
5 Short Cover Letter Examples for Any Job (+ Writing Guide)
Today’s hiring process is fast and furious. Don’t waste the recruiter’s time—see our 5 short cover letter examples and learn how to make every word count.
You can Omnigraffle and iRise with the best of them. Prove your skills with a FAAMG-ready UX designer cover letter and land your dream job on the first iteration.
Is there anything more frustrating than job hunting when you’re a UX designer?
Most of the companies that are hiring don’t even know what UX is supposed to be. Sure, you could get the job—but you know you’ll just be stuck wasting your time and potential on optimizing social media images or redesigning icons.
For the few jobs on the market that are actually worth considering, the list of applicants is longer than the extended edition of The Design of Everyday Things, thanks to the bazillion UX bootcamps now available online.
So, when the ideal opportunity comes up, how can you make sure you’ll stand out from the crowd and land an interview?
Easy—
With a UX designer cover letter that bypasses A/B testing and goes straight for the win.
This guide will show you:
Yes, definitely. A cover letter is your chance to show the company that you’re good at your job and explain why you want to work there. Plus, our HR statistics show that 45% of recruiters will reject a job application if it’s missing a cover letter. When you apply for a UX designer job, send a resume, cover letter, and UX portfolio.
Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from 20+ professional cover letter templates that match your resume. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.
Sample cover letter for a resume—See more cover letter samples and create your cover letter here.
Applying for other jobs in the industry? Check out our guides for similar positions:
Want to explore your options further? See our full selection of cover letter examples for every career:Best Cover Letter Examples
Your Name
Your Job Title
Mailing Address
Phone Number
Email Address
Date
Hiring Manager Name
Job Title
Company Name
Mailing Address
Dear [Hiring Manager Name],
As a UX designer at Gradea, I introduced a series of adjustments to the core SaaS platform, increasing conversion rates by 12%. The result? $25,000 per year in additional revenue. I’d love to have the opportunity to apply my skills to driving growth and revenue for Aspeess in similar ways.
In order to achieve its goal of becoming an industry leader, Aspeess requires a dedicated product team with a thorough understanding of customer needs and expectations. My past achievements as a UX designer show just how well I would fulfill this role. Top highlights from my career include:
It would be an honor to join a team with such an impressive track record of producing engaging, user-friendly solutions. I firmly believe that online services should be not only functional, but also genuinely enjoyable to use. That’s why I’m particularly impressed with Aspeess’ dedication to continuous improvement and modernization—your recent redesign of the mobile UI is a perfect example of your user-centered approach and adaptability.
I’d love to discuss in more detail how my research and design skills could contribute to Aspeess’ continued growth and success.
Best regards,
[Your name], UX designer
P.S.: I’m looking forward to sharing the story of how I improved SaaS sales by 14% with insights from an updated empathy map.
Ping!
That’s an instant interview invite.
Need an updated UX designer resume, too? Find out how to write one here: UX Designer Resume: Sample and Guide
Ready for some focused asset creation?
Here’s how to write a job-winning UX designer cover letter:
Like a good UX design, your cover letter must be easy to navigate. You know how it goes—if the user is not instantly familiar with the interface, they won’t bother to dig deeper.
So, here’s a quick wireframe to give you an idea of the best cover letter layout:
Looking good! That’s the low-fidelity prototype of your UX designer cover letter—
Time to fill it with engaging content.
What about fonts, margins, and other visuals? Read more: How to Format Your Cover Letter: Complete Guide & Examples
Your UX designer cover letter has just one end user: the recruiter.
The bad news is that they’re probably not going in with a positive attitude. You can imagine why—just picture reading 200+ cover letters a day, and you’ll get the idea.
So—
Our first deliverable is a unique, attention-grabbing cover letter introduction that jolts the recruiter out of their work-induced coma.
Like so:
RIGHT |
---|
Katherine Essary UX Designer 304-654-7373 contact@katherineessaryux.com katherineessaryux.com/portfolio
04/12/2021
Cynthia Peterson Hiring Manager Aspeess Co. 2742 Joseph Street Brooklyn, NY 11209
Dear Ms. Peterson,
As a UX designer at Gradea, I introduced a series of adjustments to the core SaaS platform, increasing conversion rates by 12%. The result? $25,000 per year in additional revenue. I’d love to have the opportunity to apply my skills to driving growth and revenue for Aspeess in similar ways. |
If that doesn’t spark Ms. Peterson’s curiosity, nothing will.
The use of the manager’s name shows a true focus on UCD—but it also has the secondary function of stimulating the reader’s brain activity. (Yes, really!)
By opening with an impressive, measurable achievement, the candidate presents immediate value to the company.
Now, let’s take a look at a bad example for comparative analysis:
WRONG |
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To whom it may concern,
I’m a UX designer with 5+ years of experience in SaaS and excellent research and design skills seeking to join a fast-growing company. I have a successful track record of improving SaaS performance and increasing conversion rates and would appreciate the opportunity to further improve my skills in a supportive work environment. |
The term Norman door comes to mind, doesn’t it?
