cover letter mckinsey junior associate

McKinsey cover letter examples

Did you know that McKinsey receives 200,000 applications a year from professionals who want to join the business?

That’s some pretty big competition.

So if you want to stand out and make it through to the interview stage, your application needs to be pretty spectacular.

Find out how to make an impression using our detailed guide and McKinsey cover letter examples below.

CV templates 

McKinsey cover letter example 1

McKinsey cover letter example 2

McKinsey cover letter example 3

The example cover letters here should give you a good general idea on how your McKinsey cover letter should be formatted and written.

The rest of this guide gives more specific guidance on how to create your own cover letter in this format, and even includes some templates you can copy and paste.

How to write a McKinsey cover letter

Here’s a simple process to write your own interview-winning cover letter.

Write your cover letter in the body of an email/message

When writing your McKinsey cover letter, it’s best to type the content into the body of your email (or the job site messaging system) and not to attach the cover letter as a separate document.

This ensures that your cover letter gets seen as soon as a recruiter or employer opens your message.

If you attach the cover letter as a document, you’re making the reader go through an unnecessary step of opening the document before reading it.

If it’s in the body of the message itself, it will be seen instantly, which hugely increases the chances of it being read.

Start with a friendly greeting

Start you cover letter with a greeting that is professional but friendly.

This will build rapport with the recruiter whilst showing your professionalism.

• Hi, hope you’re well
• Hi [insert recruiter name]
• Hi [insert department/team name]

Avoid overly formal greetings like “Dear sir/madam ” unless applying to very traditional companies.

How to find the contact’s name?

Addressing the recruitment contact by name is an excellent way to start building a strong relationship. If it is not listed in the job advert, try these methods to find it.

• Check out the company website and look at their  About page. If you see a hiring manager, HR person or internal recruiter, use their name. You could also try to figure out who would be your manager in the role and use their name.
• Head to LinkedIn , search for the company and scan through the list of employees. Most professionals are on LinkedIn these days, so this is a good bet.

Identify the role you are applying for

After you have greeted the recruiter, it’s important to state the job you are applying to.

Recruiters are often managing multiple vacancies, so they need to know exactly which job you are referring to.

Be as specific as possible and use a reference number if you can find one.

Here are some examples you can use;

• I am interested in applying for the role of admin assistant with your organisation.
• I would like to apply for the role of Sales assistant (Ref: 4057393)
• I would like to express my interest in the customer service vacancy within your retail department
• I saw your advertisement for a trainee project manager on Reed and would like to apply for the role.

See also: CV examples – how to write a CV – CV profiles

Highlight your suitability

The bulk of your cover letter should be focused around highlighting your suitability for the job you are applying to.

Doing this will show the recruiter that you are suitable candidate and encourage them to open your CV.

The best way to do this, is by studying the job advert you are applying to, and find out what the most important skills and knowledge are.

Once you know the most important requirements, you then need to highlight your matching skills to the recruiter. In a few sentences, tell them exactly why you are a good fit for the job and what you can offer the company.

Keep it short and sharp

When sending a job application to a recruiter or hiring manager, it is important to remember that they will normally be very busy and pushed for time.

Therefore, you need to get you message across to them quickly (in a matter of seconds ideally). So, keep your cover letter short and to-the-point. A long waffling cover letter will overwhelm recruiters when they are running through hundreds of emails in there inbox, but a concise one will get their attention.

So, keep your cover letter to just a few sentences long, and save the extensive detail for your CV.

Sign off professionally

To round of your cover letter, add a professional signature to the bottom, giving recruiters your vital contact information.

This not only gives various means of contacting you, it also looks really professional and shows that you know how to communicate in the workplace.

Include the following points;

• A friendly sign off – e.g. “Warm regards”
• Your full name
• Phone number (one you can answer quickly)
• Email address
• Profession title
• Professional social network – e.g. LinkedIn

Here is an example signature;

Warm regards,

Gerald Baker Senior Accountant 07887500404 [email protected] LinkedIn

Quick tip : To save yourself from having to write your signature every time you send a job application email, you can save it within your email drafts, or on a separate document that you could copy in.

What to include in your McKinsey cover letter

Your McKinsey cover letter will be unique to your situation, but there are certain content guidelines you should stick to for best results.

To attract and entice recruiters, stick with the following key subjects in your cover letter – adapting them to fit your profession and target jobs.

• Your professional experience – Employers will be keen to know if your experience is suitable for the job you are applying to, so provide a good summary of it in your cover letter.
• Your qualifications and education – Highlight your most relevant and high-level of qualification, especially if they are essential to the job.
• The positive impact you have made – Employers love to hear about the benefits you can bring to them, so shout about anything impressive you have done, such as saving money or improving processes.
• Your reasons for leaving – Use a few words of your cover letter to explain why you are leaving your current job and ensure you avoid any negative reasons.
• Your availability – Let recruiters know when you can start a new job . Are you immediately available, or do you have a month notice period?

McKinsey cover letter templates

Copy and paste these McKinsey cover letter templates to get a head start on your own.

I am writing to express my strong interest in the Growth and Sales Associate position at McKinsey. With over 12 years of experience working in business development, I am confident in my ability to drive revenue growth and establish strategic partnerships.

During my tenure at Tanto, I led market research efforts that identified and pursued new revenue opportunities, resulting in a remarkable 19% increase in revenue through the acquisition of five new enterprise clients. Additionally, my implementation of a strategic-partner sales strategy contributed to a substantial 12% increase in the company’s average deal size. Furthermore, my ability to build and manage relationships with key stakeholders, as showcased in my work at Tanto and Crystal Consulting, has led to successful partnerships and a remarkable 30% increase in the sales pipeline. As a PMI-Certified Project Management Professional with a BSc in Finance, I possess excellent communication and negotiation skills, consistently exceeding KPIs.

I am eager to bring my expertise to McKinsey and contribute to the firm’s continued success. I am available for an interview at your earliest convenience to discuss how my skills align with the goals of the company.

Marco Terrano

Hey Michael,

I am thrilled to apply for the Management Consultant role at McKinsey. As a seasoned Business Consultant with a track record of delivering tangible improvements in the financial sector, my expertise in data-driven solutions and process enhancement sets me apart.

In my current role at Arcadia Business Solutions, I excel in analysing clients’ operations and devising risk management frameworks, reducing operational risk by 15% for a leading investment bank in 2019. Moreover, my strategic planning initiative boosted revenue by 10% over three years for a financial services firm. During my tenure at TRC Ltd, I collaborated with senior consultants on business planning and achieved a 20% sales increase through a successful product launch strategy for a healthcare company. As a certified Agile Practitioner and Business Analysis Professional, I possess strong project management and mentoring skills and, at Monzo, I employed Agile methodologies to provide valuable insights and foster efficient workflows while adapting products to customer needs.

I am eager to discuss how my expertise can fuel McKinsey’s success and an interview at your convenience would be highly appreciated.

Kind regards,

Mathilde DuPont

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to apply for the Automation Engineer position at McKinsey.

With 25+ years of experience as a detail-oriented Automation Tester, I possess a strong track record of optimising resources and streamlining performance testing strategies. At TechPro Lyd, I executed automated test scripts using Selenium WebDriver, Java, and TestNG, resulting in improved software stability and a 40% boost in application response time through a reverse-order performance testing strategy. During my tenure at KeyTech, I implemented an automated testing framework for mobile applications, reducing time-to-market for new features by 22%.

Throughout my career I regularly conducted end-to-end user testing, ensuring quality and timely delivery of the Product Development Life Cycle (PDLC). As an Agile Certified Practitioner, I am proficient in programming languages like Python, Java, Perl, and C#, and adept at using automation tools such as Jenkins, Maven, Docker, and Kubernetes.

I am available for an interview at your convenience to discuss how my skills can benefit McKinsey’s automation initiatives.

Nigel Sampson

Writing an impressive cover letter is a crucial step in landing a job at McKinsey, so taking the time to perfect it is well worth while.

By following the tips and examples above you will be able to create an eye-catching cover letter that will wow recruiters and ensure your CV gets read – leading to more job interviews for you.

Good luck with your job search!

4 ways to start your McKinsey cover letter, according to recruiters and a former McKinsey manager

• A consulting job at McKinsey is hard to get but comes with a salary that can reach the high six figures. 
• Your cover letter is key to getting your foot in the door, recruiters and a former McKinsey manager said.
• They recommended demonstrating problem-solving skills and leadership abilities, and keeping your letter short.

McKinsey and Company is tough to break into but well worth the effort when it comes to salary. Partner salaries average more than $800,000 in total pay, according to job-review site Glassdoor.

