actually want yet and think consulting would make a good first step, exposing them to different industries and keeping their options open for the future. The worry, from a firm's point of view, is that these individuals will not be sufficiently motivated to actually stick with consulting when they come up against the stress and high workload that come with the job.

Alternatively, some applicants are fully intent, right from the start, on bailing out into another industry after two years - when a sufficiently long stint in consulting has given them transferable skills and boosted their opportunities elsewhere.

Many candidates actually state these kinds of intentions - though they will certainly not be hired! As we noted above, firms want to retain staff and are looking for candidates who are committed to consulting for the long term.

3.3.1. Proving You Know What You are Getting Into

Given how many recruits drop out, firms want to be sure that you know exactly what you are getting into when you apply . When you explain why you have decided that consulting is a great fit for you, you obviously need it to be clear that you are doing so with a real understanding of what the job entails.

Ideally, you will have done an internship in consulting or a closely related industry. Alternatively, you might be moving sideways from a parallel sector, such as finance or tech, having worked alongside consultants in past roles and observed what they do first hand. In either such case, it is clear that you understand the demands of the job.

However, many of you will fall into neither of these camps and won't yet have any first hand experience of the consulting world. If this describes you, be aware that there is a particular onus on you to demonstrate that you know what is required of a working consultant - and that you have what it takes to meet those requirements.

Don't dismay, though, as this is definitely possible - it just requires a bit more thought from you. Really, you are limited to a strategy of identifying key consulting skills and showing that you have already had significant past experience (and ideally achievements) demonstrating that you are capable and comfortable in these areas - and, importantly, that you enjoy this kind of work!

This is similar in principle to some of what you should have already done in bullet point form in your resume. Our resume guide is useful here in listing the relevant consulting skills and giving examples that demonstrate them. However, your cover letter differs from the resume here in that the focus will be less on technical skills and more on personal character. You also can't be so schematic as in your resume, but must weave everything into a compelling narrative that leaves your reader in no doubt that you are well suited to, and prepared for, the job.

3.3.2. Finding Things to Say

Some candidates feel the need to embroider their accounts when they explain why they want to be a consultant. Maybe they genuinely think that the only reason they have chosen consulting is for the high salary and exit opportunities. Since they can't include either of these (as discussed below), they then cobble together an insincere-sounding road-to-Damascus story about how they had an epiphany that they should work at BCG or Bain.

However, introspection on the reasons that informed your own decision making can actually be a great source of material here. You might not be able to explicitly state them just now, but there are probably better reasons than you think for your choices.

Think about what exactly it was that led you to believe that you could do a consulting job and why have chosen to apply to jobs in that sector, rather than going into something else. If you want to be totally pragmatic, remember - it's a lot easier to answer interview questions on something approximating the truth than a tissue of lies!

I believe that I would be particularly well suited to the Associate Consultant position as consulting would provide real intellectual challenges, but placed within contexts allowing me to make use of my strong interpersonal skills. As a student representative, I instigated "Student Week" in the Physics department. This was a week where time was given over so that students could organise their own conferences and workshops. In order to make this initiative a success, I faced two main challenges: creating a committed team and getting the academic staff's support. I began by offering all students a stake in shaping the week and created teams in charge of all aspects of an organisation, delegating responsibilities to team leaders. Most of all, this experience taught me how to motivate people, leveraging their potential impact and the rewards to be gained from positive results. In the end, the teams were able to invite an outstanding line-up of speakers. Presenting the week as a chance to promote the school in the media enabled us to gain the final approval of academic staff. Understanding the perspectives of multiple stakeholders and identifying what they really cared about enabled me to transform an ambitious plan into reality. I loved this experience and would look forward to employing a similar skillset as an Associate Consultant.

3.4. Why that Firm?

Now finally, you need to show that you are committed to the particular firm to which you are applying . This is a crucial part of demonstrating your motivation as well as a way of showing your diligence in doing your research before applying. Needing to address why you want to work at your target firm in particular is why you fundamentally can't just re-use the same letter for all your consulting applications.

So, how should you do this?

In practice, there are three main ways to generate firm-specific content:

3.4.1. Contacts and networking

Whilst you might not have seen consultants at work first hand, there is nothing to prevent you from meeting them at career fairs, networking events, and the like.

