credit suisse cover letter

Credit Suisse Cover Letters and Interviews

Credit suisse investment banking – autumn internship cover letter.

Nov 7, 2017 | All Cover Letters , All Industry , All Location , Internship Cover Letter , Investment Banking , London

*** Successful Credit Suisse Investment Banking Division Autumn Internship Cover Letter contributed by a candidate, bonus with...

Cover Letter for Credit Suisse Summer Analyst Internship Programme

Oct 10, 2016 | All Cover Letters , All Industry , All Location , Internship Cover Letter , Investment Banking , London

*** Credit Suisse Summer Analyst Internship Programme Cover Letter - Contributed by a Cover Letter Library member from the UK. The...

Credit Suisse Interview – Investment Banking Summer Analyst

Oct 9, 2016 | All Cover Letters , All Industry , All Location , Investment Banking , London , Second Round Interview

*** Report on interview questions and detailed answers from a Cover Letter Library member's experiences. This is based on Credit Suisse...

All Cover Letters , All Industry , All Location , Internship Cover Letter , Investment Banking , London

Successful Credit Suisse Investment Banking – Autumn Internship Cover Letter contributed by a member, bonus with some Assessment Centre details

Credit Suisse Summer Analyst Internship Programme Cover Letter – Contributed by a Cover Letter Library member from the UK.

All Cover Letters , All Industry , All Location , Investment Banking , London , Second Round Interview

Report on Credit Suisse interview questions and detailed answers from Credit Suisse second round interview for Summer Analyst position.

Credit Suisse Investment Banking Singapore Internship Cover Letter

All Cover Letters , All Industry , All Location , Internship Cover Letter , Investment Banking , Singapore

Credit Suisse Summer Internship in Investment Banking Cover Letter – Contributed by a Cover Letter Library member from Vietnam.

Credit Suisse Interview Experience – Investment Banking Summer Analyst

All Industry , All Interview Experience , All Location , Final Round Interview , Investment Banking , Singapore

Credit Suisse Interview Experience and questions from a candidate’s experience of Credit Suisse Summer Analyst Final Round Interview

Master Finance Interview Questions (Covering Several Divisions)

All Industry , All Interview Experience , All Location , Assessment Centre Interview , Final Round Interview , First Round Interview , Second Round Interview

List of Finance interview questions aggregated from a number of Cover Letter Library candidates’ experiences.

Credit Suisse Spring Week Cover Letter – Trading & Market

All Cover Letters , All Industry , All Location , London , Sales & Trading , Spring Week Cover Letter

Successful Credit Suisse spring week cover letter contributed by a candidate for the Credit Suisse Trading & Market Spring Week.

Credit Suisse Insight Programme Cover Letter – Fixed Income and Equity

All Cover Letters , All Industry , All Location , Investment Banking , London , Singapore , Spring Week Cover Letter

Successful Cover Letter for Credit Suisse IBD / Fixed Income and Equity Insight Programme contributed by a member from Singapore.

Credit Suisse Cover Letter for Investment Banking Summer Internship

Successful Credit Suisse Cover Letter contributed by a candidate for Credit Suisse Investment Banking Summer Internship.

Credit Suisse Investment Banking Division Summer Internship Cover Letter – London

Successful Credit Suisse Internship Cover Letter for Credit Suisse Investment Banking Division Summer Internship in London

Credit Suisse Cover Letter – Investment Banking Division Summer Internship

Successful Credit Suisse Cover Letter contributed by a candidate for Credit Suisse Investment Banking Division Summer Internship.

Successful Credit Suisse Spring Week Program Cover Letter

All Cover Letters , All Industry , All Location , Investment Banking , London , Spring Week Cover Letter

Successful Credit Suisse Spring Week Cover Letter contributed by a candidate for Credit Suisse Spring Week Program. 

Credit Suisse Women in High Finance Application Cover Letter

All Cover Letters , All Industry , All Location , London , Spring Week Cover Letter

After my research about different insight opportunities offered by Credit Suisse, I have been particularly interested in the Credit Suisse Women in High Finance program and would like to offer my candidacy to participate in this event.

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Interview Question: Why Credit Suisse?

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I have an interview with Credit Suisse IBD coming up and wonder if anyone can share some insights on how to answer the why credit suisse question ?

