How do I Write a Financial Analyst Cover Letter?

Guidelines for a financial analyst cover letter consist of including relevant educational experience that enhances your financial background as well as professional experience in an appealing and easy to read format. Hiring managers are looking for intelligent financial analysts who can clearly explain why they want to work for a company. Your cover letter is one of the ways you can convey this message to potential employers.

When applying for a financial analyst job, you usually submit a resume and a financial analyst cover letter. The cover letter should begin by stating your interest in the position. Next, you should detail your educational background, making sure to include the type of bachelor's degree you have and which institution granted you the degree. Some financial analysts will include a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree in the education portion of their cover letter and explain why their MBA qualifies them for a certain financial analyst position.

If it pertains to you, you should include the fact that you have special certification in the field. Most financial analysts will have obtained their Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification before applying for a financial analyst job. Find a way to tie in your certification to a particular qualification listed in the job description. For example, if the job description mentions that the potential financial analyst must be able to perform derivative analysis, you can point to your CFA certification as proof of your skills.

Financial hiring managers will want to know how many years of experience in the field you have. Make sure to include how many years of experience you have as a financial analyst and for what sort of companies you worked for, whether they were large and well-known firms or smaller boutique firms. Your financial analyst cover letter may stand out from the rest if you include a specific example of how you exceeded company goals during your time at a previous company. Company hiring managers also love to see examples of successful leadership experiences in submitted cover letters.

Before you finish your financial analyst cover letter, it is vitally important to state exactly why you wish to work for the financial firm. Whether it's because the firm has proven to be successful in the past or because it is known to attract industry movers and shakers, hiring managers want to see that you have properly researched their company. They also like to see that you have thought about how you could best contribute to its goals.