You can also reach out to consultants in your target office via LinkedIn and potentially even schedule calls with them. You can do this from anywhere in the world. An experienced consultant can also guide you in this process within one of our mentoring programmes

The very best cover letters will grow out of substantial networking with current or former employees from your target firm - ideally from the specific office to which you are applying.

The individuals you speak to might be in a position to recommend you to recruiters. Otherwise, though, they will definitely be very well placed to tell you what is really unique about the company in general or your target office in particular. This is a surefire way for you to be able to make your cover letter specific in a way that actually rings true to those who read it.#

Also, don't be afraid to drop in the names of your contacts where they are relevant (and where this is appropriate, of course). The recruiter might know the people in question and they will lend credence to your application.

3.4.2. Reading

Of course, this kind of networking will not always be feasible, and certainly not at short notice. If you don't have access to anyone who has worked for your target firm, you should be able to get access to some of their output in the form of reports and similar material. Being able to comment on these demonstrates your enthusiasm to work at the target firm, as well as your diligence and intelligence. Indeed, mentioning report authors is a good way to shoehorn in the names of company employees whom you have not actually met in real life.

3.4.3. Observations

Of course, you would ideally be able to write about the first hand experience of working alongside consultants at a company that was a client of your target firm. Otherwise, if you have done your research, you will be able to discuss a successful project in which you have not been involved, but have taken a particular interest (possibly in an industry in which you have experience). This should convey genuine interest and, at the very least, shows you really have done your homework.

An example of how to approach this paragraph is as follows:

Bain specifically appeals to me for a few reasons. At a more personal level, all of the individuals I have spoken to who have worked at Bain have loved their jobs and seemed like people I would relish working with. Recently, I spoke to Sarah McKinney and Benedict Philips from the London office at a networking event. Both were very helpful and encouraging of my application. In particular, I was very excited to be able to talk to Sarah about Bain's recent work with capacitor technology firm NuCell. This was a project I had become aware of via my physics background and was very impressed with the sophisticated but wonderfully elegant solutions that Bain implemented. This was a significant influence in my decision to move towards consulting in general and Bain in particular.

3.5. Closing You Cover Letter

As with the opening, it is easy to get your cover letter's closing right simply by following a few standard rules.

Closing a consulting cover letter really just follows the same rules as a standard formal letter. Note that technically the form of your sign off depends on whether the letter was addressed to a named recipient or not. If you did manage to address your cover letter to a specific individual at the target firm, you should sign off your letter "Yours Sincerely". However, if you addressed the letter "Dear Sir or Madam" or "To Whom it May Concern", then you should sign off "Yours faithfully".

Not everyone will pick up on this, but some certainly will!

I very much hope that I can be considered for an interview. If you have any questions about my application or would like to know more, please do not hesitate to be in contact by email or on +44 7933023234. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely, Jane Wu

3.6. An Aside - Blurring Boundaries

For the sake of clarity, we have given quite a schematic picture of how a cover letter is structured. In practice, the separation between the content of the three main paragraphs is often not quite as clear as has been shown so far.

This is something to bear in mind as you are writing. Certainly, it is not a problem that the content of the three main paragraphs somewhat bleed into one another. Indeed, it might well be that the optimal version of your letter gives you more bang for your buck in including points with more than one positive function.

For example, you might make mention of people or reports from your specific target firm in explaining why you chose to enter consulting in general. Simultaneously you will likely be able to include some impressive achievements, relevant to your initial description of yourself, in that same explanation as to why consulting was for you.

4. Quality Control

By now, you should have a completed document in front of you. However, this doesn't mean that you're finished!

Just as with the resume, quality control should be taken very seriously when you are writing your cover letter, and will almost certainly take longer than did writing your initial draft.

First, you should make sure you have followed all the rules we set out for formatting and structuring a consulting cover letter. This is the easy bit, after all, and you shouldn't be making mistakes here when it's something you can easily control for yourself.

The following checklist is useful to make sure that the major elements are in order. Thus, you must make sure that any management consulting cover letter:

• Does not exceed one page
• Is formatted sensibly
• Contains no spelling mistakes (double check names of the company, position, HR manager and your contact information)
• Mentions skills that are relevant to the job
• Has relevant examples to back up those skills
• Reinforces skills that are not adequately explained in your resume
• Explains how your skill set relates to the job you are applying for
• Is tailored to the target firm

Of course, to hammer the point home, it should go without saying that spelling, punctuation, and grammar should be perfect throughout - especially these days, where AIs will be reading applications thoroughly, besides harried humans skimming them.