Credit Suisse Interview Questions: Why Work at Credit Suisse?

In any interview or informational phone call - you will likely be asked an equivalent of this question - so it is critical that you have a thought out and practiced answer. To help your answer stand out, you should do extensive research on the firm's website to determine what they consider to be their core values and competitive advantages. In addition to this background research - you should try and speak with members of the firm in the division you're interested in so that you can get a better understanding of the culture of the firm. All of these things should be considered into your answer.

What Differentiates Credit Suisse from Other Banks?

Our users share below some of the elements that differentiates Credit Suisse. A few of these things include a less stuffy culture and promotion of internal mobility.

User @DoYouLikePhilCollins", an asset management vice president, is an employee at CS in the LA office and they explained their answer below:

DoYouLikePhilCollins - Asset Management Vice President: Credit Suisse is a top league table ranking Investment Bank and you know that the groups are small so the deal exposure and ability to work with senior management is something that you would love to participate in. Mention how Credit Suisse is a prominent bank that promotes internal growth/mobility. Contrary to the news, the culture is actually "if you made it here, we want you to stay here," even if that means transferring to another group or division.

User @camus", an investment banking associate, explained another answer:

camus - Investment Banking Associate: This is an excellent opportunity for you to name drop anyone senior or junior people in the department that you are interviewing for with good reputations that have been helping you out thus far. You can explain how they spoke to you about the firm and how you really liked X,Y,Z that they said, etc. The impression that I got about CS was that it was less stuffy than most others... which I considered a huge positive as a new entrant. I figured my learning curve will be significantly improved if senior folks were accessible and willing to offer their mentorship.

Example Why Credit Suisse? Answer

I first became interested in Credit Suisse when attending an informational session at XYZ school. There I spoke with several alumni from the Investment Banking Division. After connecting with members of the firm at that event, I was connected to speak to more alumni from the firm who spoke extensively about the group's lean deal teams and the focus that the firm places on mobility and retention. Recently, I had the chance to come visit a banking floor and speak with bankers throughout the day. After that experience, I knew that I wanted to work at Credit Suisse due to the very approachable nature of the teams and senior people at the bank paired with the global nature of the firm.

Read more about Credit Suisse in our Company Database.

Preparing for investment banking interviews?

The WSO investment banking interview course is designed by countless professionals with real world experience, tailored to people aspiring to break into the industry. This guide will help you learn how to answer these questions and many, many more.

Investment Banking Interview Course Here

Q: Why Credit Suisse A: Why not?

• Guy with so few jokes that has to constantly repeat himself

You really like swiss culture and swiss food. You originally wanted to go UBS but they suck so you settled w/ CS instead.

Talk about how UBS is inconsistent with their offers (delaying SA returns, rescinding FT offers).

or you can talk about how much you love chocolate, watches and skiing.

One of the few banks not bailed out in the crisis.

NYU: One of the few banks not bailed out in the crisis.

Why does US gov need to bail them out, its swiss bank. what does it have to do wid american gov

Ichan: NYU: One of the few banks not bailed out in the crisis.

Re: CS not taking bailout money -

Not exactly true...

*not bailed out by the U.S. gov't would be a correct statement. Both UBS and CS took BOAT loads of money from the Swiss government during the crisis.

As mentioned above, definitely badmouth UBS. (Find choice UBS SUCKS! quotes on Dealbreaker to help you sound funny and genuine). Also, definitely mention your love for chocolate, watches and skiing. Throw in love for fondue and mention you have a huge boner for Roger Federer and you should get the offer.

Ok, seriously though you would be better served mentioning their more recent news just by Googling their name/ looking for their most recent news.

as part of your interview cost, drop 50k on a patek and show you are serious

Why did you even apply there if you don't know why you want to work there?

Cruncharoo: Why did you even apply there if you don't know why you want to work there?

this is such a bull shit statement because he wants a banking job and applied everywhere. why do you want to work where you are?

All BB gigs are exactly the same

Whiskey5: Cruncharoo: Why did you even apply there if you don't know why you want to work there?

Okay, you're right, I guess I was being dismissive of the question. Think of it this way, you get an offer to work at each and every BB you applied to and they all pay the same salary/bonus. Which one do you choose? How you answer that question should be how you answer 'why CS?'