One of your first chances to prove your value to this uber-competitive management consulting firm is through a cover letter. As stated on McKinsey's website : "Your application (i.e., cover letter, CV/resume) is our first and primary evidence of your written communication skills, so present it in a thoughtful and compelling manner."

While the company's website notes that a cover letter isn't required in an online application "unless you wish to alert [McKinsey] to an unusual circumstance or to provide information on a reapplication," recruiters emphasized that it's still an important part of the hiring process.

"McKinsey recruiters expect to see applicants with elite problem-solving and leadership abilities who can articulate their achievements, accomplishments, and diverse experiences concisely," said Caroline Stokes, the CEO of executive search and coaching firm  FORWARD , who has experience recruiting and coaching job seekers for many top firms, including McKinsey. "A person's leadership style and executive presence can be determined from this letter alone, so it needs to fully represent how the person would operate in this management consultancy environment with other high-performing talent and clients."

Portia Kibble Smith, an executive recruiter at  Karat  who has four decades of corporate experience and has placed many candidates at McKinsey, added: "The single biggest reason for a cover letter is that when I talk to hiring managers, they're probably reviewing each resume for 10 to 30 seconds. They're shuffling through them so quickly that you need some way to make the strongest part of your resume pop. That's what a cover letter is for." 

These experts and others shared their best tips for writing a letter that gets a hiring manager's attention.

Emphasize leadership, entrepreneurial drive, and passion for client-facing work

Smith said you should first make it clear that you're interested in working with clients — not just interested in working for McKinsey. 

"Demonstrate your passion for client-facing roles, and that you have the tools to hit the ground running on day one," Smith said.

Second, Smith pointed out that the cover letter is your opportunity to pull out the single-most impressive part of your resume and bring it to life. 

"Draw them in with a compelling story so they know your resume is worth more than half a minute of their time," she said. "One example of this is from a candidate that I helped place, who went into detail about their experience leading teams in the telecommunications industry and the value they helped create in a client-facing role."

Lastly, she advised not shying away from your background, but instead leaning into it. 

"If your MBA is from KU [University of Kansas] and not Harvard, the hiring manager already knows this, so there's no need to hide it," Smith said. "What opportunities did you have in Lawrence that may not have been available in Cambridge? Is there a unique perspective you're going to offer to the clients that they can't find anywhere else? That will get you noticed." 

Will Bachman spent four years at McKinsey after business school as an engagement manager, plus another year at the firm during his pre-MBA tenure. Within his management role, he was involved in recruiting for the firm — specifically vetting prospective MBA students and conducting interviews — before he left to cofound Umbrex , a global community connecting top-tier independent management consultants.

Bachman emphasized that McKinsey evaluates applicants on four dimensions: personal impact, entrepreneurial drive, problem-solving skills, and leadership abilities. As a result of this focus, he said that all successful candidates must meet the high bar on all four dimensions, and need to be absolutely distinctive on at least one of those four — which should come out in your cover letter.

"McKinsey consultants are taught to 'lead with the answer' when creating a presentation, and applicants ought to do the same in a cover letter, opening with a powerful anecdote that illustrates one of those four qualities where the candidate is most exceptional," Bachman said.

He also advised not diluting your message by trying to demonstrate competence on all four; instead, you should wow the reader with a story that shows how you are amazing on one of these dimensions.

(Finally, he shared that at McKinsey, the consultants like to capitalize the word "firm" when referring to "the Firm," so for extra credit, you can adopt that practice in your cover letter.)

Keep it short and don't just rehash your resume

Atta Tarki is founder and CEO of ECA , an executive search firm in which 10 out of their 11 managing directors are former consultants themselves with experience at McKinsey and other top consulting firms, and formerly spent six years as a management consultant at LEK Consulting . As such, Tarki works with hundreds of McKinsey consultants aiming to transition out of the firm a year, and has placed consultants with eight out of the top 10 strategy consulting firms.

Tarki advised focusing on something unique in your cover letter that's not in your resume to make your note stand out. 

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"Most cover letters are just checking the box and rehashing the resume," he said. "In the extremely rare event that someone looks at it, that [approach] won't help you, and instead it should try to highlight some of your hobbies or things that make you interesting as a person/for the role."  

Tarki added that in the age of Twitter, less is more, whether you're talking about your cover letter, resume, or other communications related to your McKinsey application. He also hammered the point that it's important to get the basics right when applying, such as keeping your emails to HR brief and professional, not having any typos in your cover letter or other parts of your application, and being very responsive when communicating with the firm. 

"Within hours is great and within the hour is excellent," Tarki said. "Within 24 hours is acceptable. Anything slower than that raises yellow flags."

He also emphasized making sure every single sentence in your application adds value. "Don't replace quality with quantity," he said.

These experts offered some examples of great cover letter lines

Bachman suggested that your cover letter to McKinsey could begin with something like this opener, which he wrote himself:

[Partner's first name],

I'm interested in joining the [name of practice] as an experienced hire.

Recognizing the value the Firm places on entrepreneurial drive, I thought I'd share the story of how I conceived of a new revenue stream for my current employer, developed the business case on my own time, managed to gain alignment among senior managers to approve funding, and then, as the head of this new service line, built a $50 million annual revenue business with a 22% EBITDA margin ...

Here's another example of an opening paragraph of the kinds of notes that stood out to him when vetting candidates:

Recognizing the value the Firm places on personal impact, I thought I'd share the story of how I built a nonprofit that has distributed a free interview suit and interview coaching to 3,000 low-income residents in my city ...

If you know a partner at the firm, then your cover letter should be addressed to that person. Bachman suggested that in this case, your cover letter could begin like this:

I've thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know you and your colleagues over the past several months, and as we discussed at [venue] on [date], I'd like to be considered as a candidate to join the [name of practice] in the [desired city] office …

Smith also shared the following cover letter template that she uses to help her candidates craft their introductions to McKinsey:

Delivering exceptional results for clients isn't rocket science — it's a lot harder. 

It takes a genuine desire to understand a client's business and goals, from both a granular and big-picture perspective. It takes insight into the client's business trajectory, products, market trends, untapped opportunities, and competitors. It takes critical thinking, robust analytical skills, leadership, and a passion for strategic problem-solving. 

It takes someone who can partner with clients and colleagues to find innovative approaches to problems and work as a key member of the team to develop impactful recommendations. 

These are the things I truly enjoy doing. I use a systematic approach to problem solving that includes analyzing the issue, defining desired outcomes, asking the right questions, looking at the challenge from both creative and strategic viewpoints, and brainstorming in a team environment to form possible solutions. A brief example of my success in problem solving is [example, including results for company or clients].

As a recent graduate of [school] with a [degree] in [major], I am eager to work with an organization like McKinsey, where my education and experience in [area of experience] will add value to both clients and the firm. 

It would be a privilege to speak with you about a consulting role with McKinsey, my qualifications, and a potential match. My resume is attached for your review, and I look forward to the next steps in the selection process. Thank you for your consideration.

[Your name]

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McKinsey careers: the ultimate guide

McKinsey careers are some of the most sought after jobs in the world. On top of being THE most prestigious consulting firm, McKinsey offers its recruits impressive salaries and exceptional exit opportunities. But unfortunately, there is a lot of misunderstanding about the different types of jobs that McKinsey actually offers.

In this post, we're going to provide an overview of each of McKinsey's 8 job types, including examples, key qualifications, and links to the corresponding McKinsey job boards. Then, we'll turn our attention to the career progression in consulting, by summarising the 6 levels that McKinsey consultants go through, from Business Analyst to Partner.

The last section of this guide will provide information and resources to help you land your dream job at McKinsey. Check-out the links below, to jump to the section you're most interested in.

• McKinsey's 8 job types
• McKinsey Consulting career path
• How to get a job at McKinsey

Click here to practise 1-on-1 with McKinsey ex-interviewers

1. mckinsey's 8 job types  ↑.

In the following section, we'll cover the 8 different types of jobs you'll find at McKinsey. It's important to distinguish this from the McKinsey career path, which describes the advancement steps in the company (from Analyst to Partner). If you're most interested in learning about the career path, then skip to section 2. It's also important to note that this guide is focused on full-time positions. If you want insight into McKinsey's internship positions check-out this article . 

The 8 points below will describe the type of work that is done by professionals in each type of McKinsey job. This should help you evaluate where your interests and experience fit the best. Another great way to identify your best job-fit, is the  McKinsey job quiz . The downside of the quiz is that it just shows you one primary type of job (and 1-2 alternatives). In other words, you don't get to see a full picture of all the job types available at McKinsey. That's where the sections below are helpful. 

