So… you’re one of the approximately 213 financial analysts who are applying for the same position.
Now, do some analysis and estimate your chances of winning this game.
Looking somewhat bleak?
But what if you applied with a cover letter that immediately showed the reader that YOU are the absolute best financial analyst for this specific company?
That makes for a much more optimistic forecast, doesn’t it?
Read on to discover the exact, data-driven procedure for writing a job-winning financial analyst cover letter.
This guide will show you:
- A financial analyst cover letter sample better than 9 out of 10 others.
- Financial analyst cover letter examples that let you plug in your core strengths.
- The workplan for how to write a cover letter for financial analyst positions.
- Why the right few achievements prove you’re the best person for the job.
Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from20+ professional cover letter templates that match your resume. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.
Cover letter sample for a resume—See more cover letter templates and create your cover letter here.
This financial analyst cover letter template proves you’re worth it:
Financial Analyst Cover Letter Sample
Kenneth B. Gatton
Financial Analyst
780-827-9960
kenneth.gatton@eemail.com
linkedin.com/in/kenneth.gatton/
Grande Cache, Jan 15th, 2022
Ada D. Snyder
Human Resources Director
Armand&Reutter
4893 Princess St
Kingston, ON K7L 1C2
Dear Ms. Snyder,
I’m thrilled to have come across a job opening for a senior financial analyst at Armand&Reutter. At Potts&Panns Inc., I increased revenue by 20% and improved the accuracy of financial forecasts by 12% by optimizing processes and implementing advanced financial modelling methods. I’m eager to apply my expertise and analytical skills to improve key business metrics at Armand&Reutter.
I see you are planning to expand your award-winning Magicate product line and looking for a financial analyst who would forecast the financial impact of product decisions and offer data-driven insights on utilizing pricing strategies to maximize revenue.
In my current position, I have overseen the successful launch of three new products and optimized processes in many departments across the company. Specifically, I have:
- Introduced a pricing strategy that helped increase our market share by 10%
- Reduced processing time at the accounting department by 50%
- Advised senior management on investment decisions that led to a 10% reduction in transportation costs
I’ve been using Armand&Reutter products and following the company’s success for years. I found your handling of the recent economic crisis truly spectacular—it must have taken a well-coordinated and insightful team of analysts to weather this storm.
I’d love to discuss how my skills and experience at financial modelling and analysis can contribute to Armand&Reutter’s excellent financial performance and business growth.
Best regards,
Kenneth B. Gatton, Financial Analyst
PS. I can’t wait to tell you about the time when I did a few calculations in Excel and single-handedly saved a company-wide project from failing.
That’s how to do it.
This cover letter shows that hiring you is the best investment a company could make.
Now let’s break down the art and science of writing financial analyst cover letters into a repeatable, actionable formula.
1. Use the Best Financial Analyst Cover Letter Format
How you visualize and present your data matters. A lot. If you doubt it, try preparing a badly formatted report with confusing charts and submitting it to the senior execs at your company.
Data presentation matters for cover letters, too.
A job-winning cover letter guides the recruiter’s eye towards all the amazing value you’re going to bring to the company.
And it also projects the same kind of confidence and elegance as a power suit.
Here’s how to format a cover letter and achieve that effect:
- Set the margins to 1 inch on all sides
- Align all contents to the left
- Set spacing to 1 or 1.15
- Opt for a timeless, easy-to-read font
- Put double spaces between paragraphs
- Include a scan of your signature in the letter for that ultra-professional touch
- Save your cover letter as a PDF file to preserve the formatting (unless the employer specifically asks for a Word file)
Well, that wasn’t hard. But what do you actually write in that beautifully formatted document?
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Just go for this tried-and-tested structure.
Sample Cover Letter for Financial Analyst—Checklist
- Your contact info
- Date (and place, optionally) of writing
- The company’s info
- Dear (hiring manager name)
- Paragraph #1: a big achievement
- Paragraph #2: key skills and why you fit the job
- Paragraph #3: your passion + why you want in
- Paragraph #4: your CTA
- Best regards + your name + title
- P.S.: a tempting offer or some extra info that adds value
Read more: Cover Letter Length: How Long Should a Cover Letter Be?
2. Start Your Financial Analyst Cover Letter Right
Every cover letter starts with your name and contact information. That should be quite straightforward. Just remember to use an email address that looks professional.
After that, you need to include the date of writing, followed by the name and contact information of the intended reader. Sometimes you can find their name in the job advert, but oftentimes you might want to do some research on LinkedIn or the company website.
But what if you can’t find the name of the hiring manager who’s going to read your cover letter?
Opt for something like “Dear hiring manager”. This is less optimal than using their name, but still better than “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam”.
Now that you’ve got the reader’s attention for a few seconds, you need to hook them and get them to read your cover letter to the end. You do this by writing a powerful opening paragraph that showcases one of your key professional achievements and makes a promise to do the same for your new employer.
