THE CAREER SEARCH WRITING PROGRAM Effective Cover Letters

THE CAREER SEARCH WRITING PROGRAM

Effective Cover Letters

The Wharton Communication Program & MBA Career Management

Roy SpeedSalient, [email protected]

EXERCISES & CASE STUDIES

Five steps to an effective cover letterStep 1: Do homework on the company.Step 2: Analyze the job description.Step 3: Analyze your own qualifications

in terms of the job description.Step 4: Draft your letter.Step 5: Review your letter.

Effective Cover Letters—Version 1.0. Copyright © 2015 by Salient, Inc. All rights reserved.

EFFEC TIVE COVER LET TERS2

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EFFEC TIVE COVER LET TERS 3

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S T E P 4: Draft your letter.

Did this person get an interview with Dow?Dear Mr. Watkins:

I’m a first year MBA candidate at The Wharton School with a concentration in Strategic Management. I’m writing to request consideration for an interview for your Corporate General Management Intern program.

My research to date suggests that The Dow Chemical Company is an organization of genuinely intellectual, enthusiastic and driven individuals, with a culture that is ethical, inclusive and committed to sustainable development. I’m drawn to both your focus on career development and your emphasis within the MBA internship program on strategic issues and analysis.

At PepsiCo, my financial modeling skills, attention to detail and ability to take ownership of complex deals with little supervision led to my promotion from Senior Analyst to As-sociate in my first year. I trust you’ll find that my accomplishments with PepsiCo demon-strate both strategic acumen and leadership potential:• Strategic analysis. Analyzed prospective acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures,

licensing agreements, and equity investments — all with a view toward one strategic goal: enhancing Pepsi’s portfolio of health-related products.

• Leading teams. In two cases, led large cross-functional teams (15+ members) through assessment, financial modeling, and due diligence for two large, highly strate-gic acquisitions.

• Communication. Frequently prepared and delivered business case presentations to our senior management team. In addition to deal presentations, created a process for tracking and analyzing performance of previous acquisitions and presented the results to Pepsi’s CEO and CFO.

I believe both my experience at PepsiCo and my previous position in investment banking have equipped me to be effective in Dow’s Corporate General Management Intern position. I would welcome the opportunity to interview.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,



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The cover letter modelFour discrete phases

Dear Mr. Watkins:









Sincerely,

Close

Connect

Show company

knowledge

Show your

qualifications



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EMAIL EXCELLENCE

STEP 4: Draft your letter.

The cover letter modelA closer look at each phase

Dear Mr. Watkins:









Sincerely,

Close

Connect

Show company

knowledge

Show your

qualifications

Ask for the interview. Include a word of thanks.

Address your letter to a specific indi-vidual. Name the specific program or position you’re applying for.

Don’t underestimate the importance of this section: Be as specific as possible about 1) your interest in/knowledge of the company, and 2) your contacts with company representatives.*

When discussing your experience and qualifications, the key is listing specific accomplishments—achievements that tie your experience to the role you’re applying for.

The device suggested here is bullets with subheads:• Each subhead is based on language

used in the job description. • The remainder of the bulleted item

represents a set of accomplishments illustrating that theme.

*For each contact you name, shoot that person an email reminding him or her of your conversation or meeting. That way, if the person is contacted by the recruiter, you’ll immediately come to mind.

The Opening Paragraph: Picking your shot

Don’t worry about being “creative” with the wording of your opening. Instead, you should focus on your fit with the job description, and ask yourself what kernel of information you should feature in this highly visible spot. Among your options:• Your MBA concentration—I’m a first-year MBA candidate at The Wharton

School with a concentration in Marketing...• Languages—I’m a first-year MBA candidate at The Wharton School who is

fluent in German...• Undergraduate degree—I’m a first-year MBA candidate at The Wharton

School with a B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford...