Before going into each individual job type, here's an overview which shows the relative number of opportunities available in each job type. This data is based on the number of open positions available on McKinsey's website, at the time of writing this article. 

1.1 Consulting (31% of open positions)

McKinsey is best known for its expertise in strategy consulting. If that's what you're interested in, then you'll want to pursue one of the firm's consulting roles. In a McKinsey Consulting role, you'll typically start as a generalist, with additional opportunities to specialise as you advance in your career.

McKinsey Consulting roles are more focused on establishing the business strategy for clients, and less focused on executing it. As a strategy consultant, you'll be involved in gathering information, analysing key data points, developing hypotheses, and delivering final recommendations to client leaders. Once the strategy is established, it is handed over to the client's people. Or, the strategy might be given to a McKinsey Implementation team for execution. 

For example, a drugstore firm like CVS might hire McKinsey to provide recommendations related to opening new stores in Germany. McKinsey would send a Consulting team, who would first gather information on the current climate of the German pharmacy and convenience store markets. Then, they would conduct an analysis, and test hypotheses to evaluate different potential strategies. Finally, the McKinsey Consulting team would provide a strategy recommendation, including the next steps the business should take.

Key qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree and strong academic credentials from a reputable institution 
• An MBA or graduate degree is preferred for Associate positions
• Exceptional problem solving and quantitative skills, typically tested through case interviews
• Ability to clearly communicate complex ideas to people from different levels of an organisation
• Excellent leadership skills, supported by a track record of past successes

Note: these qualifications will vary based on the specific role and office you apply to. The qualifications above reflect some of the typical qualifications McKinsey looks for in their Consulting applicants, which we found on the McKinsey job board.

McKinsey's Consulting job board

1.2 Analytics (12%)

In an Analytics role at McKinsey, your goal will be to use data and analysis to create helpful business insights. This broad objective can involve a variety of different tasks, and in all cases, strong quantitative skills will be important.

Data scientists and analytics experts at McKinsey, help clients to gather data, structure it and translate it into information that can be used to set business strategy. This process typically involves database management software and/or tools for statistical analysis. 

For example, a company like Starbucks might hire McKinsey to help them identify the habits of their rewards programme customers. Data scientists from McKinsey would work with business stakeholders at Starbucks to understand their most important questions about customers. Then, the data scientists would perform modeling to identify customer trends and answer those business questions. If there were gaps in Starbucks' data, McKinsey might also help them build-out additional analytics capabilities.

• Undergraduate degree in a quantitative field, like statistics, maths, etc.
• A graduate degree in a quantitative field is preferred (sometimes required)
• Work experience with analysis in enterprise-level data environments
• Fluency in data management and statistical tools like SAS, STATA, R, and SQL
• Ability to multitask and manage multiple parallel projects

Note: these qualifications will vary based on the specific role and office you apply to. The qualifications above reflect some of the typical qualifications McKinsey looks for in their Analytics applicants, which we found on the McKinsey job board.

McKinsey's Analytics job board

1.3 Implementation (11%)

As a McKinsey Implementation consultant, your role would be to coach client stakeholders and to create processes that execute business strategies. In the old days, McKinsey was primarily focused on helping clients set their high-level business strategies, and another firm (like one of the Big 4 ), would then support the execution of those strategies.

Now, with McKinsey's Implementation professionals, they have the ability to deliver strategy and to support the implementation of those strategies. McKinsey's Implementation consultants typically focus on an industry or functional area. For example, you might specialise in Healthcare or Lean projects. Day-to-day, Implementation consultants are involved with training clients, developing systems, and measuring progress to ensure the client is moving in the right direction. 

For example, American Express might hire an Implementation team from McKinsey to help them develop a new approach for managing customer help requests using Salesforce.com. McKinsey's Implementation consultants would work with client people to understand existing business processes, and then support the creation and adoption of the new system. 

• A graduate degree or MBA is preferred (but not required)
• Hands-on functional or industry experience aligned with the role focus
• Fluent in change management and continuous improvement methods, such as Six Sigma or Lean
• Exceptional communication skills and an ability to work well with a variety of internal and client people

Note: these qualifications will vary based on the specific role and office you apply to. The qualifications above reflect some of the typical qualifications McKinsey looks for in their Implementation applicants, which we found on the McKinsey job board.

McKinsey's Implementation job board

1.4 Digital (10%)

There are a variety of Digital roles available at McKinsey. For example, you could be a software engineer, digital consultant, data architect, or product manager. Broadly speaking, people working in McKinsey Digital serve a similar function to McKinsey's Implementation consultants. In both cases, the objective is to bring an established strategy into existence. The key difference, in this case, is the focus on digital technologies.

Here's a few examples of the type of work you might encounter in a career at McKinsey Digital: improving technology architecture, website or app development, data management, implementation of Agile processes, and creation of digital assets. Whatever your specific area of expertise, in McKinsey Digital you would be serving clients as a "specialist for hire", allowing them to complete projects that they may not have the internal skill set to do themselves. 

For example, the health insurers' association Blue Cross Blue Shield might hire McKinsey to modernise their website, with the goal of improving site speeds. A team from McKinsey Digital would be brought onboard, in order to update the website's back-end infrastructure. The team would also explore opportunities for innovation or to implement new technologies. 

Key qualifications (sample for engineer roles):

• Undergraduate degree in computer science, engineering, information systems, or similar fields
• Experience with software development principles, and fluency in a specific language (e.g. Java, .Net, Python, etc.) may also be required
• Proficient in database querying (e.g. SQL or similar), additional specialised knowledge may also be required, like experience with cloud infrastructure technologies (e.g. Azure, AWS, etc.)
• Experience working according to the Agile development methodology
• Exceptional problem solving and analytical skills

Note: these qualifications will vary based on the specific role and office you apply to. The qualifications above reflect some of the typical qualifications McKinsey looks for in their Digital applicants, which we found on the McKinsey job board.

McKinsey's Digital job board

1.5 Research (6%)

People who work in research roles at McKinsey are sometimes called Knowledge Experts or Research Analysts. In this type of position, your goal will be to analyse, understand, and communicate insights on a specialised area or industry. 

This includes managing research projects, and directly providing information to clients and consulting teams. Another important function for those in a research role at McKinsey, is the creation of knowledge assets like summary reports and industry fact sheets.

For example, let's say the pharmacy chain Walgreen's hires McKinsey to help them develop a strategy to cut costs in the production of their off-brand medications. McKinsey might bring in knowledge experts, specialising in pharmaceuticals, to analyse new automation technologies and answer specific questions that apply to Walgreen's' facilities.

• Graduate degree (preferred, not required)
• Work experience in research or the function/industry of the role
• Skill in analytics such as Tableau and Alteryx is a plus
• Ability to communicate complex ideas clearly

Note: these qualifications will vary based on the specific role and office you apply to. The qualifications above reflect some of the typical qualifications McKinsey looks for in their Research applicants, which we found on the McKinsey job board.

McKinsey's Research job board

1.6 Design (2%)

As a designer at McKinsey, you would be involved in improving customer experiences by integrating design concepts with business goals. This could include the design of an app, website, or real-world interactions. 

McKinsey design teams do user research and use their insights to create customer journeys and personas. In addition, McKinsey designers model solutions using prototypes and wireframes, and will conduct usability testing to test the quality of customer experiences.

For example, let's imagine that Zappos.com hires a McKinsey design team to help them increase customer conversion rates. While conducting research, the designers might learn that customers are leaving products in their cart to purchase later. As a result, customers who intended to purchase were forgetting or changing their minds. In response, the McKinsey design team might recommend that Zappos shorten the check-out process. If Zappos was onboard, the design team might also create mock-ups of a streamlined process for check-out.

• Work experience designing app, website, or physical customer experiences
• Skilled with design software such as Adobe CS, OmniGraffle, or Sketch
• Experience with prototyping tools like Sketch, Flinto, Axure, or Invision
• Passion for design and a desire to serve as an advocate for design principles
• Comfortable with changing priorities, and able to adapt quickly

Note: these qualifications will vary based on the specific role and office you apply to. The qualifications above reflect some of the typical qualifications McKinsey looks for in their Design applicants, which we found on the McKinsey job board.

McKinsey's Design job board

1.7 Turnaround (1%)

Turnaround roles at McKinsey are similar to normal consulting roles. For both careers, quantitative and problem-solving skills are core to success. And leadership and project management abilities are essential for more senior positions.

However, as a Turnaround professional, your projects would be more specialised than a generalist consulting role. Specifically, you would be working on company transformations, firm restructuring programmes, and other projects that address clients' severe issues and dramatic direction changes.