In particular, though, you should triple-check spelling around the opening where you list your own contact information and state the name of the target firm and specific role. Imagine making the cut to for interview only to have your invitation dispatched to the wrong email address!

You wouldn't believe how many candidates we see making mistakes here - indeed, outside consulting, the former Graduate Recruitment Manager at City law firm Mayer Brown found that 20% of applicants got the firm’s name wrong. If so many high-end, detail-oriented lawyers can make that kind of mistake, so can you - check!

4.2. Feedback

As with any important piece of writing, you will want another set of eyes on your cover letter. However, a consulting cover letter is not quite the same as for a more "normal" job, and there is only so much that your classmate, your buddy or your mum is going to be able to tell you . These people might be able to help you with spelling, punctuation, and grammar, but not a great deal else.

If you have access to a careers adviser, they will certainly be more knowledgeable and be able to give you more specific feedback. That said, the very particular demands of consulting and how cover letters are assessed means there is no real replacement for someone with actual consulting experience .

As always though, real consultants are incredibly busy people and their time has a high price tag. You might be lucky enough to have access to a consultant who will help you out - perhaps a friend or relative or maybe one of your networking contacts who likes you enough to take the time to look at your application.

However, for those who aren't so lucky, there are still ways to get top quality feedback. MyConsultingCoach offers cover letter review and feedback , both alone on its own and in a package with resume review.

With this service, a deeply experienced MBB consultant mentor, with a minimum of five years at McKinsey, Bain or BCG, will provide the kind of granular, nuanced feedback you simply can't find elsewhere. You can read more here:

Explore Application Review

You can also have the same kind of 5+ year experienced MBB consultant do this kind of editing for you as part of a wider personal mentoring programme. Find out more here:

Mentoring Programmes

Of course, none of these services are strictly necessary, and this guide is here to help everyone. However, professional editing will help you close the gap with your competitors who have the advantage of pre-existing inside contacts.

4.3. Iterate

It is easy to become attached to what you have written. Especially after pouring time and energy into a document, constructive criticism can end up being taken personally and ignored. However, if you actually want to get a job in consulting, you need to swallow your pride and be prepared to make substantial changes if they are advised .

Once you have re-drafted the document, you need to cycle through the same stages of quality control again, always making sure that everything is formatted correctly with no typos and then getting decent feedback on what you have produced. To get the whole thing just right will likely take at least a couple of these iterations. Indeed, this is precisely why MyConsultingCoach's review packages all include three rounds of feedback as standard .

Finally, then, you will have completed your cover letter and be ready to submit your application. You can give yourself a pat on the back for getting everything so far done. However, you still have a lot more work ahead of you if you are serious about making it into consulting!

If you are interested in getting an interview at the likes of the MBBs, Kearney, LEK, Deloitte, or any high-end consulting firm, it is absolutely crucial that your cover letter is the very best that it can be .

To this end, we have given a detailed guide on how to optimise a cover letter, breaking down all the relevant sections. Examples were provided from a sample cover letter for a Bain London application, though it was explained that you should never simply copy from such example cover letters.

We encourage you to read further - starting with our resume guide - and to consider editing from one of our ex-MBB consultant coaches. However, what we have given you here is a very good starting point for you to carve out a great draft cover letter.

If you have followed this guide and ideally found someone to provide decent feedback, you should have every chance of being invited to interview. However, nobody is going to do well if they prepare for a consulting interview the way they would for a more "normal" job.

Management consulting interviews are a very different beast to what you might be accustomed to elsewhere. Suffice to say, though, that a large volume of preparation is both necessary to so well and explicitly expected by the firms themselves . Putting together your consulting resume or cover letter might have seemed arduous or time-consuming, but what was just the tip of the iceberg!

In particular, you will need to learn how to solve case studies. You can start with our intro to case interviews , which links to other useful resources.

It's important to learn to tackle case studies the right way if you want to perform in the more demanding interviews at higher-end firms. The old-fashioned frameworks you will often find promoted online can be dysfunctional in more complex case studies. By contrast, we recommend the slightly more demanding, but much more capable, from-first-principles method used in real consulting work. You can find out more in the followng video:

To make your preparation as effective and time efficient as possible MyConsultingCoach has developed a comprehensive consulting interview prep course . This teaches everything you need to give your best possible showing in an interview. Included are all the mental maths, business and finance theory and logical principles needed not only to solve cases but to do so in a way that will impress the interviewer - the way a real consultant would . Also included is a set of lessons on how to address "fit" questions about your character and motivation to enter consulting.

