Cover Letters How to structure and write cover

Cover Letters: How to structure and write cover letters ASPIRING COMMERCIAL LAWYERS NETWORK IZZET HASSAN

Recap of Lesson 1 No flowery language. Never use words like ‘passionate’ or ‘enticing’ No adjectives like ‘extremely’ ‘incredibly’ ‘wholeheartedly’ No essay style writing – keep it as concise and direct as possible Ask yourself every time: what does this sentence add

Example of a terrible answer Whilst attending Queen Elizabeth's School, I was selected to join the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth, an organisation devoted to assisting students ranked in the top 5% of the country. During my penultimate year at Warwick University, I sought to utilise my academic experiences by partaking in a peer mentoring scheme which aims to support and assist first year Law students struggling to adapt to university life. In addition to my academic endeavours, I am a committed sportsman and have been privileged to represent Warwick University Men’s Tennis Team at a national level for four years.

Example of a strong answer At university, I was elected Social Secretary of the Warwick University Tennis Club. In this role, I organised ten events for 250 members and liaised with sponsors to boost the club’s finances by 13%. My personal highlight was organising the Old Boys event in five weeks to raise £ 1, 200 for new tennis equipment. Having built a close rapport with the owners of Kasbah Nightclub, I negotiated a 15% discount with the venue in exchange for minimal advertisement. I also saved printing and distribution time on tickets by selling them electronically through the Students’ Union website. As a peer mentor in my final year, I was responsible for the well-being of three first-year Law students. I was particularly proud of helping one student overcome his time management difficulties following a disruption in his home environment. I helped the student regain his focus by creating a detailed timetable which allocated time for his academic work, part-time employment and extra-curricular activities. Through a strict adherence to my timetable and realistic goal setting, the student’s average grade improved from 58% to 64%.

Cover letters vs Applications Qns Similarities Same writing style; this never changes Same content, just applied slightly differently Differences Format No word limit per question / not as narrow Cover letter tells a STORY Structure combined with the content makes it powerful

Basics and Structure Dear Mr / Ms Yours sincerely Changes depending on the firm- if it’s a separate word document then addresses and date matter. If part of an application form then no need The recipient and recipient address top left Your address underneath but on the right Date underneath your address, after a one line gap Dear Mr / Mrs follows underneath on the left.

Quick Example Janine Arnold Trainee Recruitment Manager Slaughter and May 1 Bunhill Row London EC 1 Y 8 YY Izzet Hassan My address 30 July 2018 Dear Ms Arnold,

Structure Opening paragraph Very brief Sums up academic background States reason for applying. If you have been to an event this bit works brilliantly: ‘I graduated from the University of Warwick with an LLB Law degree in 2016 and completed the MPhil in Criminology at the University of Cambridge in July 2017. Following my attendance at the ‘X’ event at [place] on the [date], I am writing to apply for a 2020 training contract at [firm]. ’

Why commercial law Very straightforward here. Import your why commercial law question directly. Each motivation question will be covered in depth later in the curriculum starting with this question next week. Ask yourself: Does this motivation line up for why I am applying to the firm. Changes over time. Be ready to adapt the answers…

Why the firm? Remember that law firm’s are first and foremost businesses and concerned primarily in profit. Quality of the work they undertake – always a straightforward one if you have some relevant experience. Business strategy – a massive factor, if the firm operates differently e. g. Slaughter and May, Macfarlanes, Travers. Trainee intake- link it back to you (Culture) - I typically talked about culture when I had exhausted other options

Examples: Quality of work: links with your motivations for commercial law ‘Through my vacation schemes at Skadden and Latham & Watkins, I have gained exposure to the high-quality work and calibre of clients that I would experience at a top City law firm, such as [Firm]’. From here, you can name drop or go straight into the firm’s work: ‘having recently attended [event], I was able to learn more about the firm’s work. Daniel Jenkins spoke particularly highly of [practice area]’. Big case + any awards- this is the double whammy. What does this mean for you? Learning from fantastic lawyers!

Firm Strategy If the firm does something differently, you need to understand why Has it ever merged? How does it serve international clients? Slaughters ‘best friends’ network, Macfarlanes works with other firms too. Understand why they go for this- having an office doesn’t mean you can provide the best services possible Working with the best regional firms rather than trying to beat competitors in unfamiliar territory This is all fantastic info, but if you can say you discussed this with someone at the firm, it’s a HUGE advantage!

Small Trainee Intake Early responsibility / trainee involvement on big transactions Give an example if you can e. g. ‘The firm’s deliberate choice to maintain a relatively small size exposes trainees to quality work and clients early on. This is evidenced by James Eustace’s involvement in advising [ ] on its acquisition of []. The fact that a trainee was granted the opportunity to work on the third largest M&A deal in history highlights a firm that values its trainees and places a strong emphasis on their development. ’ Link this back to your experiences of working in a small team and say you have learnt that you enjoy working in more streamlined teams.

Culture + Skills This is a good one to lead to the skills section of your cover letter: ‘Daniel convinced me that the [] culture fostered at the firm is one is…. ’ Demonstrate your own skills. Use the extra-curricular activities and interests question Again, I will be addressing this question separately so I’m not going to go into too much detail Two skills is enough, in separate paragraph and follow S. T. A. R method

Recap Structure / Writing style / Format Opening paragraph: academic background and what you are applying for Why commercial law - has to lead logically in to why you’re applying for that firm Why the firm- quality of work should lead nicely from the above point. Business strategy / trainee intake / Culture Finish off with skills section Never forget the most fundamental thing: link everything back to you. Tel your story and, for each point, explain why it shows that the firm is right for you or why you are right for the firm. PERSUADE

Next Steps… Tuesday Lesson 3: Why Commercial Law Thursday Commercial Awareness Lesson 1: Introduction & Overview University talks to be confirmed: City University, Brunel. Mindset If you found it useful let me know. This community is growing organically, if you think someone you know will benefit, let them know.

Q&A Let’s get it.