For example, when Chrysler filed for bankruptcy in 2009, they could have hired consultants to help prepare and implement a strategy to return the firm to profitability. This type of project, with dramatic opportunities and challenges, is what people in a Turnaround job at Mckinsey do.

• Ability to perform in a rapidly changing and unstructured setting
• Strong analytical skills, and an ability to identify the root cause of an issue
• Experience with data modeling in tools like Excel, VBA or SQL
• Basic knowledge of data visualisation tools like Tableau 
• Experience with project management methods like Scrum or Agile

Note: these qualifications will vary based on the specific role and office you apply to. The qualifications above reflect some of the typical qualifications McKinsey looks for in their Turnaround applicants, which we found on the McKinsey job board.

McKinsey's Turnaround job board

1.8 Internal roles (27%)

In addition to the 7 client-serving job types above, McKinsey has positions for internal business functions. Specifically the following:

• Communications
• Information Technology
• Legal and Risk
• Personnel and Human Resources
• Administrative

If you're interested in working with McKinsey, but are better equipped to serve in a particular operational role, consider applying to one of the position's posted on McKinsey's Internal job board.

McKinsey's Internal job board

2. McKinsey consulting career path  ↑

Now that we've covered job types, we'll turn our attention to the McKinsey career path. We'll be specifically looking at the career path for jobs in Consulting. However, several of the other job types, like Implementation and Turnaround for example, will follow a similar progression. 

The career progression for a McKinsey consultant is broken down into 6 main steps. The most junior position is a Business Analyst role (#1) and the most senior position is Partner (#6). For an overview, see the below image. 

Note: the salary data for this post was informed by the data presented by Rocketblocks.com.

2.1 Business Analyst snapshot

In a typical case-based consulting project, a Business Analyst will be tasked with information gathering, analysis, and creation of PowerPoint slides. This work is all directly related to the final deliverable of the project, which illustrates how quickly you are given responsibility and high-impact work in consulting. At this level, you are typically less involved in client relationship management and internal strategy.

Average base salary: ~$80,000

Years at level: 2 - 3 years before promotion

Pros: 

• Quick ownership and impact
• Learn quickly from experienced experts
• Protected from political conflicts
• Little control over your schedule
• Little decision making power
• Less specialisation

2.2 Junior Associate snapshot

A Junior Associate will typically own a functional area. This could be a single work-stream, or a set of implementation requirements. In this role, there is a higher level of ownership compared with a Business Analyst. However, a Junior Associate still has limited oversight/leadership responsibility.

Average base salary: ~$100,000

Years at level:  1 - 3 years before promotion

• Ownership of a functional area
• Greater opportunity for specialisation
• Ability to clearly demonstrate personal impact
• Limited leadership responsibility
• More prone to long-hours vs. Business Analysts

2.3 Associate snapshot

This level is characterised by an increased leadership role, and/or increased specialisation. An Associate may lead a team of Business Analysts, Junior Associates, and even other Associates. In addition, a consultant at this level would be more involved in internal discussions with the consulting team's leadership. They may be asked for input from their team, or from their area of expertise.

Average base salary: ~$151,000

• Significant leadership opportunities
• More control over your work/schedule
• Potentially huge resume-boosting opportunities
• Some influence on project strategy and decisions
• Face pressure from internal and client managers
• More exposed to behind-the-scenes politics
• Challenge of balancing leadership/delegation with task-execution

2.4 Engagement Manager snapshot

An Engagement Manager will typically have 5-10 years of experience in consulting, or in a specific industry. At this level, you will be expected to have broad-knowledge of the process and strategy for effectively completing a project. You will lead multiple teams, and will report to senior client and internal leaders. This level combines elements of project management, team leadership, client relationship management, and strategy. Managers may also be involved in assembling their teams and interviewing prospective employees for the firm.

Average base salary:  ~$176,000

Years at level: 2 - 3 years before promotion

• Lead talented consultants (and maybe choose your team)
• Significant control over your work/schedule
• May control a budget, including discretionary spending for team events
• Significant influence on project strategy and decisions
• Often responsible for explaining issues to the client
• Increased demands to balance internal work (e.g. interviewing, events, etc.)
• Responsible for resolving interpersonal/team issues

2.5 Associate Principal snapshot

At the Associate Principal level, you serve a dual purpose. First and foremost, you are responsible for the delivery of an entire project. You will likely have multiple Managers reporting to you, each of whom lead multiple teams. Second, you will be expected to begin selling new work for the consulting firm, by building relationships with your current client and through new connections. 

Average base salary:  ~$234,000

• Own entire project, including strategy and final decisions
• Control project budget, invoicing, and spending on internal/external events
• Experience with the full project life-cycle (from sale, to delivery, to payment)
• Significant control over work and schedule
• High pressure position between consulting leadership and client leadership
• Difficult to balance project execution, with selling new work
• Ultimate responsibility for major project failures
• May be partially dedicated to multiple projects at once

2.6 Partner snapshot

As a Partner, you take a step out of the day-to-day execution of projects, and into high-level strategy. At this level, your primary focus is selling new work and retaining existing clients. This is done through relationships, and an ability to clearly demonstrate the impact of your firm's work. It's also critical to have a network of high-performers and specialists within the consulting firm, who you can recruit to staff your projects. Broadly speaking, a Partner manages a portfolio of projects, and is the decision maker for new contracts and initiatives.

Average base salary:  $500,000 - $5,000,000

Years at level: Indefinite .  After Partner, the remaining promotion opportunities are executive positions, like CFO, COO, etc.

• Exceptional compensation
• Influence on internal firm strategy
• Ownership of a portfolio of multiple projects
• Near total control of your work/schedule
• Work and progress are more ambiguous
• Heavy focus on sales and promotion
• Less hands-on project work

3. How to get a job at McKinsey  ↑

Now that you have a better understanding of McKinsey's career opportunities and career path, we'll turn our attention to the application process. The goal of this section is to help you understand the next steps you should take, in order to optimise your chances of getting a job offer at McKinsey. Let's begin with a few words about the competition you will face for these roles.

3.1 Competition for McKinsey jobs

It's no secret that the level of competition for McKinsey jobs is sky-high. In an  interview , Dominic Barton, McKinsey’s ex-Global Managing Director, revealed that only about 1% of the 200,000 candidates applying to the firm every year receive a job offer.

To put things in perspective, Harvard University (arguably the most prestigious university in the world), has an acceptance rate of about 5% . So, McKinsey's acceptance rate is roughly five times lower than Harvard's. Competition to get into McKinsey is fierce, but don't let that intimidate you. According to our estimation , if you are able to get a first round interview, then your chances of getting an offer at McKinsey jump WAY up to about 10%.

A one-in-ten chance is actually pretty good, but you can do even more to optimise your chances by preparing strategically. In the next few sections, we'll cover the best places to submit your initial application. We'll also mention the best schools for McKinsey recruiting, and then we'll provide some great resources you can use to help you prepare for McKinsey's case interviews. 

3.2 Where to apply for McKinsey jobs

The first step in the McKinsey interview process is to let the company know you're interested, by submitting an initial application. As mentioned above, McKinsey screens through hundreds of thousands of candidates every year, and you'll need to make sure your application stands-out. 

The best way to stand out from the crowd of resumes is through personal connections with McKinsey partners and managers. If you have opportunities for networking with McKinsey people, then that's a great chance for you to make a positive first impression. You can learn more about networking to get an interview in this post . 

These types of opportunities are not always easy to find, so if you don't have a chance to make connections with people from McKinsey, then you should go ahead and apply through McKinsey's website. At this stage, it will be important to know the specific position you'd like to apply for.

You can find a list of all of McKinsey's open positions using the link below. Once you've selected a position, you can apply directly on the page describing the role by clicking "Apply Now". But before submitting your application, use our free guides to make sure your resume  and cover letter  are optimised.

All McKinsey job listings

There's another great way to get your foot in the door with McKinsey, which we have not mentioned yet. One of the biggest places for McKinsey hiring is on-campus recruiting at target schools.

3.3 Top McKinsey target schools

McKinsey does not recruit at every major university, but they do have a few favorites. This is helpful to know for those currently choosing a school, because you can strategically select one of McKinsey's target programmes. It's also interesting to know that McKinsey doesn't just recruit from Ivy League schools, and some of their biggest sources for new candidates are actually large public universities.

We've put together two lists below. The first list ranks undergraduate schools based on survey data from current McKinsey employees, which comes from this article  by Poets & Quants. The second list ranks the top MBA programmes for getting a job at McKinsey, based on recruitment data from this  article . 