Find out about our resume editing services

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Consulting Cover Letter: What You Actually Need to Know

The key to effective cover-letters is story-telling. Most people write cover letters like resumes, with cold, hard facts, and that’s the problem.

Cover letters are much more effective if they contain stories capturing the burning spirits of candidates. In this article, I’ll tell you how to install such stories seamlessly into your consulting cover letters, and land a case interview yourself.

Consulting cover letters – The basics

What are cover letters for.

Cover letters are documents accompanying resumes, to provide further insights into the qualities and motivations of a candidate, as well as portray who he/she is as a person .

In consulting cover letters, there are three essential qualities you must always display:

• Leadership skills:  the ability to influence people’s decisions.
• Achieving mindset : the continuous, relentless push for the best results.
• Analytical problem-solving:  the ability to solve problems in a structured, methodical manner.

Regarding motivations, there are two questions you need to answer:

• “Why consulting?”:  Do you really understand the consulting world, and how it fits with your long-term plans? Is there something unique in the consulting track to explain your choice?
• “Why this firm?”:  Out of all the consulting firms, why ours? There should be something uniquely attractive about this firm to you, isn’t there?

And last but not least, don’t forget to show that you have an interesting personality that fits with the firm’s culture.

Cover letters vs Resumes – What’s the difference?

Because so many candidates confuse between the two, then end up writing boring cover letters resembling “paragraph versions” of their resumes, I feed the need to differentiate.

There are four marked differences:

Cover letters go deep, resumes go wide

In cover letters, you should select one or a few most notable achievements, and describe them in detail to reflect your three defining aspects (values, competencies, motivations).

This stands in contrast with resumes, where you cram as many relevant achievements as possible into the space of one or two A4 pages.

Cover letters are “soft” stories, resumes are “hard” bullet lists

The content format of cover letters is much less defined, leaving room for a lot of creativity, unlike resumes which are almost always bullet lists of cold, hard facts.

Your goal as the candidate is to fully utilize that loosely-defined format and make your cover letter as attractive and memorable as possible.

Cover letters describe personality, resumes do not

A crucial role of the cover letter is to portray who you are as a person. Resumes don’t do that, they focus on your achievements.

Your personality does not only come directly through the contents, but also reflected in the style of the letter – so take time to make your cover letter more attractive, and you’ll make a better impression with the screener.

Cover letters touch on future plans, resume concerns mostly the past

In cover letters, you have to answer the motivation questions (why consulting, why this firm). In resumes, that aspect is barely mentioned.

The most credible answers to those questions connect the job with your future plans – as such, the cover letter is not confined to the past like resumes.

Understanding your audience

The vibe inside the screening room.

Busy, tiring, and boring – that’s the vibe inside the screening room.”

Picture this in your mind:

A junior consultant is in the office on a Friday night, going through hundreds of applications. He has to do this as a form of goodwill for the company, on top of his ongoing project.

Everyone’s application looks the same, following one set format; a somewhat extraordinary resume catches his attention, so he checks the cover letter to see if there’s anything interesting, only to be disappointed because the letter is an exact recital of the resume.

If you want to grab the screener’s attention and make memorable impressions, you have to break that negative vibe, using an unordinary cover letter.

Most cover letters are just listings of achievement and cliched motivation statements – they feel like unoriginal walls-of-text that offer nothing new – and that’s the exact reason why many screeners don’t like cover letters. Write an exciting story instead – the screener will love it.

Why they read your cover letter

There are two main reasons why the screener reads your consulting cover letter:

• He wants to know more about your motivations and personality because your resume is both impressive and interesting/unordinary at the same time.
• He wants to clarify some ambiguous points in your resume – this happens if you appear highly competent, but your writing is not clear enough.

In both cases, there’s no excuse to repeat your resume in a paragraph format and disappoint the screener. You have all the reasons in the world to present an attractive, detailed, focused narrative – tell a story and get your interview.

Both the background and the purpose of cover-letter-screening suggest that an innovative story-telling approach is much more beneficial than the common, formulaic, overly-formal cover letters.

