You’re applying to the world’s top consulting firm. In 2017, McKinsey attracted 750,000 applicants. That’s about the population of Seattle.
Of those applicants, how many do you think were successful?
Less than one percent.
To become that one-percenter, your application doesn’t just have to be good. It can’t even be great.
It has to be on fire. And a resume alone won’t do the trick.
You need a red-hot McKinsey cover letter. One that’ll get you an interview faster than you can say entrepreneurial drive and leadership abilities.
This guide will show you:
A cover letter McKinsey will love starts with one thing.
A highly effective template.
Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. See 20+ cover letter templates and create your cover letter here. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.
Sample cover letter for a resume—See more cover letter examples and create your cover letter here.
Here's one you can adapt to your own needs:
Ting Huang
403 Argonne Street
Newark, DE 19711
302-309-5387
10/03/2019
William Akers
Three World Trade Center
175 Greenwich St
New York, NY 10007
Dear William,
I am writing to apply for the Associate position at McKinsey & Company, Silicon Valley. I am confident your clients will be able to benefit from my unique skill set to help solve their complex challenges. My Ph.D. at Princeton on Linking Strategy with Inter‐Organisational Relationships has given me deep insights into contemporary business trends like globalization, vertical disintegration, the reduction in supplier bases, and the focusing of operations and outsourcing of non-core activities. This specialist knowledge will be an invaluable contribution to McKinsey’s specific practice teams.
In the pursuit of my doctorate, I have published three articles in the Academy of Management Annals on the topic of strategic planning and supply chain management. In a summer internship with BCG I was tasked with delivering creative solutions to a client’s corporate travel spend. This involved moving disparate procedures within different teams and offices into a single online solution that has resulted in annual savings of $1M+ and a weekly reduction of 50 hours in human resources. McKinsey’s clients look for tangible results and savings and I intend to deliver such value as an Associate.
Working as a McKinsey Associate would be the ultimate achievement for me. My experience and academic record has had the objective of developing the exceptional analytical and quantitative problem-solving skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment that are non-negotiables for McKinsey. This position is a perfect match for my laser focused and data driven mindset and my absolute commitment to a powerful esprit de corps.
I would relish the chance to meet you to discuss how I can help to solve the most difficult business challenges such as leveraging my specialist knowledge of omnichannel integration to improve supply chain efficiency. I’d be delighted to demonstrate how my academic and professional pursuit of excellence in management consultancy can help McKinsey deliver the best to it’s blue chip clientele.
Sincerely,
Ting Huang
P.S. I’d also be delighted to show you how my commitment to creativity and entrepreneurial spirit won me the Santos-Dumont Prize at Princeton for my project on standardized ERP systems.
That’s a cover letter for McKinsey that’ll get you to the top of the consulting tree in no time.
Read on and we’ll explain why.
We’ve also got a more general guide for careers in consultancy: Consulting Cover Letter: Example & Writing Guide
Considering similar positions too? See other cover letter examples for jobs in your industry:
Want to explore your options further? See our full selection of cover letter examples for every career: Best Cover Letter Examples
1
A McKinsey cover letter is a formal letter proving you understand the McKinsey culture and showing why want this specific job. It should focus on presenting relevant achievements.
But—
Your cover letter is going to be one of hundreds. Recruiters need a way of sorting the wheat from the chaff.
The fastest way to do this? Immediately delete any cover letter that doesn’t have the basic formatting right.
Here’s how to stop that happening:
Now let’s get writing.
For more detailed information on cover letter formatting see our guide: How to Format a Cover Letter for a Resume
2
This might seem obvious but you’re applying for McKinsey. You need perfection from the outset.
Remember, eye-tracking studies prove the top left of the page is the first thing people look at. So get this first impression right.
Start you McKinsey cover letter header with:
You can also add:
Let’s put theory into practice:
| right |
|---|
Ting Huang 403 Argonne Street Newark, DE 19711 302-309-5387
10/03/2019
William Akers Three World Trade Center 175 Greenwich St New York, NY 10007 |
Need some pointers? Check out our guide: How to Write a Cover Letter Heading
3
What would you think if you received a letter addressed To Whom It May Concern?