Top US undergraduate programmes for Mckinsey careers:

3.4 How to prepare for McKinsey interviews

McKinsey is famous for having a rigorous interview process and with the steep competition, you'll need to be well prepared to get a job offer. Earlier in the article, we outlined the 8 job types in McKinsey, and there is variation in the interview process for different types of jobs. However, as an applicant to McKinsey, there's a good chance you'll face the McKinsey Digital Assessment  and case interviews. Let's look at each one in more detail.

The McKinsey Digital Assessment is an online maths and logic test. The questions in the game are meant to evaluate candidates on skills that are relevant to the day-to-day work at McKinsey. These questions are somewhat similar to GMAT questions, but they questions tend to be a bit different and more difficult. Here's a video from McKinsey to help you prepare:

Your next step will be to crack McKinsey's case interviews . In a McKinsey case interview,  you will be presented with a case study about a company facing an issue, and you'll be expected to analyse the situation and develop a recommendation. For example, you might get a case about a fast food chain with declining profits, and you'll need to take steps to create a recommended solution. Here's an example of case interviews at McKinsey:

First...get an interview!

Of course, to actually get an interview with McKinsey you'll need to apply, and to stand a chance you'll need to make sure your resume is top notch.

By signing up to our resume service, you can choose from a team of ex-MBB recruiters and interviewers, who will spend an hour going over your CV with you. You’ll get feedback on how to immediately improve your resume, including what experience to focus on, how to optimize your phrasing, formatting, etc.

Check it out, you'll be in good hands!

The IGotAnOffer team

Download the Unstop app now!

Check out the latest opportunities just for you!

McKinsey Cover Letter Guide | Expert Tips & 5+ Sample Letters For Experienced & Freshers

Table of content: 

The secret to standing out in your mckinsey cover letter, make an impact & get noticed, mckinsey cover letter samples, mckinsey cover letter samples for different situations.

Whether from workplace roles or extracurricular activities ,  McKinsey & Company requires an excellent academic record, relevant experiences, and evidence of your leadership roles. Not only do you have to demonstrate an eye for detail and analytical skills, but you also need to showcase your interests in the company values, business, problem-solving, application of logic, and teamwork management throughout the screening process. The company recommends that you add your meaningful work experience which includes full-time jobs,  internships , and other services even if they are not directly related to the job you are applying to, to make a lasting impact amidst the candidate pool. 

Also read- Free sample cover letter for Goldman Sachs | Get that investment banking job now!

When submitting a job application at McKinsey remember to write from scratch. Don't copy and paste any other company’s name into your McKinsey cover letter or you risk a sure-fire rejection! This is not only the mark of an unsophisticated candidate but it shows how unprofessional you are willing to be, so go the extra mile to create something unique for each employer. Furthermore, make sure you only include relevant information; don't simply respond to firms that explicitly ask for applications on their website.

The interviewer will automatically lose interest in you if they feel that you are using them (regular boring cover letters) as a stepping stone. It is important to understand that McKinsey cover letters must be written specifically with them in mind. Faking this by writing the same old boilerplate cover letter over and over again does not show the firm that you respect them and gives the impression that all other firms are created equal when clearly they aren’t! Your cover letter shows your commitment to creativity so be sure to put your best foot forward. 

McKinsey & Company is one of the world's leading management consultancies - not to mention that it is one of the biggest consulting firms and talent incubators for excellent business opportunities as well. This prestigious firm has a stellar reputation and is known to attract the brightest minds from across the world. If you dream of working for a big name like this, then it's important that you do your research with absolute commitment.

When drafting your cover letter, start with your most basic information, then add on additional points relevant to this recruitment process, and only when all those key points are listed, start thinking about reflecting anything about McKinsey specifically. Make sure not to simply copy and paste an old cover letter  word-for-word into your new one; they'll know you're lazy if they read through your intern's CV and find the exact same wording!

The truth is that cover letters are no longer a standard requirement. The amount of information available via job sites and other social media channels has reduced the need for recruiters to require a formal, written explanation of why you are applying for a firm and a job.

However, the best cover letters explain not only why you want to work for that firm, but also why they want you to work for them. It provides authentic insights into the thoughts of a candidate. It makes them see how your skills, experience, and career goals are aligned with the role, and how you will add value to the role and the organization with your business skills. If you are applying for a job at McKinsey , it's important to start off by linking what you say about McKinsey and its role back to your own values, achievements, strengths, and experiences.

McKinsey states that the cover letter is a good place to draw attention to your auxiliary skill, relevant achievements and experience, and personal qualities that might have been neglected elsewhere in the application process.

Thus, to stand out from the crowd use strategies and tricks such as:

Tip #1 -  Start by identifying what character traits are cherished by the consulting firm you’re most interested in. You have to tailor your resume and cover letter for each firm. Use the characteristics they list on their career page, but don’t forget to be creative in how you express yourself.

Tip #2 - When you are interviewing for a marketing job, you need to recognize that the interviewer is looking for your value and what you can bring to the company. You need to ensure that you quantify your value as much as possible. Bring all your quantitative skills and digital strategies to the table.

Tip #3 -  Being a good writer is about more than being able to string words together. It’s also about knowing when to use words and when not to. This is a skill called 'economy of words' and it can make a huge difference in writing your cover letter, where you tell them why you are the perfect candidate for the job.

Tip #4 -  With high-level communication skills, you can connect to other people in a deep and meaningful way and help them find solutions to the challenges they face. A good communication skill set doesn’t just help you get a job because you’re desired by companies and recruiters, it also helps you become better at your career, whether you’re a new hire or an experienced professional.

Tip #5 -  In your cover letter, you should try to show that you are certain that this job is right for you. For example, use phrases like: 'You have a high-demand position' or 'This role is very much my style.' This approach is about selling yourself to the employer. In other words, you should show why this employer should interview you before anyone else.

Expert Hint: Interviewers are tired of hearing that "I'm a hard worker and have good problem-solving skills" or "I'm an excellent communicator." You can summarize these skills as 'able to follow instructions, flexible, and you’ve got an entrepreneurial spirit.'

Tip #6 -  Use The Business McKinsey Cover Letter Format. The length should be 1 page. Use the same font and style as your resume font. Pick one that is elegant but readable: Calibri, Cambria, Montserrat, etc. Always ‘Align Left’. Use 1.15 line spacing, and leave an empty line between every section and paragraph. Use at least a 1-inch margin on every side. Additionally, the McKinsey cover letter should be a formal cover letter - the use of informal language is not suggested.

Tip #7  - Be honest and transparent, there is no need for lying or exaggeration, and if it's caught that's the end of it. Avoid grammar mistakes and spelling mistakes. Your goal should be to highlight your unique selling point and show how you can help the client achieve their goals. Avoid using generic phrases and clichés. Instead, make sure that you focus on specific examples that demonstrate how you can solve problems. Showcase your ability to think outside the box. This relevant skill will help you reach the pinnacle of achievement while applying at McKinsey and Company.

Please find below a sample cover letter for a role with McKinsey:

Applicant's Name Number Date Recruiter's full name McKinsey & Company Middle East Dear Recruiter (first name), After talking to (Contact name), a current Mckinsey Consultant in New York - partaking in the Mckinsey Campus FAQ event I was provided great insight into consulting at McKinsey. He has provided me guidance on approaching case studies and shared with me what the culture at Mckinsey is like - an unrivaled environment for exceptional people. Currently I study at the London School of Economics and have applied for the junior associate role in city X. Having lived in the Middle East for the majority of my life, I can relate to its culture & norms and I look forward to hopefully pursuing this opportunity with Mckinsey. Completing 3 internships in private equity, investment banking, and corporate banking has provided me access to working with real clients and collaborating with team members for accomplishing collective goals. My internship with NatWest Group in London has opened my eyes to how services are executed for helping institutional clients meet their financial goals and this can be used to understand how consulting services can be used to help clients solve their business problems. These experiences have strengthened my interpersonal, communication, and team-working skills. Furthermore, my experience as a BCG Mentee provided me an insight into business and strategic issues and how consultants use their passion for problem-solving to help these clients tackle real-life business problems . I can use these experiences and insight into adding value to Mckinsey as a junior associate. Furthermore, I have demonstrated exceptional leadership acumen by being the president of 3 large societies. I also founded 180 Degrees Consulting Bristol, the newest branch of the world's largest student consultancy, aiming to help charities advance their social impact and make a positive effect make a positive difference in the world. Since the venture, my consultancy has worked with 15+ clients, 5+ corporate partners including firms such as Kearney & Accenture, provided 1000+ hours and f30,000+ of pro-bono advisory in its first starting year. This helped me get nominated for the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe Award and be awarded with the 'Top 100 Leaders in Education' award and the Bristol Outstanding Award ! The experiences have solidified my passion for consulting and have also provided me with the motivation to achieve tremendous results in every challenge I seek, which is an attitude I intend to carry forward to Mckinsey. Armed with several leadership roles and working successfully with clients from multiple continents, I have gained a brief exposure into some of the aspects that would make consulting the destined career for me, career I intend to pursue at Mckinsey in City X. Mckinsey's culture - entailing a single global partnership, united by strong values is the ideal environment that would allow me to feel valued whilst working with the industry's brightest people. As an advocate for creating large-scale impact, my purpose aligns perfectly with Mckinsey's : 'to help create positive, enduring change in the world'. I hope to pursue this purpose at the very firm that has installed this purpose deep in its roots. Thank you for taking out the time to read this letter.  Sincerely, Signature

The sample letter has been provided by Mohamed Suwaid, founder of Graduate Scope.