There’s nothing wrong with this person’s experience—in fact, it’s the same candidate as in the first example. What’s causing the error is the presentation—
In the wrong example, the candidate just says she’s skilled, like everyone else who’s applying for the job. In the correct one, she gives quantifiable proof of her abilities and offers to leverage them for the new employer.
At this point, you may be thinking—
That’s all well and good, but what if I haven’t got any UX design experience to show off yet?
Don’t worry.
If you’re an entry-level candidate, replace the professional accomplishment in your introduction with an academic achievement, a highlight from an internship, or an eye-catching personal project.
Like this:
RIGHT |
---|
As a recent graduate with proven research, wireframing, and concept execution skills, I was thrilled to see the Junior UX designer opening at Aspeess. During my fourth-year internship, I contributed to a 15% increase in conversion rates through detailed analysis of 12 customer demographics. I’m eager to leverage my skills and knowledge to create unique assets and seamless user experiences for Aspeess. |
See?
You don’t need to have Fortune 100-style achievements to your name to write a compelling cover letter intro. What’s important is how you frame your experience.
For bonus first paragraph functionality, show you’re passionate about UX design. And don’t be afraid to name-drop!
Still staring at a blank mockup? Read more: How to Start a Cover Letter: 25+ Opening Lines You Can Use
Well done! You’re off to a great start—
You have your end user’s attention.
Our next challenge is keeping them interested. How?
By seamlessly integrating your best skills into the middle of your cover letter.
In the second and third paragraphs of your UX designer cover letter:
Let’s validate our idea and see if everything works as expected:
RIGHT |
---|
In order to achieve its goal of becoming an industry leader, Aspeess requires a dedicated product team with a thorough understanding of customer needs and expectations. My past achievements as a UX designer show just how well I would fulfill this role. Top highlights from my career include:
It would be an honor to join a team with such an impressive track record of producing engaging, user-friendly solutions. I firmly believe that online services should be not only functional, but also genuinely enjoyable to use. That’s why I’m particularly impressed with Aspeess’ dedication to continuous improvement and modernization—your recent redesign of the mobile UI is a perfect example of your user-centered approach and adaptability. |
Woah!
Shame Aspeess doesn’t exist—
If it did, IT support would be already installing Omnigraffle on this candidate’s brand-new iMac.
Compare it with a poorly designed example based on the same work experience:
WRONG |
---|
I believe that I have the right skills and experience to excel in this role. During previous employment in similar jobs, I’ve become proficient in finding ways to improve UIs in accordance with users’ needs. I also have extensive experience in creating prototypes and performing iterative testing and design. I find it immensely satisfying to see positive results of my work - my goal is always to streamline the user’s experience as much as possible, making it straightforward and enjoyable.
I’d welcome the opportunity to join the Aspeess team and continue developing my professional skills and portfolio. |
Okay—
Did you read the second example until the end? Because the recruiter probably wouldn’t.
Not only does it read worse than a set of release notes, but it also fails to offer any tangible value to the employer. It’s great that this person is enthusiastic and thinks they’re skilled, but they fail to prove it with concrete examples.
Find out how much space you’re working with: The Ideal Cover Letter Length
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
Your UX designer cover letter should end on an explicit affordance that prompts the recruiter to invite you for an interview ASAP.
But you’re dealing with a high-end user here, so your CTA needs to be a bit more subtle than a basic Please call me to arrange an interview. Instead, present the recruiter with another irresistible offer.
RIGHT |
---|
I’d love to discuss in more detail how my research and design skills could contribute to Aspeess’ continued growth and success.
Best regards, Katherine Essary, UX designer |
Simple, yet effective.
In one short sentence, this candidate:
In other words, she avoids all the pitfalls of a generic cover letter ending such as this one:
WRONG |
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Thank you for considering my application. Please feel free to contact me via email or mobile if you’d like to arrange an interview.
Sincerely yours, Katherine Essary |
Ouch.
Putting so much work into a product only to see it fail right before launch has got to hurt, right? The biggest mistake in this example is making an ask instead of an offer. The company won’t call you just because you ask them to—
Your goal is to make them want to do it.
That’s it for essential features!
But you can still surprise the recruiter with a freebie:
A P.S. after your signature.
All you need to do is mention another win from your career, like an impressive achievement, an award, or a particularly interesting finding. For example:
See? Now the recruiter can’t wait to talk to you!
Read more: How to End a Cover Letter: 20+ Examples
Here’s a quick recap of how to write a job-winning UX designer cover letter:
Thanks for reading! Still not sure how to write a great UX designer cover letter? Perhaps you have some pointers of your own? Drop us a line in the comments, we’d love to chat!
Today’s hiring process is fast and furious. Don’t waste the recruiter’s time—see our 5 short cover letter examples and learn how to make every word count.
What your cover letter looks like says a lot about you. Make sure it speaks in superlatives by using the best font for your cover letter.
How can you sell yourself in a cover letter? What’s the right way to convince employers you’re the right candidate for the job? This guide has the clear, simple steps to do it.