Sample cover letter for Full Time position at Macquarie

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to apply for the off-cycle internship at Credit Suisse. I am particularly interested in the off-cycle internship at Swiss Re because of the high reputation that your graduate programme has; the on and off-the-job training it provides; the opportunity to work at one of the world’s leading reinsurers; and the chance to start a career in one of my keen interests, which is reinsurance.

Numbers, patterns, analysis and problem solving intrigue me and there is nothing quite as satisfying as arriving at a definitive answer that can be logically explained. Whilst in sixth form, I particularly enjoyed all aspects of Mathematics at A-Level. My Applied Business teacher suggested a career in portfolio management after she recognised my mathematical ability and business working knowledge. After researching in to portfolio management, I realised that it encompassed all of the aspects I was looking for in a future career. Global catastrophes continue to fascinate me, with Swiss Re’s performance being very dependent on these calamities, due to reinsurance, it is an element which has attracted me to work in this sector. My goals are ambitious, which is derived from my high motivation of becoming successful. I believe Swiss Re is the perfect company for my positive and conscientious attitude and am looking forward to joining the dynamic, fast-moving world of a highly specialised financial services organisation.

I am currently studying my final year of an Accounting and Finance degree with honours at Swansea University. The degree course has helped me further my interest and understanding in financial services, financial statements, quantitative and statistical methods. The modules I have taken involve many aspects of the financial world, and this year I have taken modules specific to risk management, asset management and financial forecasting. Throughoutthe course I have utilised computers and a variety of software packages including SPSS Data, Eviews, Microsoft Excel and Word, to produce numerous pieces of course work. During my second year, I proved that I had a great knowledge in mathematical techniques and business understanding by obtaining an 86% grade in my Investments: Assets; Equities and Bonds module. My ability to learn quickly has allowed me to understand and analyse financial statements within a very short time period. I thrive on challenges and work very well under pressure. I also enjoy working within groups and naturally take upon a leader roll when assigned to a group, this showed when undertaking a group presentation for a module in which I obtained an 83% grade. These skills and strengths would serve me well as a Junior Portfolio Manager at Swiss Re.

During the summer of 2015 I undertook work experience at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust as a Management Accounts Assistant. My main duty was supporting assistant finance managers in analysing agency spend. This involved interrogating and analysing a large amount of data, which I then presented to my finance manager in a variety of formats such as pivot tables and graphs. These analytical skills which I have developed will be essential in working alongside the run-off team as a junior portfolio manager at Swiss Re. It has also developed my skills with the software's Sage 50, Oracle BI and Softology. My confidence in interacting with suppliers improved over the period by attending meetings and through telephone contact.

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for considering my application.