Consulting Cover Letter Sample 1: A strategy analyst with Work Experience

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my strong interest in the consultant role at McKinsey. With a background in business strategy and a passion for problem-solving, I believe I have the skills and experience necessary to make a significant impact at your firm. I am particularly drawn to McKinsey's reputation for excellence and its commitment to driving meaningful change for clients. In my previous role as a strategy analyst at XYZ Company, I had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects that required me to analyze complex business problems and develop innovative solutions. I was consistently praised for my ability to think critically and communicate effectively, both with clients and internal stakeholders. I am confident that these skills would translate well to the consultant role at McKinsey. I am also impressed by McKinsey's collaborative and inclusive culture. I thrive in team environments and enjoy working with diverse groups of people to achieve common goals. I believe that my strong interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships would make me a valuable asset to your team. Thank you for considering my application. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications further and learn more about the consultant role at McKinsey. I have attached my resume for your review. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, [Your Name]

Consulting Cover Letter Sample 2: Recent graduate with limited/no work experience

Dear McKinsey Recruitment Team, I am writing to apply for the consultant position at McKinsey. As a recent graduate with a degree in economics and a strong interest in business strategy, I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the success of your firm. During my studies, I had the opportunity to work on several consulting projects as part of my coursework. These experiences allowed me to develop strong analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as a deep understanding of business strategy. I am confident that these skills, combined with my passion for driving change, would make me a valuable addition to the McKinsey team. I am particularly drawn to McKinsey's commitment to professional development and the opportunity to work with a diverse range of clients. I believe that the exposure to different industries and business challenges would provide me with a unique learning experience and allow me to continuously grow and develop as a consultant. In addition to my academic experience, I have also gained practical experience through internships at various organizations. These experiences have further honed my analytical skills and allowed me to apply my knowledge in real-world scenarios. I have consistently received positive feedback for my ability to work well in teams, adapt to new environments, and deliver high-quality results within tight deadlines. Furthermore, I am impressed by McKinsey's strong reputation for delivering impactful and sustainable solutions to its clients. I am confident that my strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, combined with my passion for making a difference, align well with McKinsey's values and approach to consulting. Thank you for considering my application. I am excited about the possibility of joining the McKinsey team and contributing to the firm's continued success. I have attached my resume for your review and would welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications further. Sincerely, [Your Name]

Consulting Cover Letter Sample 3: For a role in a different location from where you currently live

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the consultant role at McKinsey & Company. With my MBA degree in Marketing and four years of experience, I believe I have the skills and qualifications necessary to contribute to the success of your organization. What sets me apart is my ability to adapt to new environments and thrive in challenging situations. Although I currently reside in [Current Location], I am excited about the opportunity to relocate for this role. I am confident that my exceptional leadership skills, as recognized in my previous job where I was awarded a 'Values Token', will enable me to make a significant impact in this new location. During my time in my previous role, I completed a course on the strategic approach to problem-solving, which has equipped me with the necessary tools to analyze complex business challenges and develop innovative solutions. I am confident that my strategic thinking and analytical skills will be valuable assets in delivering exceptional results for McKinsey's clients. Furthermore, my exceptional written and verbal communication skills have been instrumental in my success in previous roles. I am able to effectively communicate complex ideas and concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, ensuring alignment and understanding throughout the project lifecycle. I am impressed by McKinsey's reputation for excellence and its commitment to delivering impactful results for its clients. I am confident that my skills and experience make me a strong fit for your organization and I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to McKinsey's continued success. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of discussing my qualifications further and the opportunity to contribute to McKinsey's mission. Please find attached my resume for your review. I am available at your convenience for an interview. Sincerely, [Your Name]

Consulting Cover Letter Sample 4: When there’s a significant gap in the resume

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the senior consultant role at McKinsey & Company. With my six years of overall experience and a degree in Economics Honours, I believe I am well-suited for this position and can contribute significantly to the success of the firm. While my resume may show a significant gap in my employment history, I want to assure you that this period was not wasted. During this time, I took the opportunity to pursue personal development and expand my skill set. I engaged in various professional development courses and workshops to enhance my knowledge in areas such as strategic thinking, project management, and leadership. This gap has allowed me to gain a fresh perspective and approach problem-solving with renewed creativity and adaptability. Having previously worked with a data analyst firm and a consulting firm, I have gained valuable experience in understanding complex business challenges and providing actionable solutions. My experience in these roles has honed my ability to analyze data, identify trends, and make informed recommendations. Additionally, I have developed strong communication and presentation skills, which are crucial for effectively conveying insights to clients and stakeholders. What sets McKinsey & Company apart for me is its purpose of creating positive, enduring change in the world. This purpose deeply resonates with my own values and aspirations. I am passionate about making a meaningful impact and driving change that improves the lives of individuals and communities. I believe that McKinsey's commitment to excellence, collaboration, and innovation aligns perfectly with my own approach to problem-solving and achieving long-lasting results. In conclusion, I am excited about the opportunity to join McKinsey & Company as a senior consultant. My diverse background, combined with my passion for creating positive change, makes me confident in my ability to contribute to the firm's success. I look forward to the possibility of discussing how my skills and experiences can benefit McKinsey & Company further. Thank you for considering my application. Sincerely, [Your Name]

Confused about how to explain a gap in your resume? Find important tips here.

Consulting Cover Letter Sample 5: For an applicant from a non-traditional background

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my strong interest in the consultant role at McKinsey & Company. Although my prior work experience and educational qualifications may not align directly with the job role, I am passionate about the consulting industry and eager to leverage my transferable skills to contribute to the success of McKinsey. Throughout my career in the arts and humanities, I have developed a diverse skill set that I believe will be valuable in a consulting role. As an artist, I have honed my creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. These skills have allowed me to approach complex projects with a fresh perspective and find innovative solutions. Additionally, my experience in collaborating with diverse teams and managing multiple stakeholders has strengthened my interpersonal and communication skills. I am particularly drawn to McKinsey because of its commitment to helping colleagues build capabilities, develop leadership skills, and drive better outcomes. I strongly believe in continuous learning and personal growth, and I am excited about the opportunity to further develop my skills and expertise at McKinsey. I am confident that my ability to adapt quickly, think analytically, and communicate effectively will enable me to thrive in a fast-paced and challenging consulting environment. Furthermore, I greatly appreciate McKinsey's focus on physical and emotional well-being. I believe that a healthy work-life balance is essential for long-term success and fulfillment. The emphasis on employee well-being aligns perfectly with my own values and professional goals, and I am confident that McKinsey's supportive and inclusive culture will provide an environment where I can thrive both personally and professionally. Thank you for considering my application. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to McKinsey's success and make a meaningful impact in the consulting industry. I have attached my resume for your review, and I would welcome the chance to discuss my qualifications further. Sincerely [Your name]

In the cover letter body, the content you write should be crisp and crunchy. The use of a proper cover letter header, cover letter templates, and cover letter format settings should be kept in mind while writing it. Cover letter intro plays a very important role in making an impression on the recruiter and that why's writing cover letters is an art in itself. Tell about your experience of leadership, impressive achievements, international experience, and other previous experience, and don't restrict yourself to your resume template. Be creative and communicative to set yourself apart from the thousands of applications sent. Don't make mistakes that you have in your previous cover letters and see yourself ace the hiring process - this shall be your ultimate achievement.

