Sample (OCR) Cover Letter #1 180 West 110th Street New York, NY 10025 August 14, 2010 Mr. Christopher Hamilton Vice President Merrill Lynch 4 Mayer Lane New York, NY 10080 Dear Mr. Hamilton: I am currently an Executive MBA student at Columbia Business School seeking a full time position in investment banking. I am very impressed with Merrill Lynch, having attended a number of your company's recruiting events, including the summer reception on June 9 and the Columbia Women in Business dinner on July 28. I have also had the chance to speak recently with David Enriquez and Susan Sipes. I have worked for the last four years in acquisitions at Health Care Property Investors, Inc. (HCP), the nation's largest health care REIT. My major accomplishments at HCP included closing over 50 transactions totaling $425 million, analyzing the acquisition of a $1.5 billion competing health care REIT as well as presenting investment committee packages to the board of directions for transaction approvals. I am confident that these transactional, analytical and teamwork skills will enable me to contribute to the success of Merrill Lynch. I would like to request an on-campus interview in October and I have included my resume for your review. Should you require additional information please contact me at (212) 854-7777. Thank you again for your time and consideration. [signature] Laura Jones
Sample Cover Letter #2 210 East 22nd Street, #3C New York, NY 10010 August 25, 2010 Ms. Nicole Andrews Human Resources Associate Kraft Foods 555 South Broadway, TA1-1 Tarrytown, NY 10591 Dear Ms. Andrews: I am a second-year Executive MBA student at Columbia Business School. I am very impressed with Kraft Foods recent venture into the ABC market. After speaking with your colleagues John Harvey and Jay Fisher, I believe that my eight years of strategic planning and consumer insight make me a good fit for a global brand management role at your company. As Manager of Strategic Planning at MasterCard, I led cross-functional teams that developed and implemented integrated marketing plans and successfully communicated our platinum card's benefits to consumers with maximum impact and efficiency. I interacted with senior management from other divisions, worked with marketing directors in foreign affiliates and gained marketing experience with a global perspective. I believe that my tactical success in expanding MasterCard's brand name by targeting new consumer segments as well as my success in refining its core market strategies would enable me to make a significant contribution to your team. I would like to have the opportunity to discuss with you how I could contribute to Kraft's success. I will call you to inquire about scheduling a time to meet. Best regards, [signature] Michael Talksalot
Sample Cover Letter #3 210 East 22nd Street, #3C New York, NY 10010 August 20, 2010 Ms. Norah Jones Senior Associate Manager, Development Tishman Speyer Properties 520 Madison Avenue, 6th Floor New York, NY 11002 Dear Ms. Jones: I am writing to express my interest in the Associate position you posted at Columbia Business School. I am an Executive MBA student, with five years of experience in the real estate industry and believe that my prior development experience would make me a particularly good fit for Tishman Speyer Properties. By evaluating numerous real estate investments for Vornado Realty Trust, I gained an understanding of the different aspects of acquisitions, from creating financial models to determining the pricing of financing. At Forest City Ratner, my hands-on development experience taught me the knowledge critical to managing the acquisition, design and leasing process for large New York City properties. I have enclosed my resume for your review and hope to have the opportunity to discuss my qualifications with you further. Thank you very much for your time and consideration. [signature] Nicole Trazoff Enclosure
ON CAMPUS RECRUITING (I-Banking) 180 West 110 th St. New York, NY 10025 August 14, 2010 Ms. Christopher Hamilton Vice President Merrill Lynch 4 Mayer Lane New York, NY 10080 Dear Mr. Hamilton: I am currently an executive MBA student at Columbia Business School seeking a full time position in investment banking. I am very impressed with Merrill Lynch, having attended a number of your company s recruiting events, including the summer reception on June 9 and the Columbia Women in Business dinner on July 28. I have also had the chance to speak recently with David Enriquez and Susan Sipes. I have worked for the last four years in acquisitions at Health Care Property Investors, Inc. (HCP), the nation s largest health care REIT. My major accomplishments at HCP include closing over 50 transactions totaling $425 million, analyzing the acquisition of a $1.5 billion competing health care REIT as well as preparing and presenting investment committee packages to the board of directors for transaction approvals. I am confident that these transactional, analytical and teamwork skills will enable me to contribute to the success of Merrill Lynch. I would like to request an on-campus interview in October and I have included my resume for your review. Should you require additional information please contact me at (212) 854-7777. Thank you again for your time and consideration. [signature] Laura Jones