As people mentioned earlier, I would not badmouth UBS.

I would just say that you like the Crédit Suisse values/Swiss values. Skim through their website, you'll find a bunch!

Why were u born?

literally lol

Valid question - 1) Because in that particular sector you are one of the top 3, if not the best. 2) Credit Suisse did NOT get bailed out (to the numb nut in one of the comments above - the US government is not the only one bailing their state banks) 3) The grad scheme looks very interesting, and you have heard it is one of the best training program on the street 4) You are worried about massive regulations on US banks, Credit Suisse will be affected to a lesser extent 5) In the London office they have a swimming pool in the building! You get the gist............

Disjoint: Valid question - 1) Because in that particular sector you are one of the top 3, if not the best. 2) Credit Suisse did NOT get bailed out (to the numb nut in one of the comments above - the US government is not the only one bailing their state banks) 3) The grad scheme looks very interesting, and you have heard it is one of the best training program on the street 4) You are worried about massive regulations on US banks, Credit Suisse will be affected to a lesser extent 5) In the London office they have a swimming pool in the building! You get the gist............

If you were invited for an IBD interview shouldn't you know why CS? What did you write in your Cover Letter?

Troll alert.

You should say, "Wait a minute.. I have no idea. Good question." and then walk out.

"I like the cheese you guys make."

"What's that, you don't make cheese?"

"Can you check in the back please?"

Can I say: "Because you sponsor my favorite tennis player, Roger Federer. And I hope to meet him someday when he decides to pay us a visit". ???

andres17: Can I say: "Because you sponsor my favorite tennis player, Roger Federer. And I hope to meet him someday when he decides to pay us a visit". ???

As someone that works at Credit Suisse in the LA office, there are several ways to answer this.

Credit Suisse is a top league table ranking Investment Bank and you know that the groups are small so the deal exposure and ability to work with senior management is something that you would love to participate in.

Mention how Credit Suisse is a prominent bank that promotes internal growth/mobility. Contrary to the news, the culture is actually "if you made it here, we want you to stay here," even if that means transferring to another group or division.

What group are you interviewing with?

read their mission statement and talk about it during the interview...they will eat it up

i have a question of my own:

how is someone who gets an interview at a bb not able to come up with his own answer for that quesiton???

its like a ZJ bro... .if you dont know what it is - you probably can't afford it

why do you wanna work for CS?

hmmm to make money, get a better gig down the road and work for a top 10 bank - not to mention going down to the Frying Pan on fridays in the summer and crushing hot chicks when you say you work for a fancy sounding bank... i mean lets face it - Neuberger Berman sounds like a shitty meal at a diner... great firm tho lol

Why Credit Suisse --- I didnt get a job elsewhere...

this is an excellent opportunity for you to name drop anyone within CS that has been helping you out thus far-- best to be someone important / senior but it could be a more junior person with a good rep / in the dept you're interviewing for... you can explain how they spoke to you about the firm and how you really liked X,Y,Z that they said, etc....

re CS -- i haven't been to every bank but when i was interviewing i got the impression that CS was less stuffy than most others... which i considered a huge positive since as a new entrant, my learning curve would be significantly improved if senior folks were accessible (learning from their experience and / or finding mentors)

at the end of the day though, you just want a job... so you can apply the "approachable" aspect to any bank because you're such an overachiever that you want to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible... less stuffy can also encourage camaraderie which might be something important to you in the workplace. (feel free to sell yourself on being competitive but team-oriented in that discussion)

best of luck

Why Credit Suisse ( Originally Posted: 05/12/2011 )

so how would you guys go about and answer this question if you were asked this in an interview?

thanks in advance

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The cover letter that will get you a job in a bank

Do you really need to write a cover letter when you're applying for a job in an investment bank? These days, it's surely all about the skills in your CV - who's got the time to read that extra blurb saying how perfect you are for the role?

Recruiters working with experienced hires certaintly don't have the time. Most of the banking recruiters we speak to treat the cover letters (or 'cover emails') they receive from experienced candidates as an irrelevance. "For experienced roles, we rarely look at cover letters," says the CEO of one London-based financial services recruitment firm. I just go for the CV," agrees another. "I look at the CV and then I phone them. - If the CV is relevant, I'll get everything that would have been in the cover letter from that call." 

