Cover Letter Example. Business Intelligence Manager.*
This client wanted to transition to an organization with social impact. The Gates Foundation that seemed like a great fit. The client hoped to put her background in corporate finance and operations analysis to work as an Associate in the Strategy, Innovation and Impact within the Finance division.
The Strategy, Innovation, and Impact group is the primary function supporting the creation and evaluation of our strategies, as well as exploring new paths to impact that align with our mission. This includes supporting the CEO, CFO and Chief Strategy Officer in key accountabilities that include responsibility for governance of the organization, overseeing strategy development, strategy performance measurement, portfolio management, exploring special initiatives and in managing relationships both internally and externally. The Measurement & Evaluation team is one of two key pillars of the Strategy, Innovation, and Impact group; Strategy being the other.
The first half of the cover letter displays the client’s awareness of global issues and the principles at the heart of the Gates Foundation. The second half of the cover letter is more traditional, giving the reader a summary of of the client’s professional experience and then highlighting some achievements that directly relate to to the role.
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March 8th, 2017
Dear Gates Foundation Strategic Data Team,
I believe that feeling we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves is fundamental. In my case, promoting the mission of the Gates Foundation as a Business Intelligence Manager, would be an incredibly fulfilling personal and professional commitment.
Growing up in the Midwest, I’d always found myself drawn to new places, people and ideas. Four years ago, I decided to spend some time working abroad. I learned basic Mandarin and moved to Asia. From my home base in Shanghai I had the opportunity to travel throughout rural China, India and Indonesia.
Through first-hand encounters, my appreciation of the inequality that exists in the world evolved from an abstract story in the New York Times to a concrete reality. A holistic approach – economic, social and cultural - to improving the living standards of the poor is clearly needed. What makes the Gates Foundation stand out from other NGOs in my mind is its focus on making long-term program commitments to drive systemic change.
In my professional life, I’ve worked in corporate finance at Dell, led operations and financial audit initiatives at SimplyYum in China and now, at Koupon Media, I help clients like Pepsi and Walgreens optimize promotions and understand why people are ‘predictably irrational’. At first glance those roles might seem unrelated but they’re not.
What’s kept me engaged has been my love of taking on big data sets and seeing the human behavior or business process that underlie them. I’ve also enjoyed teaching what I’ve learned to others - sometimes guiding colleagues and other times helping clients uncover practical solutions to what seem like abstract problems.
Clean drinking water, sanitation and rising tobacco use are complex problems that require multi-faceted solutions. I would love to play a part in shedding light on these issues through sensitivity analysis, data modeling and visualization.
At SimplyYum, I conducted many such analysis. In one instance I developed a dynamic sales dashboard for the factory store. Building the dashboard involved exporting unformatted point of sale data from the cash register (100,000 monthly data points). I then used Excel, VBA and SQL to automate the dashboard.
I’d be delighted to learn more about the Strategic Data Team’s current projects and needs and discuss how I could contribute to your efforts.
Kind regards,
Client D
Cover Letter Example. Bain Associate.*
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March 10th, 2018
Dear Bain & Co. Consulting Team,
Less than a minute into my chat with Jane Smith, a Bain Associate in your San Francisco office, I realized I was in the presence of someone who unapologetically loved her job. Jane emphasized the friendships she’d forged at work as well how the ‘build your own Bain’ philosophy had helped her stretch herself professionally. In applying for the Associate Consultant role in your London office, I hope to encounter similar challenges and growth opportunities. I would be delighted if you would consider me for the role.
In the business world, outcomes are oftentimes explained in terms of limiting factors ‘If only there were more budget…or time…or flexibility…’. Managing clients ranging from Goldman Sachs to the City of Leeds, I’ve found that it’s precisely the limitations set forth that keep me engaged in my work. Budget, material, location or use constraints force me and my team to be stealthy in devising solutions which are practical, elegant, and financially viable.
On several occasions senior leadership at ZGF Architects has selected me to manage our most complex projects and most exigent clients. I believe that’s because as a project manager, I’ve consistently delivered on time and within budget without neglecting the essential: building team spirit, maintaining harmony, and steering my team members toward our shared goal.
Listening to clients explain their problems, I’ve learned how important it is to reserve judgement as to a) an issue’s root-cause and, by extension, b) the type of strategic approach which is merited.
When a former client insisted that his school’s financial issues were the result of a branding problem, I could have agreed and offered up an architectural solution – updating the school’s façade and interior. Instead, I considered his theory, but also explored the null hypothesis, namely, that the real issue lay elsewhere. I investigated and realized that the school had a very traditional course offering which hadn’t been updated more than fifteen years. I crafted a strategic proposal detailing how our client could add high-margin short-format workshops to its roster. Within twelve months the school’s net revenue had increased by 20%.
Working cross-functionally within ZGF Architects to support of our clients, I’ve encountered numerous business challenges in the last five years. Eager to continue expanding my knowledge of strategic frameworks, I’m currently enrolled in Harvard Business School’s HBX program which includes coursework in Financial Accounting, Business Analytics and Economics.
It would be a pleasure to speak with you and learn more about your immediate needs as well as Bain’s work and culture.
Kind regards,
Client P