ON CAMPUS RECRUITING (Investment Banking) Ms. Recruiter Name Recruiter Title, Recruiter Division Company Company Address City, State, Zip Dear Ms. Recruiter Last Name, I am a second-year student at Columbia Business School seeking a full-time position in Investment Banking at Bank X. I attended a number of Bank X s recruiting events, including a reception on Date at Bank X s offices, an Investment Banking Summer Associate Reception on Date at location, an Investment Banking Panel & Networking Event on Date, Bank X s campus presentation on Date, and the Bank X-CWIB Happy Hour on Date. I have also had the opportunity to speak recently with Banker 1 and Banker 2. The insights I have obtained about Bank X s Investment Banking Division and the people I have met impressed me a great deal and I am excited about the prospect of joining your firm. I am confident that my qualifications and experience will be valuable assets to your organization. Before attending business school, I worked for over three years in investment banking at Y Corporation, both in their New York and Sao Paulo offices. I had hands-on experience in a variety of financial transactions where I was responsible for developing and analyzing financial models, and summarizing the results. Furthermore, I prepared presentations and presented analysis to senior management for transaction approval. My experience serving as a liaison between South and North American operations provided me with the opportunity to sharpen my team-working skills. It also contributed to my ability to work confidently with people from very different backgrounds I was the first woman, the only foreigner, and the youngest banker at my level within the organization. These attributes, coupled with my analytical and transactional skills, will enable me to contribute greatly to Bank X s Investment Banking division. I would like to be added to your interview schedule when you interview at Columbia Business School on October 17. Thank you for your time and consideration. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications with you further. Your Name
ON CAMPUS RECRUITING (Finance) Ruth Chris 6985 Riverside Drive, Apt. 1A New York, NY 10025 July 17, 2005 Ms. Joanna Torrenson Manager, Ford 2020 Ford Motor Company 20000 Rotunda Drive Dearborn, MI 48121 Dear Ms. Torrenson: I am a second-year student at Columbia Business School with a strong desire to pursue a career with a multinational manufacturing company. The discussion of the new Ford 2020 program at Ford's brown bag lunch at Columbia this summer sparked my interest in a position with your organization. Ford is taking progressive steps to take the lead in the automotive industry, and the prospect of participating in this transformation as a Finance Associate is exciting. As you will note from the enclosed resume, I spent six years prior to business school planning, starting up, and running a Sony television manufacturing facility. My participation afforded me a comprehensive understanding of operations and new product development. At the same time, I honed my cost analysis, negotiation, and team management skills. I feel that these experiences enable me to offer Ford the relevant skills and leadership potential needed to be a successful Finance Associate. In addition, because of Ford's extensive relationship with Mazda and other Japanese entities, my Japanese language ability and business experience would prove valuable. I certainly would welcome an opportunity to relocate to Japan in the future. I would like to request an on-campus interview with Ford in November. Should you require additional information from me prior to that time, please contact me at (212) 391-8423. Otherwise, I look forward to meeting with you or one of your colleagues in November. Ruth Chris
ON CAMPUS RECRUITING (Investment Management) September 14, 2010 Mr. Rick Lodewick Principal Boston Partners Asset Management, L.P. One Financial Center Boston, Massachusetts 02111 Dear Mr. Lodewick: Craig S. Miller 300 West 55 th Street, Apt. 8N New York, New York 10019 I am a second-year student at Columbia Business School with a concentration in Finance and International Business. After conducting a significant amount of research on Boston Partners Asset Management, I would very much like to pursue any full-time Equity Research Analyst opportunities. Accordingly, I have enclosed my resume for your consideration. For the past year, I have worked as an Equity Research Analyst at Miller Anderson & Sherrerd, LLP (part of Morgan Stanley Asset Management). In this capacity I conducted an extensive analysis on the personal care and household products industry and made buy/sell recommendations on those companies