A financial analyst cover letter is a brief professional document typically submitted alongside your resume to highlight your qualifications and motivation when applying for a job. You should use it to emphasize your professional experiences and notable abilities, like data analysis, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to write a financial analyst application letter or cover letter that grabs attention and lands job interviews. You’ll learn how to craft a document that will help you stand out from the competition and get you one step closer to employment.
Let’s dive in!
Key Takeaways
A business letter format is the best one to use for an analyst cover letter.
Your letter should be one page long and written to demonstrate your drive and motivation in addition to your skills and experiences.
An introductory paragraph should hook the reader with your most impressive accomplishments or valuable skills.
Include a call to action toward the end to increase the chances recruiters review your resume or invite you for a job interview.
Make sure that your cover letter’s format, layout, and content match your resume.
How to Format a Financial Analyst Cover Letter
You should follow a business letter format when crafting your financial analyst cover letter. This is a typical format used for business correspondence, as it comes with an established structure, helping it convey information in a straightforward manner.
Here’s how you should organize the sections of your cover letter when following a business letter format:
Cover Letter Format Guidelines
Contact information
Salutation
Introductory paragraph
Main body with key qualifications
Motivation for applying
Closing paragraph
Conclusion and sign-off
On top of a professional format, your cover letter should also have a visually appealing layout. Here are some tips that can help you achieve that:
Cover Letter Layout
Your cover letter should be one page long, with 3–5 paragraphs and 250–400 words.
A professional font for your cover letter (e.g., Arial or Times New Roman) will enhance its readability.
Font size should be 10–12 pt.
Margins should be at least 1 inch on all sides.
Line spacing should be 1.0 or 1.15, with an additional line between paragraphs.
Now that you know how to format your cover letter and design a strong layout, you can create a perfect letter from scratch. However, if you want to save a lot of time and avoid making critical cover letter mistakes, you can use our cover letter builder.
We developed a specialized tool that comes with cover letter examples, templates, and presets you can use for your document. You can simply pick a template, customize it to your liking, input your information, and download a submission-ready document!
Financial Analyst Cover Letter: 7 Essential Elements
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write a financial analyst cover letter that goes through each section individually. To help you follow along and visualize the document, we’ve prepared this infographic:
#1. Contact Information
You should add contact information to your cover letter header. This concise section should outline your and the recipient’s contact details and the date of writing.
Start with your contact information, and list the following:
Mandatory Details
Name
Job title
Phone number
Email address
You can add optional details, like your mailing address and LinkedIn profile. Following that, you want to date the letter and finish with the recipient’s contact information.
Here’s an example:
Good Example
Michael Newman
Financial Analyst
1699 Station Street
Oakland, CA 94609
510-985-6070
michaelnewman@example.com Oakland, 12/11/2024 Mai Rivera
Hiring Manager
Crestline Capital
2345 Lindale Avenue
Oakland, CA 94612
#2. Salutation
The salutation should be cordial, professional, and personal. The key is to address the reader by their name. This builds rapport with the recruiter right from the get-go and shows that you’re not submitting a generic cover letter.
Here’s what that looks like in an example:
Good Example
Dear Ms. Rivera,
You should avoid universal openings, like “To Whom It May Concern,” as they sound too impersonal. Instead, research the company to find the name of the recruiter. Alternatively, if you can’t find the name, you can address the recipient by their department or job title.
#3. Introduction
An introductory paragraph is your financial analyst cover letter’s elevator pitch. In a couple of sentences, you want to state the position you’re after, how much experience you have, and one or two of your most impressive and relevant achievements.
Let’s see that in an example:
Good Example
I am excited to apply for the Financial Analyst position at Crestline Capital. With over five years of experience and a proven track record of helping companies increase their annual revenue by up to 1.3M, I am confident in my ability to contribute to your organization.
If you’re looking to become a financial analyst intern and have no professional history, you should mention your key financial analyst skills and academic accomplishments.
