451 Mayday Street
Ms Sara Parker Graduate Recruitment Manager Smith, James & Coopers 12-15 Regent Street
New York ACF12346
20th November 2011
RE: Graduate Accountancy Training Scheme
Dear Ms Parker
I am writing to apply for the Graduate Accountancy Training Scheme as advertised on my Careers Services’ website and in its current vacancy bulletin.
I first became interested in a career in finance through attending a series of careers presentations by employers at my university. The talk on accountancy by your colleague David Rome impressed me most and led me to feel that training as an accountant would combine my skills and interest in business, problem-solving, and working with people. The work experience I obtained last summer at XYZ Bank was extremely useful and I greatly enjoyed being in a financial environment. I am now particularly excited about fulfilling my potential in accountancy and my choice of career has been confirmed by wide reading of careers literature on the profession.
I feel I have a range of relevant skills that I can bring to Smith, Jones and Coopers. My communication skills have greatly developed both through my work experience at the bank and through my degree. During my course I have not only written essays but frequently presented papers and arguments orally in seminars, occasionally employing the use of visual aids. One assignment involved small groups of four students working as a team to co-research and co-present a topic. This taught me a lot about working in a team as well as further practising my presentation skills. I feel I have presented to a high standard and have learnt many of the principles behind effective presentations. Additionally on my course I have developed a high level of IT skills: I have regularly used Word, Excel and the Internet and I am comfortable in sourcing and handling data electronically. As you can see on my CV I lead a busy life through my various sporting activities, which has meant that I...