that fulfilled a value / low P/E discipline. This experience has enhanced my stock selection and analytical skills and confirmed my strong desire to pursue a career in the investment management industry following business school. I have enclosed a sample of my analysis on the personal care and household product industry and buy/sell recommendations for your perusal. Prior to attending Columbia Business School, I worked for four and a half years in investment banking at Salomon Brothers. During my career at Salomon Brothers, both in New York and London, I developed an extensive set of analytical and valuation skills, co-founded Salomon Brothers European Health Care Corporate Finance Group and managed client relationships and junior professionals. I am confident that these skills will serve me well in my career in investment management and would enable me to contribute significant value as a member of your investment management team. Please include me on your invitational list when you come to Columbia Business School on December 1st. Should you require additional information, please contact me at (212) 765-4719. Craig S. Miller
ON CAMPUS RECRUITING (Real Estate) 60 Rivervale Lane, #15K New York, New York 10039 October 21, 2010 Robert Brady Associate Lehman Brothers Dear Mr. Brady: I am a second-year student at Columbia Business School seeking an associate position with the Lehman Brothers Real Estate Private Equity Group. I interviewed with your group last year for a summer associate position, and I remain highly interested. I believe that Lehman s culture and ability in my chosen industry of real estate would provide an unparalleled professional experience. Furthermore, I believe that my skill set and my sincere desire for a job exactly such as this would benefit the group and that I would be a strong fit for your organization. Prior to Columbia Business School, I spent four years in the Commercial Mortgage- Backed Securities group at Credit Suisse First Boston, first as an analyst and later as an associate. During this time, I worked in conduit and large loan origination and underwriting, securitization, mezzanine placement and other debt-financing activities. My role as a leading analyst and associate within my group provided me with substantial deal-management experience and client contact. This past summer, I was a summer associate at Lazard in their Real Estate Mergers and Acquisitions group, where I had the opportunity to work on a bid on the $3.2 billion sale of Wyndham International, Inc. I am confident that my combination of technical skills and leadership abilities will enable me to meaningfully contribute to Lehman as an associate. I feel my exposure to CMBS, mezzanine lending, real estate valuation, real estate corporate finance and real estate principal investing uniquely qualify me for this position, and I would like to request an interview. I have detailed my qualifications herein for your review. Please do not hesitate to contact me at (212) 591-0679 or Williams06@gsb.columbia.edu if you require any additional information. Thank you for your time and consideration. Barry Williams
ON CAMPUS RECRUITING (Technology/General Management) John Doe 888 Riverside Drive, #10 New York, NY 10027 October 20, 2010 Ms. Lisa Davenport Vice President XYZ Software Corp. 1000 Valley View Road Mill Valley, CA 99999 Dear Ms. Davenport: I am writing to express my interest in a full time position in XYZ s finance division. I will receive my MBA from Columbia in May 2011, and my career goal is to contribute to the continued growth of a leading designer and manufacturer of high-technology products such as XYZ. After numerous conversations with Rex Chang, Lydia Simpson, and Ralph Miller, I am confident that XYZ offers a fast-paced and dynamic environment that can provide exciting challenges as I pursue a general management career after graduation. As a finance intern at Ford Motor Company this summer, I had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of costing, pricing, and valuation analyses while contributing to the development of a new global business organization. Through my diverse background, I have developed a wide variety of management skills, which make me both a team player and an effective leader. Managing people as supervisor of the document production team for the plaintiffs in the Exxon Valdez litigation and serving as President of the Operations Management Association has taught me to delegate responsibility while fostering team-building, coordination, and compromise. Initiating new projects and programs, from designing web sites to launching an educational campaign for a non-profit organization, has capitalized on my creativity and love of technology. I hope to be included on your closed list for second-year interviews when you come to campus in November. Should you have any questions regarding my background or interest in XYZ, please feel free to contact me at your convenience. Thank you for your time and consideration. John Doe