#4. Skills, Qualifications, & Experiences
The central part of your financial analyst cover letter should be about your skills, qualifications, and experiences relevant to the role you’re applying for. You want to showcase your biggest strengths and most notable results obtained in previous jobs to demonstrate how you will perform as a member of the organization you wish to join.
Here’s an example:
Good Example
In my previous role at Hilltop Investment, I led a company-wide cost optimization initiative to reduce expenses by 19%, contributing to $950,000 in annual savings. Furthermore, I provided financial guidance to business clients to assist their decision-making, contributing to a 13% growth on average.
If you’re a junior financial analyst who doesn’t yet have many accomplishments in the field of financial analysis, you can always leverage related efforts. This includes your internship, academic achievements, extracurricular activities, volunteer experience, etc.
#5. Motivation for Applying
One of the easiest ways to get ahead of the competition is to demonstrate authentic motivation for the job you’re after. Show that you’re after more than a paycheck and that you are genuinely invested in the company by mentioning something specific about their work, team, culture, or values.
Here’s a good example of what that can look like:
Good Example
I am particularly drawn to Crestline Capital due to your continuous efforts to break into emerging markets and uncover hidden opportunities while maintaining fiscal discipline.
#6. Call to Action
A call to action in a cover letter is a simple but powerful piece of writing you can use to elicit a response from recruiters. You should include it toward the end of your letter after thanking the recruiter for reviewing your application. Use it to draw attention to your financial analyst resume or to suggest they invite you for an interview.
Let’s see that in an example:
Good Example
Thank you for considering my application. I am eager to discuss further in an interview how my skills and experiences align with your needs and goals.
#7. Conclusion & Sign-Off
The conclusion and sign-off should match your salutation by being short and polite. A simple closing statement followed by your name is enough to end your cover letter.
Here’s an example:
Good Example
Sincerely,
Michael Newman
Financial Analyst Cover Letter Examples
Let’s put everything that we’ve learned so far into practice and take a look at two complete examples of a financial analyst cover letter:
Experienced Financial Analyst Cover Letter
Here’s an example of what a typical cover letter for a senior financial analyst should look like:
Entry-Level Financial Analyst Cover Letter
Here’s an example of a financial analyst cover letter with no experience written by a professional applying for an entry-level position:
Financial Analyst Cover Letter Tips & Strategies
Let’s wrap up this comprehensive guide on writing a financial analyst cover letter with several expert tips that will help you make it perfect:
Quantify your achievements. As a financial analyst, you know the power the numbers hold. By adding them next to your accomplishments and results, you make them concrete in the eyes of the recruiter and much more likely to grab their attention.
Match your cover letter to your resume. Recruiters will often examine both your resume and cover letter. As such, the two documents should match in appearance and content to form a cohesive application package. Moreover, you shouldn’t repeat information; you should include unique skills and qualifications in each document.
Highlight relevant certifications. Mention any certifications relevant to the role. Certifications like CFA and FMVA show that you have highly specialized knowledge in particular areas and are serious about professional growth and career development. This is especially important for entry-level professionals.
Proofread and edit before submission. A cover letter with errors and typos can hurt your chances, as it shows a lack of attention to detail and professionalism. That’s why you want to proofread your writing for spelling and grammar issues and maybe ask someone else to review the document before submission.
Final Thoughts
Financial analysts have a job outlook growth rate of 9%, which is much faster than average. This amounts to approximately 30,700 new openings each year over the next decade. Still, a high median annual salary of $99,890 makes this a highly sought-after job, which is why it’s crucial to have an outstanding financial analyst cover letter and get a head start on the competition.
Remember that even though this is a cover letter for a finance role, don’t forget to let your personality shine through. Don’t just list accomplishments; talk about your drive and motivation to demonstrate genuine passion and interest. Capitalize on that with a strong call to action, and you’ll have your job interview in no time!
