This cover letter looks like everybody else's cover letter. It makes me sleepy. A hiring manager will feel the same way. Get rid of all redundancies and things everyone else says. That means you have 3 or 4 sentences to make an impact. In this job market, any longer is going to get you shelved. In a job market where every sought after IB position gets 100-200 apps, put yourself in the HR person's shoes. He wants focused, and not to read too much. What works in a tight labor market simply won't pass in this one. Think "Vanilla Cover letter (which your example is)=Politically Correct", and "Politically Correct=Undifferentiated=Failure." Thus, "Vanilla Cover Letter = Failure"
thanks. the value i bring is that i am willing to work for a minimum stiped, long hours if the opportunity is right.. >how do i relay this in a cover letter without sounding trash?
Most of your competition is willing to do that. That's not a way to differentiate yourself in this market. You have to find something else that is worth talking about. Talk about past results. This is proof that you can actually accomplish and contribute. ie, who cares if you are willing to work 80 hours if you can't find the standard deviation of your butt.
true.. the only thing that makes me "different" i do speak fluent Brazilian Portuguese and from what i understand there is some growth there i find it difficult to believe that there are no PE/HF that need someone that understands the language and culture of Brazil. I may be marginal compared to Ivy leaguers, but the crop is more thin for Brazilians, (i assume/hope). unfortunately I have searched all the job boards using the key word "Portuguese" and there is nothing.. why cant i work as a FX dealer brokering the REAL??? or in research.. !
Ok - You are a BRIC strategist..... Latin American equity analyst Global Macro with a specialty in latin american equities, commodity stocks, etc.... If you play it like that, maybe it'll work. But it doesnt sound like you have actual work experience.. so good luck... And yes, i like craigslist, its just i noticed a drop in the number of callbacks from people who post jobs myself..
Need CFA / MBA to help get in the door for research if you don't already have connections. But the BRIC angle should help you.
Agreed, If I was fluent in Portuguese, I would be tapping Brasilian Bunda all over SP and trading on the The Bovespa. Unfortunately the OP will probably post the same retarded questions on a Bovesa trading board!
Its a lose lose battle if you mention anything about salary up front. Even if they ask you what your salary requirements are then you kindly and tastefully tell them that you generally do not discuss that until towards the later stages of the interview process. If pressed for an answer, then give them a range instead of an exact answer stating that you are negotiable within that range. If you give them an exact amount up front, then you will not be able to change it later on. You are basically getting roped into a certain amount of cash. As well, if the topic during the initial interviews seems to be about money then thats what the employer will think you are coming to them for. You are not really interested in the job, working for them or the team, but you are interested in a salary only. Its like talking about sex on the first date. If you start talking about sex on the first date then the woman will get the impression thats all the date is about. You just want sex from them just like the employer will think all you want is a paycheck. Big turnoff. When discussing money, its always best to discuss towards the end of the process rather then the start. You negotiate salary at the end when they are ready to hire you and not before even if they ask you directly then kindly tell them no.
I once had an interview with a huge bank where they had a form that asked me what my desired salary was. I put 1 mil a year, because that's what I really desired. The HR guy thought I was a nutcase, but they made an offer to me anyway. Competence is what counts. (Incidentally, they didn't give me 1mil a year. Was around 145k/year.)