Career Center

Duke Career Center • studentaffairs.duke.edu/career • 919-660-1050 • Bay 5, Smith Warehouse, 2nd Floor • 114 S. Buchanan Blvd., Box 90950, Durham, NC 27708

Graduate Student Cover Letter Structure

Your Present AddressCity, STATE Zip Code

Date

Contact’s NameContact’s Position TitleEmployer NameStreet AddressCity, STATE Zip Code

Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. Contact’s Name: (OR “Dear Hiring Manager”),

1st Paragraph (Introduction)

• Brieflydescribewhoyouare(e.g.,“completingPhDinSocialPsychologyatDukeUniversity”)• Expressenthusiasmandinterestintheposition• Ifyouwerereferredbyaspecificpersoninthecompany,youcanmentionithere• Outlinetherestofthedocument(connectingyourmostrelevantskills/experiences,basedonthejobdescriptionandyourpreviousresearch,totheactualposition/organization)–setupthestructurethatyouwillfollow(e.g.,focusingoncommunicationskills,thenanalyticalskills,thenreal-worldexperience;ORfocusingonproblemsolvingabilities,interpersonalskills,andthentechnicalskills,etc.)

2nd – 4th Paragraphs (Body – Elaborating on specific experiences, skills, & fit – Order of these paragraphs depends on importance and how you’ve outlined it previously)

• Tellastoryaboutordescribeyourexperiencethatreferencesseveralofthenecessaryqualificationsforwhichtheemployerisasking(e.g.,communicationskills,technicalexpertise,analyticalskills,etc.)

• Tellanotherstoryshowcasingadifferentaspectofyourselfthatisrelevanttotheposition–YoucanthinkofthestructureoftheCoverLetterandResumeassimilar(startwiththemost important/relevantexperiences)

• Explicitlystateaspectsoftherole,team,andorganizationthatyouareapplyingtoandemphasize yourfit

• Provideevidencethatyouhavetheskills/experience/talentnecessaryandthatyouwillutilizetheseinthemostrelevantandproductivewayforthatparticularorganization

Final Paragraph (Next Steps)

• Thankthemandreaffirmyourenthusiasmabouttherole,team,andorganization• Restateyourconfidenceinthefitbetweenyourbackgroundandrole/expectations• Detailyournextaction(e.g.,“willfollow-upwithacall,”lookforwardtointerviewingwithyou,”etc.)

Sincerely,Your Typed Name

Duke Career Center • studentaffairs.duke.edu/career • 919-660-1050 • Bay 5, Smith Warehouse, 2nd Floor • 114 S. Buchanan Blvd., Box 90950, Durham, NC 27708

Job Description

Principal Data Analyst Big Bank LTD.

• Performquantitativeandqualitativeanalysisofeconometricdata,relatingconstantsandvariables,restrictions,alternatives,conflictingobjectives,andtheirnumericalparameterstoprovideusefulinformation.

• Definedatarequirementsandgatherandvalidateinformation,applyingjudgmentandstatisticaltests;communicatefeedbacktointernalclientsaroundstrength/relevanceofcriteria/requestsforcreatingbusinessrelevantinformation.

• Translatedataintousefulinformationviastronganalytic,synthesis,andcommunicationskills• Developcomplexdatastructurestosupportthegenerationofbusinessinsightsandstrategy.•Maintaindatainfrastructureanddevelopscriptstoautomaterecurringprocesses.• Analyzedataanalysisrequestsobtainedfrommanagementtoconceptualizeanddefineoperationalproblemsanddefinedatamodelingrequirements,validationofcontent,andproblemsolvingparameters.

• Useintuitionandrealtimemarketintelligencetocontextualizedata/informationandcommunicateyourconclusionstoinformproductandmarketingdiscussions.

• Abilitytotellcompellingstoriesusingdata/informationinordertopersuade/influenceanaudience.• Identifyopportunitiestousedataanalysistodevelopnewstrategiesandimprovebusiness performanceandutilizeknowledgeofmathematicalmodelingandotheroptimizationmethodstoperformquantitativeandqualitativedataanalysis.

• Stronggraspofstatisticalapproachestodataanalysis;familiaritywithanalyticstatspackagessuchasStata,minitab,orvistaisaplus.

• UtilizeprogrammingandanalyticaltoolsincludingSAS,SQL,Teradataorsimilarrelationaldatabasetool,andUnixtoformulatemathematicalorsimulationmodels.

• Communicateandpresentdatatomanagementbydevelopingeasilydigestibletext/reports.• Createcommunicationssuitableforpublicdistributiontothoughtleaders,industryleaders,

academics, clients, and mass media as needed.• Serveasambassador/speakerforthefunctionwheninterfacingwithcolleaguesfromacrosstheorganization;explainsthevalueaddofdataanalysisinsimplelanguage,totheeffectofgrowingourportfolio of internal clients

Qualifications

ThepositionrequiresaMaster’sdegreeorforeignequivalentinEconomics,Finance,Engineering,Mathematics,Science,InformationTechnologyorarelatedquantitativeanalyticalfield,orequivalentexperience.Musthavethefollowingskillset,throughformaleducationorworkexperience:quantitativeandqualitativedataanalysis;datamodeling;developingreports;Teradataorsimilarrelationaldatabasetool;SQL;SAS;Unixprogramming.Musthaveworkedwithsignificantdatasets,andbecomfortablemanipulatingsuchdatasetstoidentifytrendsandextractusefulinformation.Mustbeagiftedcommunicator,withabroadawarenessofdomesticculturaltrendsandinterestinglobalmarkets.