Consulting Cover Letter Examples, Tips & Template

With £10 billion floating around the UK consulting industry, there’s a lot to play for.

You have your consulting CV stuffed with achievements, and you have stuffed yourself into a pinstripe suit. In the line of work based on advising other people what to do, you ought to be able to ace your consulting cover letter.

Just channel your best advisory skills, and convince them that they will profit from your hire. Read on to better understand how it's being done.

In this guide, you'll explore a model consulting cover letter example and how to write one step by step. You'll also get numerous consulting cover letter tips and examples specific to the UK. Let's get started.

Use the LiveCareer cover letter builder and your cover letter will write itself. Choose a professional template, answer a few easy questions and the creator will generate a professional cover letter for you with just one click.

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Your job is not on the list? See our full list of cover letter examples. 

Consulting Cover Letter Example

That’s how to write a cover letter. Let’s craft your own, step by step, following the proven cover letter layout.

1. Start with a professional header and salutation

The header is the same as for any business letter, your contact details aligned on the right (don’t forget your LinkedIn and email), and the hiring person’s details below aligned to the left. Write down the date and the subject (i.e. the position you’re applying for).

Use the job ad, LinkedIn, or if need be—even a phone to determine who will be handling your application. Address your cover letter by first name, unless you don’t think it’s appropriate for the more traditional companies. 

Reference against this consulting cover letter template:

Consulting cover letter examples—header

You can adjust every cover letter created in the builder to meet the job requirements. Choose the name of your profession and the company to which you’re applying, and the LiveCareer cover letter builder will automatically adapt the content for you. Create a cover letter faster than you ever thought possible and apply for the job in record time.

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2. Open your consulting cover letter with a hook

Whether you’re applying to the Big Three, or to a small, boutique consultancy, one thing is for sure. There are piles of application letters yours could get lost in. This is why you need to capture their attention immediately, by right away stating your biggest selling point in your consulting cover letter.

Respect their attention span and lead with something they’re really interested in, that’s really relevant to them and their business. Something that will keep them reading for more. The fewer words you use before getting to your first achievement, the higher your chances of success. 

The cover letter opening should be somewhere between 40 and 80 words to keep your cover letter short.

Consulting cover letter examples—opening paragraph

3. Discuss experience in the body of your consulting cover letter

Once you have determined the list of prerequisite skills and experiences for this particular position, think about what evidence would prove that you can handle it better than anyone else. Are there any particular projects or results that come to mind?

The more quantitative you are, the better, you can discuss the details in the interview. The cold, hard results you present in your consultant cover letter will get you there. Of course, the consulting world is a small one, so dropping the names of prestigious places you studied and worked can be advantageous. 

Names of elite universities or employers give perspective, and numbers and achievements give context. Don’t go tooting your own horn for no reason—it all needs to match the list of requirements your employer has given in the ad. This section could be between 120 and 200 words.

Consulting cover letter examples—main paragraph

You don’t have to create any content yourself. The LiveCareer cover letter generator will automatically suggest the best content for your cover letter with ready-made examples and expert tips.

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4. Secure a meeting with a call to action in your consulting cover letter

The third paragraph is for summing up exactly what you can do for your prospective employer, and to reiterate why you think you can manage to do that. Devote 60-80 words for your closing argument, and below, add a call to action.

Seal the deal by asking for a call or a meeting to elaborate on a particular achievement, project, or something that’s important to your prospective employer. Make it interesting and you will stand out. Most people will end their cover letter in a passive, ‘Thank you’ way. 

Always sign off formally with ‘Best Regards’ or a suitable alternative. 

Consulting cover letter examples—closing paragraph

5. Apply a proper consulting cover letter format

You now know what to include in your cover letter. Now, let’s worry about how. Your letter needs to be organised and polished, to not only give an impression of professionalism, but also to be easily readable. 

Brevity is the soul of wit, and here are some cover letter formatting rules:

Consulting cover letter length

Here's how long your cover letter should be: 

• 1st paragraph—40-80 words
• 2nd paragraph—120-200 words
• Closing paragraph—60-80 words
• 200 — 350 words
• No more than 1 page of A4 (two-page cover letter is too long)

Use the CV format

Make sure that your CV and cover letter match in structure and style. They are two segments of the same document, and they will be more happily read if there is continuity and a professional look. Simple templates are recommended for both cover letters and CVs.

Apply an elegant font

Choose an easily readable font between size 10 and 12. Opt for a classic like Calibri or Arial, or try one of Palatino, Garamond or Didot for an outside pick with an increased dose of elegance.

Add even margins and white space

For a neat cover letter layout, use 1-inch margins on all sides. Add white space between sections and paragraphs to guide the reader’s eyes. If you are struggling for space to list your achievements, think about using bullet points for your most relevant achievements.

Target each consulting cover letter

You have heard the rumours of blacklists, and you probably know how easy it is to have your consultant cover letter end up in a bin. Research each place you’re applying to thoroughly, so that you can adequately focus on their priorities when discussing your strengths.

This process will not only help you craft better applications, but also understand where you would be a good fit, and where you’d rather not invest any of your career.

Although remuneration in consulting is seldom transparent, the difference between a junior and senior consultant could be as much as 20 thousand pounds, so it’s worth spending the extra time on each cover letter.

Save your consulting cover letter as PDF, unless...

With large corporations, many use Applicant Tracking Systems to manage the applications. Check each job posting carefully for what format they would like to receive documents in, as some are not compatible with certain ATS software.

Otherwise, save as PDF to protect the formatting and keep your cover letter perfect.

A cover letter alone simply won’t be enough—you need an impactful CV, too. Create your CV in minutes. Just follow our wizard and fill in every CV section with ready-made content. Get started by choosing a professional CV template.

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Does this answer how to write a cover letter for consulting? Got any more questions on what to include? Did you find the consulting cover letter example helpful? Let us know in a comment!

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Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with LiveCareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.