Such an approach will definitely make your cover letter stand out from the heap of some 200 other applications. It helps you grab the screener’s attention, and impress him in a memorable way.

Additionally, it makes reading the cover letter easier and more enjoyable. The screener is already tired, so there’s no point in making his life harder.

Whatever the reason, as the cover letter is opened AFTER the resume, the implication is that you need to perfect your consulting resume first!

If you haven’t read it, here’s an A-to-Z guide to writing the perfect consulting resume , from a former McKinsey consultant and resume screener!

Consulting cover letter – Step-by-step guide

All these elements must be presented in a coherent storyline and concise language.

Keep in mind this is a consulting cover letter – as such, your story should be backed up by impactful, specific, verifiable results.

To write impressive, fact-based stories that demonstrate all three necessary aspects of the candidate, I advise you to follow these four steps:

Step 1 – Self-reflect for storylines

Search your memory for events, experiences, ideas… that can serve as a basic storyline – the backbone of your cover letter. For each storyline, consider the following six criteria :

• Uniqueness: The base story should be something unique to you. If it’s something common or universal, you won’t have the screener’s attention.
• Attractiveness: Your story should be attractive and entertaining – only then can you trigger the screener’s curiosity. Usually, it’s something “big” and impactful, but not controversial
• Positiveness: The story should have a positive “vibe” to it. If it’s something sad or negative, don’t include it in your cover letter.
• Qualities: All three consulting qualities (leadership, achieving, analytical problem-solving) should be illustrated in your story. Otherwise, consider that story irrelevant.
• Motivations: Your story should at least help explain why you’re applying, if not providing direct answers to that question. Firms don’t like to hire candidates without clear motivations.
• Personality: Make sure you exhibit a likable personality. On the other hand, if that story suggests negative traits (pessimism, short temper, cynicism, etc.) you have to modify it.

Let’s see if these storylines of my own could match the requirements:

“I escaped from a near-death experience during a paragliding session using my gliding skills.”

This is not something you hear every day, and near-death stories are often quite attractive, so you have those two boxes checked; and for now, there’s no sign of “bad” personality traits.

However, it’s a near-death experience, so it does have a negative vibe. Additionally, it shows neither consulting qualities nor relevant motivations.

=> This story only meets 3 out of 6 criteria. Out!

“I founded an entertainment business which attracted lots of attention, but ultimately failed.”

Not everyone is a startup entrepreneur, so this story does meet the “uniqueness” criterion. It’s relatively easy to draw attention with startup stories, and it’s easy to explain a consulting career choice from a former entrepreneur perspective, too. No negative personality trait is visible.

While being a business owner suggests some leadership and problem-solving experience, as well as an achieving mindset, a failure story like this might raise some questions on the “qualities” aspect; it also creates a negative vibe.

=> Overall, 4.5 to 5 out of 6. Not really the best storyline for a consulting cover letter, but usable with some modifications.

“I broke McKinsey’s code of conduct, convinced a client to pay their long-overdue service fees, and was celebrated for it.”

Is there anyone who doesn’t like those “breaking rules” stories? I’m quite confident this experience is quite unique and attractive. Because this is actual consulting work, it’s undoubtedly easy to point out all the important consulting qualities, as well as to provide a basis for my motivations.

However, this “breaking the rules” story may suggest rebellious tendencies, so if I’m going to use it I’ll again need some modifications.

=> This story scores 5.5 / 6. Quite good but I do need to be careful with it.

Step 2 - Add and classify details

Rack your memory and jot down everything related to your storyline; don’t worry about having too many details, you will be trimming the story later.

Pay special attention to the details best illustrating relevant qualities , motivations , and personality , because you will need to emphasize them.

Step 3 – Structure and enhance

Arrange the details of your story in a logical, intuitive structure; the most common method is:

1. Describe a notable, relevant experience using the problem-action-result structure to impress the interviewer with your qualities first.

2. Try to link it up with the present/future parts of your story (ideas, philosophies, plans) to explain your motivations.

Trim all non-essential and technical details, they do nothing but confuse the reader and bore them to death. Your story should be told in a way even your grandmother can understand.

Then, arrange and enhance the remaining details so that the story feels more dramatic, i.e the uniqueness and difficulty of the problem should be emphasized.

On a related note, consultants dislike lengthy cover letters – in fact, one A4 page is the maximum length – so there’s one more reason to start trimming.