Impersonal, lazy. Heck, even downright spammy.
You wouldn’t accept this and neither will the hiring manager at McKinsey. If you don’t make it personal then you may as well not bother applying at all.
It’s essential to find out their name and use it. This is a powerful strategy that actually activates the reader’s brain in a powerfully unique way.
| RIGHT |
|---|
| Dear William Shatner, |
| WRONG |
|---|
Dear Sir or Madam, |
Remember, McKinsey is a conservative and traditional company. Use both first name and surname. For more relaxed workplaces just first name will do.
A whopping 84% of job seekers don’t bother to personalize the job application. The 16% that do are already ahead of the game.
What if you really can’t find the hiring manager’s name? Don’t sweat it, you can still make a smart and attention grabbing choice.
Try these:
Snap. That’s the sound of the reader’s attention being switched on.
You’ve made the salutation specific to the job being applied for and avoided the slumber inducing “To Whom It May Concern.”
Learn how to find the hiring manager’s name in our guide: How & to Whom You Should Address Your Cover Letter
4
You’ve hooked them with your salutation. Now you need an opening paragraph to your successful McKinsey cover letter.
Before you begin, get yourself in the McKinsey mindset. You’ve got to be Type A and you’re in it to win it.
You’re a unique and powerful individual at the absolute pinnacle of achievement. A king of consulting.
You there? Good. Let’s begin with a McKinsey cover letter sample for a Ph.D. graduate applicant.
| WRONG |
|---|
| I am writing to apply for the Associate position at McKinsey & Company, Silicon Valley. I believe I am an excellent candidate because of my proven ability to implement practical improvements, my capabilities in problem-solving, high-level communication skills and strong leadership profile. |
You hear that sound? That’s the sound of your cover letter being balled up and tossed in the trash.
This is dull, derivative and feels stock standard. Everything McKinsey isn’t.
| RIGHT |
|---|
| I am writing to apply for the Associate position at McKinsey & Company, Silicon Valley. Your clients will be able to benefit from my unique skill set to help solve their complex challenges. My Ph.D. at Princeton on Linking Strategy with Inter‐Organisational Relationships has given me deep insights into contemporary business trends like globalization, vertical disintegration, the reduction in supplier bases, the focusing of operations and outsourcing of non-core activities. This specialist knowledge will be an invaluable contribution to McKinsey’s specific practice teams. |
Much better. At McKinsey, it isn’t enough to just have an Ivy League business degree. The competition is brutal.
Here the applicant has highly specialized knowledge at a Ph.D. level. It's the crème de la crème achievement you need to turbocharge your McKinsey cover letter.
What’s more, it shows insight and focuses on McKinsey’s needs.
But what if you don’t have a terminal degree? Don’t sweat. But you’ll still need to start your McKinsey cover letter in style.
You’ll need to highlight significant achievements in your opening paragraph. Here are some ideas.
Pro Tip: McKinsey has a global staffing model. You could highlight prestigious international experience or fluency in foreign languages. Think fluency in Mandarin with a summer internship at Deutsche Bank Shanghai.
Find out more here: How to Begin a Cover Letter so the Hiring Manager Wants More
5
We’re not kidding. For McKinsey, you’ve got to be perfect. Or at least give a damn good impression of perfection.
But wait. There’s a trap.
Don’t just rehash your resume in this part of your cover letter. Kick it up a notch by showing how you can help McKinsey. See how:
| RIGHT |
|---|
| In the pursuit of my doctorate, I have published three articles in the Academy of Management Annals on the topic of strategic planning and supply chain management. More specialist knowledge for the strategic planning team. In a summer internship with BCG I was tasked with delivering creative solutions to a client’s corporate travel spend. This involved moving disparate procedures within different teams and offices into a single online solution that has resulted in annual savings of $1M+ and a weekly reduction of 50 hours in human resources. McKinsey’s clients look for tangible results and savings and I intend to deliver such value as an Associate. |
See what this does? This is top-notch experience. It includes quantifiable results and just like the example says it delivers value to McKinsey.
| WRONG |
|---|
| My work experience includes a summer internship at BCG. My duties included assessing business strategies of clients, including analysis of working capital, process workflows, financial inefficiency, and new business opportunities. I also provided advisory services in making decisions on mergers, acquisitions, and other financial opportunities. |
It’s ok, but it won’t make the person reading it sit up and say “There’s our new associate!”
