Help for cover letter

Hi everyone,

I am at the end of my studies and am looking for a job. I've written a cover letter, which I tweak and personalize for each job application. Could anybody please give me advise on how I could improve this one. It will also help me for the other cover letters since they follow a similar structure. I have taken off some names and replaced the name of the company with XYZ just to keep it anonymous but I don't think it changes the understanding of the letter. Thanks a bunch!

Dear Sir or Madam,

It is with great interest that I write to present my credentials for the position of ____. XYZ seems to offer an ideal work culture. To cite but a few examples, you place independence at the heart of your strategy and hence base your analysis on sound investment principals rather than on reverse-engineering a desired result. Unlike many other firms, you have also not succumbed to pursue value destroying activities but by maintaining an entrepreneurial mind-set you have capitalized on your human scale. I would thus be very pleased for the opportunity to join your team.

A graduate student in banking and finance at the University of _____, I have previously earned a Bachelor degree in Business Administration and passed in parallel the CFA level 1 exam. My academic curriculum and work experience have provided me with a solid foundation in business valuation, allowing me to assess the merits of an investment and to evaluate a company’s financial standing.

As an intern at _______, a financial information provider, I conducted customised statistical analyses for clients with Excel/VBA to determine how much data _______ covered for various types of financial instruments. Furthermore, I worked as a consultant for a medical device start-up for which I developed the business plan after performing an in-depth research and analysis of the venture. I also learned on my own ______, a computer aided design program, so that we could perform rapid prototyping using 3D printing technology. Through these experiences and initiatives, I learned to spearhead several projects simultaneously and honed my analytical skills.

Finally, during my bachelor studies, I instructed two times per week grappling, a combat sport, in which I placed two times third in the ______ Championship and first in the ______ Championship. Several of my students improved significantly with my classes and one of them won competitions thereafter. This sport taught me the importance of effective communication and how gratifying it is to work with a team of enthusiasts who always strive for the best and never settle.

I believe that this arsenal of knowledge, abilities, and desire to constantly self-improve would be a valuable asset for your company. I would thus welcome an opportunity to discuss my qualifications with you and learn more about XYZ at your earliest convenience. Thank you very much for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

________