Step 4 – Amplify consulting features

First, make all three key consulting traits stand out from your story – leadership, achieving mindset, and analytical problem-solving.

Then, make subtle references to consulting work using the industry’s terminology and concepts. Most screeners, being consultants themselves, will subconsciously appreciate this. However, avoid buzzwords and slangs found on the Internet, or you’ll appear superficial and unprofessional.

Consulting cover letter – Tips

To write the best cover letter, you must thoroughly understand the industry, its major firms, and even the very office you’re applying into.

To achieve such an understanding, there is quite a bit of research to do – and here are three tips for you to ease that process!

Tip 1: Networking

Successful networking goes a long way in the consulting recruitment process and in cover letters.

Firstly, management consulting firms are relatively publicity-shy, so having a connection within these firms allow you to gain very specific and authentic insights about the firm, the job, as well as the consulting world in general, helping you make better choices and deliver more convincing reasons.

Secondly, you may earn a referral ! The screening stage is harsh – it’s where most candidates are filtered out, both in absolute and proportional terms – and referrals help a great deal with that.

Remember to show your networking efforts by mentioning the names of consultants at the office you’re applying into, as well as their projects. The screener will know you really do care about the job, and you’ve done your homework.

Tip 2: Read consulting news

The websites of major consulting firms all have countless articles on current affairs as well as their own projects – read them frequently and regularly .

For one thing, those articles will deepen your understanding of management consultants and their work, helping you make better choices and explain them more effectively to the screener.

Additionally, reading consulting articles regularly will help you know more about the specific projects of each firm, which you can bring up in cover letters.

Tip 3: Build “cheat sheets”

A few ready-to-use “cheat sheets” containing all the important details on the consulting industry and major firms will significantly ease the writing process.

I recommend making three different groups of sheets – one for the consulting world in general, one for the firms, and the last one about the specific offices you’re applying into.

Be implicit and “smooth” when using these sheets. Make sure to sound as natural and seamless as possible when mentioning your references; avoid putting them at the focus of your sentences, but to use them as supplements to the main idea (e.g: I was awed by the network of experts supporting our project with McKinsey back in 2016).

Consulting cover letter – Visual format

Consulting cover letters are not the place for creative, colorful designs. Format your letters in a conservative, text-dense, black-and-white fashion – that’s how actual consultants do it.

One A4 page is the maximum length for consulting cover letters.

Inside the busy screening room, nobody has the time and energy to read a two-page worth of story, no matter how attractive it is.

If your cover letter exceeds that maximum length, trim away the less important details and shorten your expressions; you can also tweak your font size, spacing, and margins to squeeze the most content into one page.

Use formal, conservative fonts, such as Times New Roman, Calibri, Cambria, Garamond, etc.

Keep your font size at 10-12. Larger text tends to feel somewhat “messy”, and they’re space-consuming. Smaller text, on the other hand, feels difficult and tiring to read.

Additionally, the typeface in your cover letter should match that on the resume.

Spacing, margins, and alignment

Use spacings of 1.15 between lines and 1.50-2.00 between paragraphs. Consulting cover letters are quite text-dense, so it’s important to use these white spaces to ease the visual strain.

Always align your text on the left side. Left-aligning is the standard in the United States, where most major consulting firms are based; additionally, left-aligning keeps the horizontal spacing between words even, unlike justified where that spacing varies considerably between each line.

All four margins should be equal at 1 inch. That should keep your letter neat and tidy while maximizing the amount of text on one page.

Other reminders

If you know who’s screening, address them by name. Otherwise, generic salutations are fine.

I’ve come across pages claiming it’s no longer acceptable to write generic salutations (“ To whom it may concern ”); however, in consulting firms where the screening process is assigned to junior consultants on an availability basis, you don’t always know who’s reading your letter, so such salutations are okay.

On the other hand, if you happen to be applying into a small, new office, and your networking efforts are successful, you may know your screener. In that case, refer them by name for a greater impact.

Replacement test

If you can replace the industry and the firm in your letter with something similar and it still makes sense, your tailoring is not enough.

Your motivations should be based on unique and defining descriptions – for example, McKinsey having the largest support network for consultants, or Bain being the frattiest among MBB consulting firms.

Non-unique reasons, such as “prestigious brand name” or “interesting projects” can apply to basically every major consulting firm out there, so they’re not strong bases for your choices.

Maintain formality

Use formal language throughout, and keep standard your heading and salutation.