This doesn't mean you should just attach a CV/resume with no introductory email. It does mean that the introductory email might not be read - but you still need to make sure you don't make common mistakes like referencing the wrong bank, or forgetting to attach your CV altogether.

However, there some situations in which cover letters can make all the difference.  

These include:

• When you're applying for graduate jobs in banking.
• When you're applying to banks directly (without going through external recruiters),
• And... when you happen to be using a recruiter who simply likes cover letters (hard to tell!).

"For graduate hires, cover letters are very important," says one headhunter. Just how important is reflected by the fact that some banks specify them as a must-have in the ir graduate recruitment process .   Banks like Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Barclays, Morgan Stanley and Macquarie typically all demand that their would-be analysts in Europe write cover letters or something very similar, says Victoria McLean, a former Goldman Sachs recruiter and founder of banking CV specialists, City CV.   "Some banks still ask for specific questions to be answered around motivation, strengths and key behaviours/competencies (these are of varying word counts depending on the bank)," she says.

Goldman Sachs historically demanded that recruits write a 300 word personal statement as a cover letter. A former recruiter at the firm told us it was  very important. "Some students were excellent until they got to the cover letter," - those 300 words let them down.

What makes a good banking cover letter? Mai Le, a former Goldman Sachs investment banking associate who ran  CoverLetterLibrary , a community which houses a collection of cover letters that have enabled juniors to get jobs at banks in the past. Le says the best cover letters have two things in common: narrative structure (they emphasize your story and show the choices that brought you here) and facts and figures that underscore your background and achievements. By comparison, Le says the worst banking cover letters suffer from key-word stuffing, irrelevant information and spelling and grammatical mistakes.

It can help to follow a general template... 

You need to tailor your cover letters for each job you apply to. But this doesn't mean that you can't write a cover letter that follows a template. It does mean that each time you apply for a new job, you will need to fill in the template all over again.

McLean suggests your template follows the following format: Introduction. Why me? Why you? Why this job? In total, the text within the template should be no more than 750 words, or one A4 page, long. Le says some candidates also use a format that's ordered as, Why this job? Why this bank? Why me?  "It's a matter of personal preference," she says. Ultimately, you want all these elements in the cover letter and should go with which ever you feel comfortable with.

Either way, here's what to include.

The easy introductory paragraph

The first paragraph is all about explaining why you're writing. If you're applying for a graduate job in a bank, keep it short and sweet.

"The first paragraph is just to say who you are and why you're writing the letter," says McLean.

This paragraph might read something like. "I am an X with X year history of X at global banking firms including X as well as X. I have been working for X for the past X years."

If you're writing a Goldman Sachs cover letter that's 300 words or less, you can ditch this style of opening paragraph. - There's just no space for it.

If you're writing to a recruiter, there's less need to be quite so brief with your introduction. Say who you are, and explain why you've approached that recruiter in particular: "If someone says they've been referred to me by someone I know and respect, I will sit up and pay attention," says one U.S. recruiter. "The same applies if they say they've learned that I mentor women and that this is something they're interested in too."

In other words, when you're writing a cover letter to a recruiter, you need to know who you're writing to. Use this introductory paragraph to address them in person. Flattery will get you everywhere.

The selling yourself paragraph. 'Why you?'

The second paragraph is usually harder. This is where you need to start selling yourself, expressing your personality, and explaining why you're such a hot catch. It's here that you can add in some of the narrative explaining how you came to apply for this role, plus some of the substantiating figures that Le says make successful cover letters so effective.  Don't  use bland and empty phrases like, "I am a determined, motivated person." Do look at the key words and skills used to describe the job you're applying for and (without too obviously reiterating the ad) explain how you match them. Focus on the results and on  outcomes you've achieved in similar situations in the past.  You need to be specific and you need to bring yourself to life.

If you're writing a cover letter to accompany a graduate application, McLean says you can use the second paragraph to talk about what you've studied and how it's relevant. If you've studied finance and know how to do a DCF, now's the time to mention that. If you haven't studied finance but have good relationship management skills and you want to work i n M&A (a relationship-focused business), say that here. Provide EVIDENCE for the skills you're claiming to have.- List any awards you've won. Never, ever, make empty statements. "Many successful trading cover letters feature the candidate's trading return profile and their rationales for their success or failure," says Le. " - Cover letters for sales positions highlight the candidate's track record that evident their ability as a natural salesperson."