You might also be interested in reading:

• Cover Letter That Will Surely Get You Hired at JP Morgan! (With a Free Sample)
• Use this consulting cover letter to get hired at BCG (with a free sample)
• 21 points that can make your resume any HR's favourite
• How to write a finance cover letter for Morgan Stanley (with a free sample!)
• 9 Tips To Get AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification

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McKinsey Cover Letter Sample

Written by . Posted in Cover Letter

If you are applying for a position at McKinsey, you will be competing with a large number of graduates and working professionals who are also interested in breaking into the firm. Therefore, you must be able to convince recruiters to invite you to an interview. This includes submitting a McKinsey cover letter that tells the story that you are a highly motivated and ambitious applicant with a great potential.

Remember, a resume only summarizes your skills and experience, but a cover letter tells the story about you: your career plans and the fit of consulting in these plans, your personality and your key accomplishments. You need to devote ample time to crafting your letter as it can help you stand out from the pool of highly qualified candidates.

Before Writing Your McKinsey Cover Letter

Before writing your McKinsey cover letter, you need to make a list of your qualifications and accomplishments that match the skills McKinsey seek in candidates. This will help you determine which information to include in the document. Use the table below for ideas and suggestions:

McKinsey Cover Letter Structure

The cover letter should contain three to five paragraphs and the information you present should be comprehensively written. If this document exceeds one page, recruiters will doubt your written communication skills, something all management consultants should possess.

Contact Information and Salutation

There’s only one thing you need to remember in this section: accuracy. Double check your contact information as the recruiters will use it to notify you about tests and interviews. Also, don’t forget to address the letter to the correct person and his or her position at the firm. Applicants often overlook these basic facts when writing cover letters. Committing these types of mistakes will hurt your application; recruiters will be disappointed that you omitted critical details.

Introduction

This section should be interesting enough to encourage the recruiters to read the rest of your McKinsey cover letter. It should contain your objectives, the specific job title you are interested in, and how you came across the opening. In order to convey your own voice, try the following strategies:

Here’s is an example of this section:

Here’s is another example:

Middle Paragraphs

Based on your list of qualifications, choose and highlight two or three skills or accomplishments that will push your application to the top of the pile. Select the ones that are most relevant to the position. If you are an experienced professional, focus on your quantitative achievements at your previous job. If you are a recent graduate, you can talk about your coursework, extracurricular activities, and internship program. The important thing is to establish a connection between the job and your competencies.

Here is an example of this section for experienced professionals:

My three-year experience as a director at an online marketing agency has prepared me for this client-oriented role. I have developed various digital marketing campaigns using a range of techniques such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC), social media advertisements, and paid searches. I also served as a marketing partner of Bangles, a startup company that sells women’s clothing and apparel online. Two months after implementing our marketing proposal, their monthly revenue increased by 25%.

Apart from my experience, my marketing degree from the University of Colorado has also prepared me for advanced business writing, conducting market research, and analyzing consumer behavior. I believe that my technical know-how, coupled with my substantial experience, will be my key to generating marketing strategies based on the industry’s best practices and customer experience. I am confident McKinsey & Company will find my contribution to the organization’s growth valuable.

Here is an example of this section for recent graduates:

During my three-month internship at Fast Investment Bank, I helped my team in providing financial services to companies and organizations. I analyzed an investment opportunity for a private equity fund within the wind turbine sector, leading to a critical investment decision. I also developed an Excel model for the valuation using both multiple and discounted cash flow methods. This model was used by the entire team.

In addition to my internship experience, I am a Finance major from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado. My college curriculum has readied me for any challenges in business analysis, quantitative methods, and organizational behavior. Despite my responsibilities as a soccer club vice-president, I graduated with a 3.9 GPA. As evidenced by my excellent educational performance, I believe I will be able to adapt to the challenging demands of your organization.

In this section, you can also talk about your motivation for applying with the firm and personal interests. Make sure to present them in a manner that’s relevant to the desired position.

Closing Paragraph

The closing paragraph revolves around you as a person. Write about what you can contribute to the organization, your passion, personal values and skills. Finally, add one more sentence that indicates your high value. Avoid writing “If you have any questions about my application, please do not hesitate to contact me” as this creates no value. If recruiters find you suitable for the job, they will find a way to contact you.

Here’s an example of the closing paragraph:

I take pride in my innate leadership potential. When I was still in university, I was an officer of the consulting club for two consecutive years.  Furthermore, my former colleagues can attest to how I motivate other people to do their tasks, and involve everyone in working towards the common goal.

Looking forward to discuss the opportunities with you.

It’s essential to close your McKinsey cover letter in a professional manner. You may use the following closing examples:

• Best regards
• Respectfully
• Yours truly
• Most sincerely

Also, don’t forget to attach your signature in order to add sincerity to your McKinsey cover letter. If you’re uploading your letter on the Internet, consider creating a digital signature. Just sign a piece of clean, white paper, scan it, and crop the image down to the ideal size of your signature. This will help you stand out as a professional and technically-competent applicant.

Review Your Cover Letter

Before sending out your McKinsey cover letter, review its content and structure. If you know someone who is qualified and willing to check it for you, ask for his or her objective feedback. After reviewing the document, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is the content relevant and interesting enough to pique the interest of the recruiter?
• Does it convey the value I can contribute to the firm?
• Are my ideas or qualifications presented in a smooth and comprehensible manner?
• Does it look reader-friendly?
• Is it free from spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors?

If you answered “yes” to all of these questions, you can submit your McKinsey cover letter with your resume and other required documents.

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Applications

Applying to mckinsey & company: cvs, cover letters and interviews.

Jacky Barrett

24 Nov 2023, 22:30

The McKinsey application process consist of a CV and optional covering letter online application, a problem solving assessment and typically two rounds of interviews.

What to include in your McKinsey CV | Your covering letter | McKinsey experience interview | McKinsey case interview

What recruiters want to see in your McKinsey CV

McKinsey & Company requires an excellent academic record and evidence of leadership, which may be from workplace roles or extracurricular activities. Successful applicants will demonstrate an aptitude for analytics, an interest in business with an entrepreneurial instinct, and an enjoyment of teamwork and problem-solving. McKinsey suggests that you include all work experience, such as full-time jobs and internships, even if they are not in a related field.

CVs for McKinsey should communicate more about your work experience than just the day-to-day responsibilities you performed: McKinsey is interested in ‘why your work mattered’ and the changes you brought about. The firm is looking for evidence of impact, leadership, entrepreneurship, problem solving and an overall orientation towards achievement. Draw attention to positions of leadership and teamwork, especially where they reveal initiative, entrepreneurship or extraordinary commitment. But do not simply describe them: make your achievements, and how they demonstrate your strengths, clear.

Extracurricular involvement and participation in activities outside of university bode well with McKinsey and should be detailed in a similar fashion to your work experience. Strive to provide examples of responsibility in your extracurricular activities and to quantify to the impact of your achievements wherever possible.

Always use language that is clear to any reader; for example, if you are describing your final year engineering project or your university air squadron activities then try to limit any specialist descriptions and technical jargon.

• Find more tips to help with consulting CVs for job-seeking graduates

Optional but recommended: your cover letter for McKinsey and how to pitch it

Unlike the CV, you are not required to submit a cover letter; however, you may find it a way to strengthen your application.

The essential point to remember is to write a unique cover letter for every employer you apply to. McKinsey expects to receive a cover letter that has been constructed with them, and no other firm, in mind – recruiters will be able to tell. Starting from fresh ensures that you will not copy and paste in any other firm’s name, and that everything you include will be relevant, considered and carefully targeted towards McKinsey & Company.

McKinsey has previously stated that the cover letter is a good place to draw attention to:

• Distinctive elements of your application – such as a role as president of a student society: were you elected in favour of other candidates? Has this given you experience of leadership? Of teamwork? Of delivering presentations? Of handling financial spreadsheets? Have you organised events, and on what scale?
• Details regarding a reapplication – such as why you are now a stronger candidate.
• An unusual situation – such as dates you will be unavailable for interview.

You can use your cover letter to demonstrate an understanding of the role of the business analyst at McKinsey & Company, which will involve interviewing clients, delivering presentations, conducting desk research, analysing data and building financial models.

It’s a good idea to spend a paragraph detailing exactly why you want to work for McKinsey & Company in particular . You might like to focus on what differentiates it as an employer by mentioning, for instance, its Global Connect initiative, that provides opportunities to find roles abroad in emerging markets; this suggests McKinsey is committed to global opportunities – does this suit your ambitions? The firm also emphasises that it encourages entrepreneurial spirit in its employers: if relevant, you could pick up on this in your covering letter. It is important not to focus on the benefits the company offers and talk instead about the firm’s values and work.