Show your uniqueness and creativity only through the main content sections. Other “procedural” parts of the cover letter should always remain formulaic – see the sample section.

The language in the main paragraph should also remain formal, i.e no slang, no contraction, no overuse of exclamations.

Avoid short-term motivations

Don’t say you’re in for a 2-year learning experience, or your application will be heading for the bin very, very quickly.

It’s costly to turn fresh graduates into effective consultants, so firms don’t want candidates who will bail out just after they’ve become useful. They want people who will stay in the firm for as long as they can – they want future partners.

You might include long-term plans concerning other industries, but don’t give the impression that you’re bailing out in a few years. If that’s your plan, don’t even mention it.

Proofread and edit

Writing cover letters should be a long process of continuous proofreading, feedback, and editing.

It’s best to find a former/working consultant or at least someone who’s knowledgeable about the industry to help you out. Consulting cover letters differ from normal ones quite considerably, so generic guidelines won’t be of much use.

It’s also very helpful to allow intervals of at least a few days between writing and proofreading sessions; you will find it easier to spot errors if you proofread with a “fresh” mind.

Try to avoid format, spelling, and grammar mistakes at all costs. In consulting cover letters, such mistakes are much less tolerated.

Cover letter file format

Always send your cover letters in the PDF format (most screeners expect you to do so).

This file format will make sure your cover letter appears the same on every computer, and it minimizes the damage that may occur in the file transfer process (by contrast, DOC files are vulnerable to numerous errors).

Depending on the computer, PDFs may look cleaner than DOCs – one possible bonus point for appearance.

Still not sure whether your cover letter is good enough? Book a meeting with former consultants. Our coaches will show you how to make your resume stand out among thousands of candidates. 

Cover letter example

Now that you’ve learned the secrets to the best story-telling cover letter, let’s have a little exercise and help the First President write one to McKinsey, shall we?

(The content in this sample letter is largely fictional for illustration purposes)

George Washington [email protected] Mount Vernon Plantation, Fairfax County, Virginia, U.S.A July 4, 1789

To whom it may concern,

My purpose in life is to liberate the American people and lead them to prosperity. The revolution of the Thirteen Colonies was up against the largest military force in the world – the British Empire – at a four-to-one disadvantage – few if any country had come up against such odds victoriously. And that was the situation I was in, as the leader of the revolution.

Under my lead, the revolutionaries mobilized internal support from 2.4 million soon-to-be American citizens and external support from allies in France. This support allowed us to remain operational even after severe defeats, which would otherwise put an end to the revolution. After six years, the Colonies came out victorious and was recognized as the new United States of America. War is over, so my new task is to steer the newfound States towards economic prosperity – and consulting experience at McKinsey will help a great deal with that.

I happen to also run a plantation business – Mount Vernon by name – which was McKinsey’s client during our expansion project in 1785. I was extremely impressed by the highly structured and data-based approach that McKinsey consultants took to deliver their solutions, and even more impressed by the incredible network of experts that was backing our project.

Through Ms. E.M – the Engagement Manager for our project from McKinsey’s DC Office – I came to be aware of the firm’s expertise in the public sector – which was recognized as being the overall best among major consulting firms.

And for that reason, I realized a consultant position at McKinsey DC will give me invaluable exposure in the public sector, both from its projects and its vicinity to the country’s capital.

I will be looking forward to speaking with you in person, about how I can put my experience as a former head-of-state and an entrepreneur to work at McKinsey.

Sincerely yours, George Washington

Scoring in the McKinsey PSG/Digital Assessment

The scoring mechanism in the McKinsey Digital Assessment

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How to write a killer cover letter

Anyone who's ever applied for a job knows how stressful it can be. And for some, the hardest part is the cover letter.

It should be professional, but make you stand out. It should be short, but not too short.

While a cover letter can seem like a formality, it's an important first step in the process.

"It's your personal sales brochure," said James Innes, chairman of the James Innes Group and author of several career books. No wonder it's so daunting.

Here are a few tips to help you pen the cover letter most likely to get you hired.

Read the job posting closely

"The things that come at the top of the job description are the most important," said Martin Yate, career coach and bestselling author of the Knock 'Em Dead series.

To make sure you highlight the traits your potential employer really cares about, refer to the skills listed in the job posting to inform how you talk about yourself in your letter.

