Sample cover letter for Full Time position at Cornerstone Research

To whom it may concern,

I am currently a Candidate for a Masters of Accountancy Degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in the spring of 2016 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am applying for an Analyst role at your firm with my geographical preference as Chicago, Illinois. However, I am open to employment at any of your locations if you feel someone of my background fits better elsewhere

I first learned about Cornerstone Research through online research. I believe that my previous internship experience, rigorous academic coursework and extracurricular involvement have provided me with the necessary skill set to thrive as an Analyst at Cornerstone.

This past spring, I interned for PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York as an assurance intern. I spent the entirety of my internship assisting with the audit of a $25 billion multi-strategy investment firm. During my time at PwC I acquired vast knowledge of the accounting behind a wide range of financial transactions using Excel, as well as the ability to meet deadlines under pressure. While my internship was an excellent learning opportunity I realized that assurance is not the field I want to be in long-term. My goal is to use my skills to drive forward decision making versus auditing historical information.

As an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I have completed arduous academic course work in the fields of accounting and finance which have refined my analytical skills. My school’s accounting program is unique in the sense that it puts a lot of emphasis on case work. I have routinely been given cases that deal with macro and micro economic situations in which accounting expertise is needed. These scenarios have ranged have included tax, fraud, classifications, ethics, etc. The nature of my coursework has forced me to develop an in-depth model of accounting issues and a knack for problem solving under pressure.

In addition to my undergraduate accounting coursework, I had the luxury of taking a diverse group of elective classes including: Real Estate, Finance, Economics, Humanities, Data Science, etc. My graduate program allows for, at least, eighteen additional elective credits during the upcoming school year. I plan to focus my academic efforts on expanding my Finance, Economics, and Data Science knowledge, as these are areas I am interested in and believe are becoming of growing importance in the modern economy.

I have also prepared myself for the position by taking on leadership roles in many extracurricular activities. My experience as a Co-Director of my fraternity’s annual philanthropy event required great attention to detail while honing my verbal and written communication skills. As a Co-Director, I was responsible for reaching out to local businesses, meeting with their management and articulating the value proposition of our philanthropy event. In all, my team’s efforts led us to raise just over $14,000 which was donated to the American Family Children’s Hospital. I was also on my chapter’s executive board. My various responsibilities as Finance Chair included managing a $100,000 budget using Excel and allocating funds to different social events and philanthropies. I believe my extra-curricular leadership experience paired with academic success in accounting and finance coursework makes me an ideal fit as an Analyst at Cornerstone.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications and learn more about Cornerstone Research internship program at your convenience.