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LUCINDA MAY 1683 Burdock Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146

215.581.6011 | [email protected]

EDUCATION

THE WHARTON SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Master of Business Administration Candidate; Major in Health Care Management

Philadelphia, PA

2010 - 2012 ¥ Cohort Leadership Representative (elected position) and Chair of Programs Committee. ¥ Director, Focus on Innovation track, Wharton Health Care Business Conference. ¥ Third place finalist in Medtronic’s Corporate Development Case Competition. ¥ Member of the Health Care, Investment Management, Boxing, and Mountaineering clubs.

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Master of Biotechnology Candidate

Philadelphia, PA 2010 - 2012

¥ Member of the Penn Biotech Group.

YALE UNIVERSITY Bachelor of Arts; Major in Economics

New Haven, CT

2000 - 2004 ¥ Varsity lightweight crew: 2002 National Champion; third place finish at the 2003 Pan American Games trials; silver medal at

the 2004 World Indoor Rowing Championships.

EXPERIENCE

GBM SECURITIES LLC Senior Associate, Life Sciences Investment Banking Group Analyst, Life Sciences Investment Banking Group

Stamford, CT 2007 - 2010 2004 - 2007

Six years of experience exclusively focused on the life sciences industry, including 35 completed equity financings totaling $2.0 billion in gross proceeds and 3 completed M&A transactions representing over $260 million in value.

Project Management and Leadership ¥ Managed cross-functional teams comprised of C-level management, lawyers, accountants, and GBM Capital Markets and

Investment Banking professionals to execute four life sciences financings raising a total of $115 million. ¥ Developed the banking procedures for a novel financing structure while managing a $48 million secondary offering for

ZIOPHARM Oncology. ¥ Spearheaded clinical, regulatory, and financial due diligence for numerous clients and prospective clients. ¥ Supervised analysts and associates in creating client presentations and analyses required for senior bankers.

Strategic Planning and Quantitative Analysis ¥ Assisted senior bankers in developing a new business development strategy, helping to triple revenue for the group. ¥ Key member of strategic advisory team that assisted a small biotechnology company in its sale to a pharmaceutical company

for $125 million, a price significantly higher than the initial bids received by the client. ¥ Developed numerous recommendations regarding financing and merger/sale strategies for life sciences clients. ¥ Extensive experience creating financial models and valuation analyses.

Communication ¥ Presented to C-level management and board members of prospective clients. ¥ Consistently selected by superiors to interface with clients, physicians and clinical thought leaders. ¥ Called on leading life sciences venture capital firms as part of GBM’s private capital markets effort. ¥ Wrote and edited numerous corporate marketing documents and helped draft 14 IPO prospectuses for life sciences clients.

GE HEALTHCARE UK Programmer (Internship)

London, England Summer 2001 & 2002

¥ Developed software to generate a dynamic patient information report capable of organizing records for a 580-bed hospital. ¥ Implemented software in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and worked with NHS employees to ensure performance.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ¥ Activities & interests: Past ski instructor, completed the San Francisco marathon in qualifying time for the Boston

marathon, climbed Mt. Rainier in Washington, organized and participated in fundraisers for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, enjoy cycling, cooking and wine.

¥ Professional licenses: Series 7, 63.


A case study (cont.)Where’s the fit?



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A case study (cont.)Leveraging your assets

Dear Ms. Lindley:

I’m a first-year MBA student at the Wharton School, and I’m writing to express my inter-est in the Marketing Summer Associate position. I trust you’ll find that my experience in investment banking and passion for the life sciences industry will make me a valuable asset to the commercial operations at Medtronic.

I had a chance to speak with a number of Medtronic employees during the Wharton Case Competition and campus recruiting events. Each of these employees illustrated the cali-ber of the professionals working at Medtronic, and each impressed me with the compa-ny’s values and focus on improving patients’ lives — Steve Oesterle, in particular, who during his presentation told of the janitor at Harvard who thanked him for the Medtronic neurostimulator that had changed his life. Meeting Dr. Oesterle and hearing the other Medtronics employees speak of their work there reminded me why I’m pursuing a career in the health care industry.

