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Investment Banking Cover Letter: Examples & Templates (2024)

04/05/2024

Investment Banking Cover Letter: Examples & Templates (2024)

You can raise money in capital markets and drive mergers that bond at the atomic level. Use this investment banking cover letter sample to get your job search in bull territory.

Tom Gerencer, CPRW

Career Writer at ResumeLab

This investment banking cover letter sample will leverage you to “hired.” Why does it work so well?

It’s quick, clean, and it draws eyeballs like an exponential earnings graph. It grabs the reader with one key fact, then keeps them reading while you sell your highlights. Do it well, and you’ll come off like Ken Griffin or Jamie Dimon.

In this article, you’ll get:

Two sample investment banking cover letters: one for experienced and one for entry-level investment banking jobs.
Steps to write a Goldman Sachs-level cover letter for investment banking.
A template for investment banking cover letters with massive ROI.

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Looking for other cover letter examples for positions in accounting and finances? See:

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Good Cover Letter Examples.

Let’s start with two great cover letter examples for investment banking jobs:

1. Investment Banking Cover Letter Examples

Meet Thomas. He’s an unemployed investment banker. He’s got Scrooge McDuck-sized piles of experience. He just stayed up ‘til 3 am, staring at the job boards. And—

He found a great job with the full package—flex time, benefits, the works. He’ll get in the Morgan Stanley-zone with this investment banking cover letter sample:

Example #1: Experienced Investment Banking Cover Letter

Example #1: Experienced Investment Banking Cover Letter—Text version

Thomas May

Investment Banking Analyst

1425 Upton Avenue

Brunswick, ME 04011

thomaszmay@gmail.com

linkedin.com/thomaszmay

11/14/19

Renee Nava

General Manager

Silver Grass Investments

4486 Fantages Way

Brunswick, ME 04011

Dear Ms. Nava,

Facilitating the $3.5B acquisition of a publicly-traded company was hard work and a big achievement. It's one of the key reasons I'm applying for your investment banking analyst position at Silver Grass Investments. Your commitment and success in growing client wealth is well-known in the field and fits my passions.

I know from your ad that you're seeking an investment banking professional skilled in financial modeling, collaboration, and building strong networks. I think these accomplishments will put me in the picture:

Financial Modeling: Used financial modeling to uncover that a major client was 20% undervalued in a buy-side deal.
Collaboration: Collaborated with deal team to facilitate $3.5B acquisition.
Network-building: Built network of 50+ highly trusted contacts, both internal and external.

I'd love to speak with you soon about how my transactional experience and skills in qualitative analysis can help SGI meet its goal of value creation driven by operational and strategic discipline.

Best Regards,

Thomas May, Investment Banking Analyst

PS—I can also provide insights on how my pitching strategy resulted in 33% signup from 20+ multinational companies.

With that sample cover letter for investment banking jobs, Thomas looks like a 1000% bull run.

But what if you can't boast achievements like these? Don’t worry. An investment banking cover letter with no experience just needs a different approach.

It just so happens, SGI also needs an entry-level investment banking pro. A recent graduate and hopeful job seeker named Alice Strock just stumbled across their job posting. She’s fresh out of uni and still wet behind the ears. But she really wants to work for SGI.

This sample cover letter for an investment banking position drops the team leader’s jaw:

Example #2: Entry-Level Investment Banking Cover Letter

entry-level investment banking cover letter example

Example #2: Entry-Level Investment Banking Cover Letter—Text version

Alice Strock

Investment Banking Analyst

207-844-2280

alicezstrock@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/alicezstrock

11/14/19

Renee Nava

General Manager

Silver Grass Investments

4486 Fantages Way

Brunswick, ME 04011

Dear Ms. Nava,

I'm thrilled you're looking for an entry-level investment banking analyst at Silver Grass Investments. During my summer internship at Goldman Sachs, I identified a $10M deal, then facilitated its LBO. That was thrilling, but a full-time position at SGI would let me grow my already robust skills.

I know SGI is looking for an investment banking analyst skilled in analyzing statements and performing due diligence. At Goldman Sachs, my statement analyses allowed the team to restore $7.2M in profits to a client whose revenue had flatlined. I also optimized the due diligence process for an LBO of $5M.

I'd be excited to connect with you about this opportunity, to share how my skills in MATLAB and Excel-based portfolio analysis can help.

Best Regards,

Alice Strock, Investment Banking Analyst

Alice shows her assets with that investment banking cover letter sample.

