BCG Cover Letter: Your Guide to Success

Whether you’re a student or an established professional, the path to joining the ranks of top consulting firms like Boston Consulting Group will include a compelling cover letter. Candidates should aim to provide a concise, customized cover letter for each major consulting firm application, and it should be tailored to your experience to showcase your unique story.

Rationale Behind Consulting Cover Letters

Let’s start with some of the basics.

First, does BCG require a cover letter?

Yes, BCG does require a cover letter. Cover letters are essential for filtering applications and gauging an applicant’s interest and ability for the position. Some geographies will indicate that the cover letter is optional, so you might ask us, “Should I still write a cover letter if it appears optional?” Our emphatic answer is – yes! Cover letters are a great way to stand out in this highly competitive field.

Second, understand who will be reading your resume.

At a firm like BCG, the cover letter will be most important to recruiters and to hiring managers, and, to a lesser degree, the consultants that interview you. BCG, and most other management consulting firms, are not using AI readers for cover letters that come through campus recruiting, so write your cover letter planning for a human to read it.

Lastly, recognize that your cover letter is largely a filter.

This is because the cover letter and resume are both used to screen candidates, but once you are into the interview stage, case interviews and behavioral interviews govern most of your outcome. With that said, put your best foot forward to get in the door.

What is BCG looking for?

BCG wants creative candidates who demonstrate an understanding of industries combined with a skill set that includes problem-solving, analytical thinking, leadership acumen, and effective communication.

With regards to stories, BCG wants to see your specific contributions and impact on projects. Recruiters are more interested in your individual ability to drive revenue than in the total project size that you participated in. Both metrics are valuable, but the first displays your impact in a personal manner.

How to Write a BCG Cover Letter

Writing a BCG cover letter involves five key steps.

1. Know your story

Recruiters are trying to understand what type of a consultant you might be, so you want to address who you are in simple and direct terms, crafting a memorable and consistent narrative of yourself.

2. Identify specific situations of unique success from your story

Highlight episodes that reflect your problem-solving abilities, leadership roles, or communication skills. The cover letter allows you to go deep where the resume was broad, so pick two to three specific “hero stories” and describe them in detail.

3. Follow a structure to make your story easier to read

The format of your cover letter is not the time to be creative. You generally want four main paragraphs: an introduction, first hero story, the second hero story, and a conclusion, in addition to salutations.

4. Be quantitative in your stories and result

Provide specifics on the results you’ve delivered. Whether it’s a 20% increase in sales or reducing project delivery time by three weeks, numbers speak louder than words to consultants, and numbers will give the recruiters confidence that you can think like a consultant.

5. Address potential red flags in your story

Think about spinning. If you have a gap in your resume, now is your chance to explain the gap and potentially make it a compelling part of your story. In one example, a recent new hire at BCG took a gap year to train and claim K-2, often called the hardest mountain climb in the world. Addressing this in his cover letter was a great way to communicate the reason for this gap and spin it to a positive story of commitment and endurance.

The above items should be achievable, regardless of your circumstance. In addition to these, also try to add reference to people that have referred you within the BCG. This is a detail to add to your concluding paragraph. You can also add any BCG events that you have joined or note BCG projects that you are aware of that uniquely resonate with you.

BCG Cover Letter Format

Now let’s talk about some tactical details.

• Length: Always keep it to one page. Recruiters start to fall asleep after one page.
• Font: use 10–12-point professional, readable fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri (font should match your resume).
• Spacing, Margins, and Alignment: Stick to 1-inch margins, 1-1.5 line spacing, and ensure your content is neatly aligned.

The above format is the industry standard. There is almost no reason to veer from this, unless you are a seasoned executive coming into consulting at the partner level, in which case you will include an extra page and discussion of your vision for the role, in addition to a lot of other requirements.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Now that you are equipped with a guide on how to successfully craft your BCG cover letter, let’s talk about common mistakes to avoid for your cover letter draft.

Writing more than one page for a cover letter.

This is the biggest mistake that most people make when they draft their cover letter. The simple reality is that most people will stop reading after one page, and some recruiters will dock points against you for this simple mistake. Keep it to four paragraphs on one page.

Failing to quantify your results

Consultants like numbers. They want numbers in your interview answers, on your resume, and on your cover letter. Each “Hero Story” needs metrics. Sales metrics, team members led, even the number of PowerPoint pages that you built are encouraged on a cover letter.

Not ending with a compelling call to action

You want to strive to end your cover letter politely, but also with a clear next step. Some of our favorites are “Thank you for your consideration; I look forward to hearing from you soon,” and “Thank you in advance for the time; I look forward to discussing my application further.”

BCG Cover Letter Tips

1. Salutation Do’s and Don’ts:

Address the hiring manager if you know the hiring manager that will review your resume, otherwise, use “Dear Hiring Manager” or “To whom it may concern.” Do not use “Mr.”, “Ms.”, and not “Mrs.” in the salutation.

2. Tailor for each firm:

A one-size-fits-all approach won’t cut it. Customize your cover letter for BCG specifically, using the name “BCG” and calling out specific BCGers that you’ve met.

3. Stay concise:

Stick to relevant details and avoid the fluff. Anything before university is likely irrelevant.

4. Closing:

Reiterate your interest and clearly indicate a goal for further discussion.

5. Think long-term motivations:

Show how your long-term goals align with BCG’s vision, or how your passions align with BCG’s mission.

6. Proofreading:

A simple typo can cost you dearly. Double-check, triple-check, and have a friend re-read it before sending if you are prone to typos.

7. File Format:

Typically, a PDF format is preferable as it retains the original formatting.

BCG Cover Letter Example

Depending on your experience, your specific achievements will vary. Consider the following examples.

Undergrad:

Focus on your leadership in university over academic achievements. Stories about leading a club or another student organization are more interesting than getting an A in a hard class. Call out your extracurriculars for the same reasons, focusing on your leadership and your impact. Be sure to call out any relevant internships, specifically any direct impact that you contributed.

MBA / Advanced Degree:

If you’ve worked full-time, one of your two “hero stories” must be from your most significant professional role. If your work experience is research focused, try to communicate the impact of your research experience in layman terms.

Experienced Hire:

Emphasize relevant job roles, especially anything with analytics or problem-solving. The big question with experienced hires is usually, “can you think like a consultant?” Leadership positions and key accomplishments are also valuable, as they show you can bring these skills into BCG.
For Cover Letter examples and template, check out our thorough guide on writing cover letters.

Conclusion

Crafting the perfect BCG cover letter is a blend of putting your best foot forward, understanding BCG, and communicating your story. Remember that this is a screening exercise, so details matter and formatting can cost you. For those seeking personalized guidance, work with our team of MBB resume and cover letter editors on a custom cover letter edit. Learn more.

 

Additional Resources:

• Bain Firm Profile
• Bain Internship: Types, Salary, Summer Internship, & Application Info
• Bain Full Case Interview Example
• Bain Consultant Salary
• Consulting Resume: Complete Guide