Financial Analyst Cover Letter Examples [First Paragraph]
| RIGHT |
|---|
Kenneth B. Gatton Financial Analyst
780-827-9960 kenneth.gatton@eemail.com linkedin.com/in/kenneth.gatton/
Grande Cache, Jan 15th, 2022
Ada D. Snyder Human Resources Director Armand&Reutter 4893 Princess St Kingston, ON K7L 1C2
Dear Ms. Snyder,
I’m thrilled to have come across a job opening for a senior financial analyst at Armand&Reutter. At Potts&Panns Inc., I increased revenue by 20% and improved the accuracy of financial forecasts by 12% by optimizing processes and implementing advanced financial modelling methods. I’m eager to apply my expertise and analytical skills to improve key business metrics at Armand&Reutter. |
What would Ms. Snyder think after reading this paragraph?
Something along the lines of “Hey, we need a 20% revenue boost as well. I should talk to this guy in person.”
But what about this one?
| WRONG |
|---|
Dear Sir or Madam,
I think I would be a good fit for your company because I’ve been a financial analyst for 4 years and done a lot of financial forecasting and reporting. I’m an ambitious person with attention to detail. |
“Good for you,” says Ms. Snyder. She yawns and takes the next cover letter from a massive stack on her desk.
This opening paragraph is as bland and boring as an empty spreadsheet. It says nothing about the candidate’s achievements and doesn’t explain why hiring them would be of any use to the company.
OK, but what if you don’t have any spectacular achievements yet because you’re just starting out?
Financial Analyst Cover Letters—Entry Level
As a junior candidate, you can’t just bombard the hiring manager with a heroic saga of how your insightful analysis helped your employer make 3 million bucks.
You’ve got a few other strategies, though:
- Describing relevant achievements from your previous jobs
- Dropping a name
- Sharing your excitement about the company and your passion to work there
- Congratulating the company on getting an award
Here’s an example of some of these strategies in action:
| RIGHT |
|---|
I’m applying on the recommendation of Olivia Bonnery—she knows how I managed to cut accounting errors by 80% when working as an accountant at Silkwire, and I’m eager to use my skills to optimize financial reporting at Armand&Reutter. |
See that?
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3. Write a Great Financial Analyst Cover Letter Middle
Now that you’ve written the first paragraph of your cover letter, it’s time to write some more.
After you’ve hooked the reader, you’ll go into your relevant experience and achievements in more detail. And then you’ll add another paragraph that shows your passion and motivation for working at this specific company.
This is what you have to include in your cover letter:
- How well you understand the duties that are expected of you
- Proof that you performed these duties successfully in the past
- The reason(s) why you want this particular job and not just any financial analyst job
Here’s what it looks like in practice:
Financial Analyst Cover Letter Examples [The Middle Paragraphs]
| RIGHT |
|---|
I see you are planning to expand your award-winning Magicate product line and looking for a financial analyst who would forecast the financial impact of product decisions and offer data-driven insights on utilizing pricing strategies to maximize revenue.
In my current position, I have overseen the successful launch of three new products and optimized processes in many departments across the company. Specifically, I have:
I’ve been using Armand&Reutter products and following the company’s success for years. I found your handling of the recent economic crisis truly spectacular—it must have taken a well-coordinated and insightful team of analysts to weather this storm. |
Ms. Snyder’s heart is melting.
But what about this one?
| WRONG |
|---|
I became a financial analyst because I love working with Excel and analyzing data. It warms my heart when I see that my analytical skills have saved a company’s money and brought in more revenue. |
Well, this example is not 100% wrong because the candidate at least has a passion for their job. But they didn’t show their understanding of this specific company’s needs, and they didn’t prove their excellence. Let’s be honest, everyone claims they’re good at Excel until they actually have to use it.
And since Ms. Snyder has 194 more candidates to choose from, she doesn’t bother to read to the end.
You don’t need to do complex modelling to forecast that this candidate has approximately zero chances of landing an interview.
4. End Your Financial Analyst Cover Letter With a Powerful CTA
A cover letter, no matter how well-written, is not effective if it doesn’t persuade the recruiter to undertake a specific action: to schedule a call or to invite you to a face-to-face interview.
So compel them to take this action by including a strong CTA.
Just ask them for a call (or an interview) and once again explain why you’d be an asset to the company.
Cover Letter Examples for Financial Analysts [Ending]
| RIGHT |
|---|
I’d love to schedule a quick call to discuss how my skills and experience at financial modeling and analysis can contribute to Armand&Reutter’s excellent financial performance and business growth. |
Done. Now just end the cover letter with a common closing like “Sincerely” and sign your name.
| WRONG |
|---|
I really want to work for you, so I’m looking forward to your reply. |
This just comes off as needy and unprofessional.
Can you spice up the ending of your cover letter a bit more?
Yes. After signing your name, add a P. S. and let the reader know that you can’t wait to tell them about another of your epic achievements.
| RIGHT |
|---|
PS. You should hear how I helped plan my previous company’s expansion in the Brazilian market and saved $100,000 with a single decision. |
This will make your cover letter much more memorable and make the recruiter actually want to meet you—even if just to listen to your story.
So… you’re almost done. Now you need a financial analyst resume that’s at least as good as your cover letter!
A great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Key Takeaway
Long story short, here’s how to write a financial analyst cover letter that makes hiring you a no-brainer:
- Opt for a classic, professional-looking format
- Start off with a big achievement
- Show your passion and your skills
- End with a powerful call to action
- Add a P. S. with an extra achievement
Want more info on how to write a great cover letter for financial analysts? Wondering how your financial analyst cover letter can get you noticed? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!