Remember—your resume is critical. See our guide: Investment Banking Resume Sample & Guide

2. How to Write a Cover Letter for Investment Banking Jobs Step by Step (Template)

Let’s get you a Ray Dalio-level investment banking cover letter. Here’s how to write a cover letter for investment banking jobs:

1. Start With the Best Investment Banking Cover Letter Format

A hasty pitch will get you nowhere. Pay the same attention to your cover letter format as you would a major pitch. Here’s how to format an investment banking cover letter:

Use the 3-paragraph layout—with bullet points or without.
Set your margins at one inch.
Left-align all parts of your cover letter and single-space your lines.
Write a 1-page cover letter.
Use the same cover letter font in your resume.

Expert Hint: The Best Book on Investment Banking Careers says cover letters are a necessary evil. You need one, but unless it’s brilliant the hiring team won’t read it. But—if they spot a typo in it or poor writing quality, you could lose the interview. Proofread!

2. List the Right Contact Info in Your Cover Letter Heading

You don’t want a shabby investment banking cover letter. Yours must stand out like a suit by 6 Avenue Tailors. That starts at the top.

See this cover letter sample for investment banking jobs:

Investment Banking Cover Letter Example Template: Heading

[Your Name]

[Title]

[Phone Number]

[Email]

[Online Portfolio]

[LinkedIn Profile]

[Date]

[Hiring Manager Name]

[Title]

[Company]

[Address]

[City, State, Zip]

Use the same contact info layout in your resume for continuity’s sake.

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3. Introduce Yourself and Cite the Job Title

In a great business presentation, your first task is to frame your story. That means starting strong—with something they’ll take note of.

The best attention-getter? Address your cover letter with the hiring manager’s name. Then drop your biggest ice-breaker. Use this template:

Investment Banking Cover Letter Sample: Paragraph #1

Dear [Manager’s Name],

[Big investment Banking Milestone You Attained] was hard work and a big achievement. It's one of the key reasons I'm applying for your investment banking analyst position at [Company Name]. Your commitment and success in [Key Company Goal] is well known in the field and fits my passions.

Did you notice that cover letter for investment banking jobs puts the job title right up top? That’s J.P. Morgan-ready. Now, if youre just starting out...

In an entry-level investment banking cover letter with no experience, use facts like:

A positive press release or news item about the firm
A high point from your schooling or internship
Something you love about the company
A referral from inside the company—referrals are job search gold!

Plus—use “Ms.” instead of “Miss” or “Mrs.” to stay professional.

Expert Hint: A study in The Journal of Finance reveals some shocking information. MBAs who experienced down stock markets during schooling are less likely to apply for Wall Street jobs. Yet those who do, make substantially more money. If you graduated after a crash, go against the tide and head to the Street. You’ll have less competition and ensure high earnings.

4. List Investment Banking Skills & Accomplishments from the Ad

In the book, Driven, investment banking guru Joel Litman points out that “It’s easier to ride a wave than storm a beach head.”

Don’t try to make them need what you have. Show you have what they need.

Fine-tune your cover letter to fit the investment banking job you want. In the second paragraph, show fitting investment banking accomplishments. (The bullet points are optional.) See this example:

Example Cover Letter for Investment Banking: Paragraph #2

I know from your ad that you're seeking an investment banking professional skilled in [3 Investment Banking Skills They Want]. I think these accomplishments will put me in the picture:

[Investment Banking Skill #1]. [Milestone #1]
[Investment Banking Skill #2]. [Milestone #2]
[Investment Banking Skill #3]. [Milestone #3]

Expert Hint: A study in The Journal of Finance proved top-tier investment banking pros with large skill sets realize $65M in additional gains per client. If you’ve got a deep investment banking skill set, show the evidence in your cover letter for investment banking jobs. That’ll give you leverage during salary negotiation time.

5. Ask for an Interview

Your cover letter for investment banking jobs is a pitch. That means it needs a call-to-action. At the end of your cover letter, ask them for the interview. But—

Sweeten it a little with your value. Here’s a sample investment banking cover letter closing:

Sample Cover Letter for Investment Banking Jobs: Call to Action

I'd love to speak with you soon about how my [2 More Skills They Need] can help [Company Name] meet its goal of [Quote from Company’s Mission Statement].

Best Regards,

[Digital Signature]

[Full Name, Title]

[Phone Number]

[Email]

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Key Points

To write a cover letter for investment banking jobs:

Format your investment banking cover letter like a professional business letter.
Use the hiring team manager’s name.
Tell them what job you are applying for.
Break the ice in your first paragraph.
In paragraph #2, list investment banking achievements.
End the investment banking cover letter with a CTA.

Do you have questions about writing investment banking cover letters? Need to learn more writing cover letters? Let’s chat in the comments section. And thanks for reading!

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