To be precise, who do you think would welcome some out of the box thinking when it comes to writing Cover Letters? I mean, creative and of a kind that will set you apart from the herd-not gimmicky though.Would Bain be more receptive to such an approach?Mars, Have you ever come across a 'non-conventional' approach in your recruitment experience? What do you think of such people?

Fascinating.Can someone point "I -B- New- B" (LOL) in the direction of that guy who applied to Morgan Stanley with the jigsaw puzzle letter ("I am the missing piece" or whatever it was)?I'd love to hear more stories about these 'unconventional' approaches.

MC in general is a deeply conservative industry, because clients tend to be the same when it comes to investing in change/spending shareholder cash. 'No one ever got fired for hiring PWC' - the point being that PWC are the very epitome of conservative approach.If you want to try getting creative, join a creative agency where you will fit in. The way you approach Bain is less relevant than the content of your application; if you make the grade they will want to interview you, if you don't they won't. Avoiding gimmicks will help - HR does not have an imagination it has a process.

When I have done CV screening, I've rarely looked at a cover letter (unless there's something odd in the CV that might need explanation from a cover letter).In general the easier it is for me to read it quickly, the more well disposed I feel towards the person reading it.If you are trying to get through 1000 borderline CVs that HR have given you to adjudicate, you tend to be less receptive to people thinking they are 'wacky' with their approach to applications.

But you are the person reading it?