The best cover letters explain not only why you want to work for that firm, but also why they want you to work for them. Link what you say about McKinsey and its business analyst role back to your own values, achievements, strengths and experiences. Recruiters read hundreds of cover letters: make it easy for them to see why you are different.

• Discover more on what consulting employers look for in covering letters

McKinsey interviews

Applicants usually face two rounds of interviews at McKinsey preceded by the Solve gamified online assessment. Upon passing Solve – for which McKinsey states that there is no need to prepare ­(although you can find FAQs and an informational video for Solve on the McKinsey website) – applicants are invited to the first round of interviews.

The first round comprises two hour-long interviews; both include a case study and personal experience question. See below for more detail on case and experience interview questions.

Applicants successful at this stage are invited to a second and final round of interviews. The final interview round consists of three separate interviews (sometimes four) with more senior members of staff . It is a half-day assessment that follows a similar structure to the first round of interviews and features two hour-long case and experience interviews in addition to an advanced case interview.

McKinsey experience interview

This is a discussion of the candidate's CV, particularly extracurricular activities or work experience that showcase soft skills required of a consultant. Ultimately the interviewer is looking for someone who is client-safe. It's a good idea to watch the video on the firm's website which talks through what candidates can expect from each type of interview, and gives advice on the best way to approach the questions.

It is important to remember that a lot of the interview should form a two-way conversation. The interviewers want to connect with you so it is important to engage with them, allowing them to get to know you. McKinsey relies on behavioural questions to assess candidate-fit. Previous McKinsey experience interview questions are reported to include:

• Describe a situation when you had to deal with a difficult team member.
• In terms of culture and fit, what are the three most important aspects of an organisation to you?
• Name a time you resolved a conflict.
• Share an example of when you effectively worked with people from different backgrounds.
• Tell me about an experience not included on your resume that you are most proud of.
• What extracurricular experience are you most proud of?

McKinsey case interview

This discussion of a typical McKinsey business case doesn't require client knowledge. Instead it demands the application of logic, estimation and quantitative skills to identify and process relevant data and use it to solve a commercial problem – the sort of work a McKinsey business analyst does every day. You can try a few examples on the firm's website, which also provides examples of the best responses for each question, and read our advice on case study interviews . Previous McKinsey case questions are reported to include:

• What is the future value of an investment in building a hospital with 'x' capital and 'y' internal rate of return?
• Should company 'x' grow the business or cut costs?

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Sample cover letter for Full Time position at mCKINSEY

I had read that Mckinsey regularly scouts talents to partner with in delivering value to its clients. This was further confirmed during a discussion with XXXXX, an associate at your firm. He shared some of his experiences in helping clients build new capabilities, improve efficiencies and enhance effectiveness especially in the challenging but budding African business environment. He further highlighted that Mckinsey leverages on knowledge to provide innovative and sustainable solutions for clients which aligns with my career goals and previous experience. This has thus reinforced my passion for this field and my entrepreneurial spirit. Therefore I am applying for a Associate Position at your firm.

As an engineer by training and based on my PhD experience, I believe that I possess strong analytical skills and problem solving skills enabling me break down critical issues in order to provide solutions to client’s challenges. This is evident in my work with XXXX, where I was responsible for developing a strategic plan to manage trading members of the XXXX. The deliverables (maintenance schedule and in house training manual) led to the achievement of a 50% drop in customer complaints, a 20% reduction in waste as well as a reduction in hiring costs.

In my work with the XXX, I have been privileged, in addition to teaching and research, to contribute to the growth of businesses through work with the consulting unit. The skills utilized here has prepared me for advanced business writing, conducting market research and analysing market behaviour. I am confident Mckinsey & Company will find my contribution to the organization valuable.

I enjoy working with teams and have held several leadership positions within my various activities. I have served as the Forum lead for the operations management research forum and co-chair of the PhD Colloquium. My team can attest to my ability to motivate people individually and collectively to work as a unit towards the common goal.

I believe my education, work experience and leadership abilities make me a strong candidate for the Consultant position. I am excited to learn more about the Mckinsey and look forward to the opportunity to discuss this position with you. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to meeting with you soon.

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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Junior Associate Cover Letter Examples & Writing Tips

Use these Junior Associate cover letter examples and writing tips to help you write a powerful cover letter that will separate you from the competition.

Table Of Contents

• Junior Associate Example 1
• Junior Associate Example 2
• Junior Associate Example 3
• Cover Letter Writing Tips

Junior associates are entry-level lawyers who work with more experienced attorneys to provide legal support. They may be responsible for conducting legal research, writing legal briefs, and assisting with trial preparations.

To land a job as a junior associate, you’ll need to write a cover letter that showcases your legal skills and experience. Check out the examples and tips below to learn how to write a cover letter that stands out.

Junior Associate Cover Letter Example 1

I am excited to be applying for the Junior Associate position at Topdown Consulting. I believe that my skills and experience would be a valuable addition to your team.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from ABC University and I have worked in various customer service and administrative roles over the past four years. I have experience working with clients and customers in a professional setting and I am confident that I have the skills necessary to be successful in this role.

I am proficient in MS Office, including Excel and Word, and I have experience using accounting software. I am a quick learner and I am confident that I can easily adapt to the software and systems used at Topdown Consulting.

I am a hard worker and I am motivated to learn and grow in my career. I am excited to be given the opportunity to work at Topdown Consulting and I am confident that I can contribute to your team and help you achieve your goals.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Junior Associate Cover Letter Example 2

I am writing in regards to the open Junior Associate position at your company. I am confident that I have the skills, experience, and drive to be a successful member of your team.

I have been working in the legal industry for the past three years and have gained a wealth of experience in the process. I have experience in all areas of law, and I am confident in my ability to provide your clients with the best possible legal representation. I am also well-versed in the latest technology and software used in the legal industry.

I am a hard-working and motivated individual who is always looking for new challenges and opportunities. I am confident that I have the skills and drive to be a successful member of your team. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications with you in further detail.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Junior Associate Cover Letter Example 3

I am writing to express my interest in the Junior Associate position that you have available. I believe that my experience and education make me a strong candidate for this position.

I graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Business Administration, concentrating in Marketing. My coursework focused on developing skills in strategic planning, marketing research, and business analysis. I also completed an internship at the XYZ Company where I gained valuable experience in the field of marketing.

My work experience has provided me with the opportunity to develop my communication and analytical skills. I have worked as a sales representative for the ABC Company where I was responsible for developing new accounts and maintaining existing accounts. I also worked as a marketing intern at the DEF Company where I assisted in developing a new product launch strategy.

I believe that my education and experience make me a strong candidate for this position. I am confident that my skills will allow me to contribute to your company’s success.

Junior Associate Cover Letter Writing Tips

1. showcase your legal skills.

When applying for a job as a junior associate, you need to show employers that you have the legal skills needed for the job. One way to do this is by providing specific examples of legal work you’ve done in the past. This could include writing briefs, conducting legal research, or preparing for court appearances.

If you have any awards or recognition for your legal work, be sure to mention them in your cover letter. This will show employers that you have the skills and experience needed to be successful in this role.

2. Customize your cover letter

Since junior associate jobs are highly competitive, you need to make sure your cover letter is customized for each job you apply to. To do this, read the job description carefully and highlight any skills or experience that match the requirements listed.

For example, if the job listing mentions that they’re looking for someone with excellent research skills, then be sure to mention any research projects you’ve done in the past. If you have any relevant volunteer work or internships, be sure to list them as well.

3. Show your commitment to the law

Employers want to hire junior associates who are passionate about the law and are committed to their career. One way to show your commitment to the law is by talking about why you decided to pursue a career in law. You can also highlight any extracurricular activities you’ve done in law school or during your time as an undergraduate.

4. Proofread your cover letter

Proofreading your cover letter is one of the most important steps in ensuring that you make a good impression on hiring managers. Make sure to spell-check and double-check that there are no errors in your resume or cover letter. Otherwise, you risk being disqualified from the job before they even see your qualifications.

Mail Sorter Cover Letter Examples & Writing Tips

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Role Descriptions

Business analyst, associate or junior associate, engagement manager or associate partner, summer associate, knowledge professional, specialist consulting roles, how to apply.

The first step to a career at McKinsey Malaysia is to prepare your application. Simply fill in our  online application form  and attach your cover letter, CV, and copies of your grades (secondary school and university). We will let you know whether you will be invited to take the McKinsey problem-solving test, the first step in our assessment process.

You may then be invited to interview with us. An interview is an opportunity to find out whether McKinsey is the right choice for you and to get an understanding of what consultants do and the kinds of problems we solve.

Learn more about the  interview process .

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