(What’s more, it reads like a rewrite of a resume experience section.)
Remember, McKinsey values specialization and moves consultants into specific practices early on. With the first cover letter example they’re already planning what team to assign you to.
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
6
What else does McKinsey need in a candidate? It’s more than the sum of your experience and education.
It wants commitment, engagement and focus. McKinsey’s work culture has been described as a religion due to the sheer ruthless commitment its consultants have to company values.
And the firm is famed for it’s “up and out” policy where if you don’t get promoted within a certain amount of time after joining, you’re out.
With McKinsey you have to get this right. So in your McKinsey cover letter body:
The McKinsey cover letter sample below shows how:
| RIGHT |
|---|
| Working as a McKinsey Associate would be the ultimate achievement for me. My experience and academic record has had the objective of developing the exceptional analytical and quantitative problem-solving skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment that are non-negotiables for McKinsey. This position is a perfect match for my laser focused and data driven mindset and my absolute commitment to a powerful esprit de corps. |
That put upon junior consultant? They’re paying attention now.
You’ve demonstrated understanding of both the job requirements and the corporate culture. And you’ve shown real motivation.
| WRONG |
|---|
| I am fully committed to McKinsey and its corporate goals. Seeking to leverage my experience to excel in the role of associate with McKinsey. |
This one doesn’t work. It’s too generic and feels like you didn’t even read the job description.
Pro Tip: McKinsey loves buzzwords. Their big 3 are structure, credibility, and credentials. Keep them in mind when writing your successful McKinsey cover letter.
7
Your McKinsey cover letter is shaping up nicely.
Incredible introduction? Check.
Demonstration of a superior skill set? Check.
Explaining how you want this job? You’ve hit the ball out of the park.
Now it’s time to go in for the kill. Make an offer that’ll land you the interview.
| RIGHT |
|---|
| I would relish the chance to meet you to discuss how I can help to solve the most difficult business challenges such as leveraging my specialist knowledge of omnichannel integration to improve supply chain efficiency. I’d be delighted to demonstrate how my academic and professional pursuit of excellence in management consultancy can help McKinsey deliver the best to it’s blue chip clientele. |
This McKinsey cover letter example seals the deal. It shows a true understanding of McKinsey’s goals and how you can help to achieve them.
That mention of specialist knowledge and savings? Just the sort of thing McKinsey wants from its associates.
| WRONG |
|---|
| I look forward to discussing this role further with you in an interview. Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. |
Use this and you’ll only be consulting unemployment. It’s generic and shows no understanding of either McKinsey or the role.
Need more tips for ending your McKinsey cover letter? See our guide: How to End a Cover Letter: Complete Guide
8
No, not “P.S. I love you.” That’s sweet, but it won’t help here.
This is a little known strategy that could be the final piece in the puzzle.
Those two letters. P.S. They’re a surefire attention grabber. That junior consultant is guaranteed to keep reading.
P.S. I’d also be delighted to show you how my commitment to creativity and entrepreneurial spirit won me the Santos-Dumont Prize at Princeton for my project on standardized ERP systems.
Snap. That’s a prestigious award from a prestigious university. Innovation? Commitment? That’s McKinsey catnip right there.
Who wouldn’t want to get to meet you to know more?
P.S. Don’t forget to use the right formal closing for your letter before you use this trick. You know the drill. A Best Regards, Sincerely or Kind Regards will do nicely.
You see. The P.S. trick works!
Pro Tip: How long should a cover letter be? Short. One page, no exceptions. Three paragraphs are best. The first set of eyes to see it will be a junior consultant who has to review tons of cover letters. They won’t read more.
Writing a McKinsey cover letter doesn’t have to be hard. Just remember these lessons-learned:
Want more advice on how to craft a perfect McKinsey cover letter? Ask away in the comments below. We’d love to help.
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