The motivational paragraph. 'Why this job (in this sector?)'

If you're an experienced hire applying through a recruiter or applying directly to a bank, this is where you explain why you want the job you're applying for. If you're a student applying for a first job, this is why you need to explain why you want this job and why you want to work in this sector. Be specific -  you'll need to know about the job and the sector before you start this section.

As a student, you'll need to link your skills back to your motivation for working in that area of banking above others, says McLean. Why M&A? Why not sales and trading? Why not compliance?  - If you want to work in operations , for example, explain how you have a passion for building systems and improving efficiency, as evidenced by your system for serving customers in your weekend job...

"You should include what you love about the industry to which you are applying," says McLean. "Why is it important to YOU? Why does it matter to YOU? How does it make a difference to YOU? and why is it interesting to YOU? Especially valid for Graduates: Why finance? Why investment banking / asset management?  before addressing the specifics of the division or programme to which you are applying. The key is to make this personal…. This is where most grads go wrong in their cover letters, they sound too generic and impersonal."

The connection paragraph. 'Why this bank ?'

The fourth paragraph is all about explaining why you want to work for that particular bank. Again, you need to be specific. McLean says graduates often copy and paste from banks' own websites. For example, it's not unheard of for them to write, "I want to work for Goldman Sachs because you have 170 locations across 90 cities in over 30 countries."  This will get you nowhere.

"The idea is not to flatter your potential employer but to identify what makes them a good choice for you and you a good fit," says McLean. "Telling Goldman or Citi you want to work for them because they are the best is not going to impress anyone. However, writing that it’s an opportunity to work with some of the best minds on the street and that you want to be held to those same exacting standards is a bit more engaging." But you need to put this in your own words: you need to make it personal and say what the banks strengths mean to YOU.

The other ex-Goldman Sachs recruiter we spoke to said she particularly looked for, "creativity and effort and writing about Goldman Sachs," when running through students' cover letters. People were expected to say exactly why they wanted to work for Goldman rather than, say, J.P. Morgan.

Instead of just reiterating what you've read on banks' websites, therefore, you need to cite some unusual reasons for choosing that bank that will make you stand out. If you're a student, it helps to say that you've met some of the banks' staff and were impressed by them.  Citigroup, for example, suggests that  student cover letters  reference encounters with the bank's staff at recruitment events. - Make a note of the staff you meet and explain what they said or did that impressed you, and what made you think you'd like to work with them.

Mark Hatz, a former M&A associate at Goldman Sachs and Perella Weinberg Partners who now helps people get jobs in banking , says stressing your rapport with people you've met from the firm is particularly important when you're applying for a job in M&A or capital markets: "These are advisory businesses and they want to see that you can build a rapport and work in a team. If you get the job, you'll also be spending a lot of hours in the office with these people, so showing you like them is very important."

It also helps to reference the bank's strategy, to mention any awards the bank won, and to cite any conversations you've had with or comments you've read from other industry professionals and analysts who've given concrete reasons why it's good place to work. Everything in this section needs to be positive. - You need to explain why you want to work for Deutsche Bank specifically without writing anything that denigrates its rivals. The more senior you are, the more you will need to reference solid strategy points at this stage.

"Show a grasp of where they are going, what the plan is and why this appeals to you," says McLean. Show that you know their strategy and that you agree with the way they're addressing challenges. "You should also write about the future of the firm. You should be planning to be there for a few years and hoping to share that future with them," McLean adds. Look at the shareholder letter in the last annual report for information on a bank's strategy.

The call to action

Finally, you need to end the cover letter with a call to action. McLean suggests completing the letter with the following sentence: "I really look forward to hearing from you. I am available for interview and contactable by X.'

Simple. Except all of this has to be written in 750 words - or just 300 if you're a student applying to Goldman Sachs. It's not so easy after all.

Click here to create a profile on eFinancialCareers. Make yourself visible to recruiters hiring for top jobs in technology and finance. 

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