Brutally Honest Cover Letter Lands College Student Wall Street Internship
AUBURN (CBS13) - A local man landed a job on Wall Street, all thanks to his creative cover letter that has since gone viral. Some are even calling it the best cove letter ever.
A cover letter, captured by the nation, is considered to be one of the best by a firm on Wall Street. It all came from a former Placer High School student, and it looks like the key to his viral letter was his honesty.
"He broke through the clutter," said Duff & Phelps spokesperson Alex Wolfe. "We get a lot of interest in a limited number of positions."
The cover letter written by San Diego State finance student Matthew Ross to investment banking firm Duff & Phelps, and it had just the right mix of confidence and candidness.
Ross wrote, "I won't waste your time inflating my credentials, throwing around exaggerated job titles or feeding you a line of crap about how my past experiences and skill set align perfectly for an investment banking internship."
"I think that's the kind of people we have here in Auburn," said one Auburn resident of Ross' honesty.
From small town roots to a big burst in fame, networks now want to hear from the kid who wrote what could be the world's most famous cover letter.
It says he may not think he has any unbelievably special skills or genius eccentricities, but it looks like he still has a lot to brag about. When he was at Placer High School, he played baseball, basketball and football, taking his teams to championships as a star athlete.
So far, Ross is choosing to stay out of the spotlight. All he meant to do was get a summer internship, where, he says "I have no qualms about fetching coffee, shining shoes or picking up laundry, and will work for next to nothing."
"What matters is you make a name for yourself, put yourself out there, and try," said Auburn resident Jennifer Manuto.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You gotta say, 'I don't have experience, but I'm willing to try,' " said Auburn resident John Manuto.
His willingness to work makes him a prized commodity.
"A lot of influential firms on Wall Street saw the letter, and most of the feedback was very positive, and that's a tough audience," said Wolfe.
If he's looking to come back home, Liberty Tax in Auburn may want to bring him in for an interview.
"I hire a lot of people with little experience, who we train," a manager said.
From Auburn to San Diego State and off to New York City, it looks like Ross is going places. It may not be about whether or not he gets hired, but where he chooses to go.