During my six years at GBM Securities, I gained a thorough understanding of health care economics. My work there focused exclusively on companies in the life sciences industry, marketing such companies to investors. Relevant experiences include:• Analysis and strategic thinking. Spearheaded clinical, regulatory, and financial

due diligence on life sciences companies targeted for sale or merger. Developed nu-merous recommendations regarding financing and merger/sale strategies.

• Results-oriented business development. Assisted senior bankers with a strategy that tripled the group’s revenue. Advised a small biotech in its sale to a pharma com-pany for $125 million — significantly higher than any previous bid.

• Managing cross-functional teams. Worked with C-level management, lawyers, accountants and bankers to execute four life-sciences financings totaling $115 million.

• Communication. Wrote and edited numerous corporate marketing documents and 14 IPO prospectuses — all for life sciences clients. Delivered numerous presentations to C-level management and board members of prospective clients. Consistently chosen to represent our firm to client companies, physicians, and clinical thought leaders.

I’m now eager to apply my skills and experience to the challenge of designing and execut-ing marketing strategies at Medtronic. I’m certain I will prove an asset to the company, and I would welcome the opportunity to interview.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,



Notes

EMAIL EXCELLENCE


The templateAnother look at the four phases

Dear Ms. Lindley:

I’m a first-year MBA student at the Wharton School, and I’m writing to express my inter-est in the Marketing Summer Associate position. I trust you’ll find that my experience in investment banking and passion for the life sciences industry will make me a valuable asset to the commercial operations at Medtronic.

I had a chance to speak with a number of Medtronic employees during the Wharton Case Competition and campus recruiting events. Each of these employees illustrated the cali-ber of the professionals working at Medtronic, and each impressed me with the compa-ny’s values and focus on improving patients’ lives — Steve Oesterle, in particular, who during his presentation told of the janitor at Harvard who thanked him for the Medtronic neurostimulator that had changed his life. Meeting Dr. Oesterle and hearing the other Medtronics employees speak of their work there reminded me why I’m pursuing a career in the health care industry.

During my six years at GBM Securities, I gained a thorough understanding of health care economics. My work there focused exclusively on companies in the life sciences industry, marketing such companies to investors. Relevant experiences include:• Analysis and strategic thinking. Spearheaded clinical, regulatory, and financial

due diligence on life sciences companies targeted for sale or merger. Developed nu-merous recommendations regarding financing and merger/sale strategies.

• Results-oriented business development. Assisted senior bankers with a strategy that tripled the group’s revenue. Advised a small biotech in its sale to a pharma com-pany for $125 million — significantly higher than any previous bid.

• Managing cross-functional teams. Worked with C-level management, lawyers, accountants and bankers to execute four life-sciences financings totaling $115 million.

• Communication. Wrote and edited numerous corporate marketing documents and 14 IPO prospectuses — all for life sciences clients. Delivered numerous presentations to C-level management and board members of prospective clients. Consistently chosen to represent our firm to client companies, physicians, and clinical thought leaders.

I’m now eager to apply my skills and experience to the challenge of designing and execut-ing marketing strategies at Medtronic. I’m certain I will prove an asset to the company, and I would welcome the opportunity to interview.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Close

Connect

Show company knowledge

Show your qualifications

About SalientSince 1991 Salient’s writing tools and training have helped define writing standards and best practices for U.S. corporations. In recent years Salient programs have become required training for hundreds of thousands of employees in the U.S. and in client subsidiaries around the world. Current programs include The Good Documents Series™ and Email Excellence®.

Salient is based in Connecticut. Its clients include the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Merck, Cephalon, EMD Serono, Independence Blue Cross, The Taunton Press, Celgene Corporation, Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Takeda Phar-maceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, and The Conference Board of Canada.

Effective Cover Letters

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THE CAREER SEARCH WRITING PROGRAM Effective Cover Letters

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