Congratulations! You have finished writing your resume and are ready to apply for the position of a financial analyst.
Your resume demonstrates all the skills an expert financial analyst should have, such as outstanding analytic and problem-solving skills, good technical skills, proficiency in spreadsheets, databases, and financial software applications, as well as strong communication and presentation skills.
You can’t wait to send out your resume!
We get it. But don't send it yet - your job application isn't ready yet.
Your perfect financial analyst resume needs an equally impressive cover letter.
Let us help. Here you are going to learn:
► how to write a perfect financial analyst cover letter that actually gets read by employers
► how to format a cover letter to stand out among the rest
► what to do before you send your cover letter
Additionally, you’ll get a word-for-word cover letter template. Just replace some of the keywords, and your cover letter will be ready in no time.
>> Download a resume pack for your next job application. Cover letter template included! <<
How to Write a Perfect Cover Letter?
A cover letter should complement the content of your resume.
In a concise, straightforward way, you should put your skills and experience in the context of the job you’d like to apply for and convince the employer that you are the best candidate out there. But be careful, you'll only have 250 to 300 words to do so.
Considering the limited space, a cover letter is not just a place to duplicate content from your resume.
Instead, you should:
build your brand and position yourself as an expert in the field to add value to your application
express things that cannot be added to a resume, such as your motivation for the application, the story behind your most impressive achievements or the reasons why you want to work for this company.
A cover letter allows you to build your brand, position yourself as an expert, add value to your application and express things that cannot be added to a resume, such as your motivation for applying, the story behind your most impressive achievements or the reasons why you want to work for this company.
To do so, here is a proven structure that should be followed:
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1. Greeting
Start with a greeting.
It may look like a minor detail, but this part sets the tone of your cover letter. Hence, it can easily be a deal-breaker. Make sure you do it right.
Greetings to avoid: Do not use obsolete, unnatural and over-used greetings such as ‘To Whom It May Concern’ or ‘Dear Sir or Madam’. Some hiring managers immediately stop reading a cover letter if they see one of those two phrases, so avoid them.
Address personally: Try to address your letter to the hiring manager directly. If no name is listed with the posting, use LinkedIn to find out the department director, recruiter, or other contact associated with the position.
Or: If you can't find a name, start the letter with ‘Dear Hiring Manager’ or ‘Dear XYZ Team’. (Insert the department you'd work at instead of the XYZ.)
But don’t: Don’t combine too many options starting your cover letter with ‘Dear Sir/Madam/Hiring Manager/Mister/Miss’. It makes you look unconfident and indecisive.
2. Opening paragraph
Grab the reader's attention with your opening paragraph. This sentence should provide immediate insight into the value you can bring to the company.
To make it right, in one or two sentences:
tell them who you are
summarize your experience
and express your enthusiasm for the role.
For example, you could start by saying:
As a financial analyst with four years of experience in financial planning and corporate finance, I was excited to see your advertisement for a financial analyst position in your company.
The sentence above is more informative and grabs attention more effectively than:
I am writing to apply for the financial analyst role advertised on the XYZ job board.
Writing an informative and specific opening sentence will set you apart from other applicants.
3. Body
Spoiler alert: This is where you win employers over!
This is the most important part of your cover letter.
It consists of two to three short paragraphs where you answer two main questions:
What experience, skills and knowledge do you have that is, of course, relevant to the job?
How do your experience, skills and knowledge add value to the company you want to work for and to the job you are applying for?
Showing that you have researched the company is vital in this section.
Demonstrate your knowledge of the organization's current situation and how your background, interests, and experience can contribute or help them resolve problems. The best way to do this is by highlighting your achievements, as they are the best proof of your abilities.
When describing achievements, do the following
Include numbers. Metrics effectively grab attention and make it easier for readers to understand the impact of your actions. So, let the numbers speak for themselves.
Put the spotlight on your achievements by creating a short, bulleted list of two to three key achievements. Visually, this will draw attention to this part of your cover letter.
So, instead of this:
I have identified opportunities for financial status improvement in all my previous roles, which in turn has increased the revenues and profits of my employers. I want to bring the same success to the financial analyst position you have posted on your Website.
Write this:
As a Financial Analyst, I have recommended and implemented new systems and policies and identified cost reduction opportunities resulting in:
Improved competitive position and increased profit by 21%, from $2 million in 2018 to $2.42 million in 2019
Reduced material costs by 17%, from $1.1 million in 2018 to $913 thousand in 2019
Considering that XYZ company is currently looking for an experienced financial analyst to support the future expansion, based on my previous experience, I am confident that I can contribute to the future growth of XYZ as a financial analyst.
And that's how you create an exciting cover letter that employers actually read.
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4. Closing paragraph
In the closing paragraph, summarize what you've written.