Yate suggested going a step further by reviewing job listings at several companies, and seeing if any skills or traits are repeated across an industry. "I would recommend collecting half a dozen job postings," he said. "Look at what they have in common."

Quality over quantity

When you're first looking for jobs, it can be tempting to send out a generic cover letter to as many employers as possible. But that doesn't work, Innes said. Recruiters can tell, and they don't like it.

Keith Bevans, head of Bain & Company's global consultant recruiting, warned that a poor cover letter can hurt an applicant's chances of getting the job. "The cover letter becomes an important data point on how good they are at certain skills that might be relevant to the job they're applying for," he said.

Related: How to answer the salary question during a job interview

Make a good first impression by ditching "to whom it may concern." Instead, look for the name of a hiring manager and address it to them. You should also try to find out a little bit about them, and say something nice about their achievements. "If you can flatter someone in the opening line and create a connection, you've got their attention," said Yate.

Tell a good story

Once you've determined what matters to employers, figure out what type of story you want to tell about yourself -- and be succinct.

"The best cover letters tend to be short and to the point," Bevans said. You don't want to repeat what's in your résumé.

Rather than telling employers what you think you're capable of, tell them what you've already achieved. "People are hired on credentials, not potential," said Yate. "We want to leave out things like 'I think I could do a great job.'" Offer specific, relevant examples, Innes added.

Related: What top employers look for in new college grads

Bevans noted that if you're going to use buzzy terms to describe yourself, you should be able to back them up. "A lot of students write cover letters that are like treasure maps with no treasure," he said. "If you say you're a good team player" you should have a specific example to back that up, said Bevans.

Stick to clean templates

Yate recommended using one of two possible cover letter formats. The first is a simple letter, made up of a few paragraphs and lasting no longer than a single page. First get your reader's attention with a personal reference, then name the position you're applying for. In the following paragraphs, lay out your relevant skills and experiences. Conclude by outlining an actionable next step. Rather than telling the reader you look forward to hearing from them, say you'll reach out by a certain date to follow up.

The second format is called an executive briefing . You still write a paragraph at the top explaining what you're applying for, and one at the bottom with a plan of action. But instead of writing out some paragraphs in between, set up two columns: One with a list of requirements pulled form the job posting, and one with a list of your corresponding skills and achievements. This format lets recruiters see clearly why your experience makes you a good fit for the job.

Check your work

"Presentation is important," said Innes. That means not only that your cover letter should be cleanly laid out, but also that your spelling and grammar have to be perfect.

"Recruiters sit and read through a lot of résumés," Innes said. "You become very good at spotting those errors." Chances are, he said, recruiters will just trash a cover letter with spelling or grammatical errors.

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Sample cover letter for Internship position at Bain

Associate consulting internship.

I am writing to express my interest in Bain & Company’s Associate Consulting Internship. My extensive conversations with James Dean, a consultant at Bain San Francisco, and Raymond Chandler, a FP&A analyst at Bain Atlanta, have affirmed everything that I love about Bain: passionate employees, youthful culture and generalist opportunities. Possessing very diverse skill sets and background, I am excited by the opportunities to play important roles in strategic decisions across different industries. I believe that my shared passion with Bain in solving challenges that matter, strong analytical capabilities and experience wearing multiple hats at a startup would be an asset to Bain.

Unlike candidates whose focus is restricted to one discipline, I master both quantitative and conceptual thinking through a unique interdisciplinary coursework. An initiative-taker and macro-thinker, I excel in synthesizing new, complex problems and breaking them down to modular units that command action-oriented solutions. This approach has served me well in a variety of situations, for example:

Impact – At ABC Inc - a mobile startup, I helped raising seed funding by establishing and managing end-to-end branding with investors, partners, and end users, resulting in major increase in brand equity.

Multicultural Communication – Having lived in Asia, North America and Europe, I am highly adapted to quick-changing, fast-paced environment, and I am used to connecting to people with many different cultural backgrounds.

Leadership – I founded and managed the PR team for [My school club]that established the first official website, published video contents and improved social media presence, drawing over 300K views on YouTube.

I came to XYZ College with a mission to leave an impact – through deepening knowledge, fostering innovations and driving progress. As a life-long learner, I seek an environment where I could better myself while improving others’ lives. Given the diversity of talents and opportunities at Bain, I believe there is no better place for me to gain these experiences.

I would appreciate an opportunity to interview. Thank you for your consideration.