Writing the Graphic Design Cover Letter: Tips to Get You an Interview

Graphic design artists are in high demand for businesses who want who want to hire someone to design graphical elements that communicate ideas through words, symbols, and images. Though there seems to be no shortage of opportunities for graphic design jobs in areas such as print media (brochures, magazines, posters, etc.), branding (logos), and web design (websites and web graphics), it can be a very competitive market. With so many graphic design artists out there, you have to think about how to set yourself apart from the rest. This means making sure your skills are the best they can be and having a portfolio that features several of your best graphic design examples. A great way to sharpen your graphic design skills is to check out the Graphic Design Skills Revealed course. It also means putting your design skills to great use in creating a resume that perfectly markets your experience and abilities. You want to make the person hiring for the job you’re applying for see that you are the best person for the job. Udemy’s How to Make Your Resume Stand Out course can help you to craft a great resume that will help you market yourself well.

Marketing Yourself With the Graphic Design Cover Letter

Another component to marketing yourself as the best graphic design artist available is the graphic design cover letter. The graphic design cover letter is the way you introduce your resume, and it’s often the first opportunity you have to highlight what it is about you, your experience and abilities, that makes you the perfect choice for the job you’re applying for. For more information about searching for jobs and marketing yourself well for the jobs you find, check out this course on Udemy on how to get hired.

Writing the Graphic Design Cover Letter

If the cover letter is your first opportunity to make yourself stand out to a potential employer, you want to make sure to spend the time to craft one that truly captures the best you have to offer. The steps below will help you to write the perfect cover letter.

Use Professional Cover Letter Formatting

The top of your letter should include the date you write the letter, then you’ll skip a line and type the name of the company or individual hiring for the position you’re applying for. The next step below includes the importance of finding out the name of exactly who your letter needs to be addressed to. That’s also important in addressing your letter. If you’re applying for a job in a company, you’ll type the company’s name, followed by the name of the person responsible for hiring on the next line before typing the company’s address. If you’re not aware of who you should be addressing your letter to, make a phone call to find out. The way you’ll format typing the individual’s name is “C/O John Doe,” where C/O stands for “care of.”

Personalize Your Greeting

You want to begin your letter with a professional greeting, and one of the first things you can do to make your letter stand out is to personalize it to the person who controls the hiring process for the job you’re applying for. You want to avoid writing a general greeting like “To whom it may concern.” You’ll have to do some homework to find out exactly who you should address your letter to, but the person you address it to will appreciate the work you’ve done to learn exactly who will be doing the hiring. Once you find out the name of who you’re writing to, your greeting can say either “Greetings John Doe” or “Dear John Doe.” A personalized greeting shows from the very start of your letter that you care about details, which is a great quality to have as a graphic designer.

First Paragraph: Introduce Yourself

Your first paragraph is the time to introduce yourself by name and mention that you’re a graphic designer applying for the specific job the company or individual you’re writing to has posted. You’ll want to mention how you found out about the job, and this is especially important if you were referred to the job by someone in connection with the company or individual who is hiring for the position. If someone important recommended that you apply for the job, don’t forget to mention that in the first paragraph of your cover letter. You’ll also want to include a clear and concise sentence that markets you as the ideal candidate for the position. You don’t want to start outlining your qualifications just yet. That’s for the next paragraph. This paragraph is about letting the person who is hiring know who you are and that you believe you’re a great candidate for the position they have available.

Second Paragraph: Highlight Your Experience and Skills

The second paragraph is for highlighting what makes you qualified for the job you’re applying for. This includes any relevant graphic design experience you have and the skills that you have the make you stand out above the rest. You’ll want to mention any formal training you have as well as areas of graphic design specialization. Graphic designers use a variety of tools to get the job done, such as InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and several others. Make sure to mention the ones that you’re proficient in.

Third Paragraph: Include a Link to Your Portfolio

This step assumes that you have an online portfolio, and if you don’t, an online portfolio is a great way to display your best work because you can quickly give someone a link to your portfolio on the internet. Mention that the person who will be reading your letter can visit the link to take a look at samples in your portfolio. This is a great way to not only tell the potential employer that you’re the ideal candidate for the job, but to show them you’re a skilled graphic designer as well.

Fourth Paragraph: Ask for an Interview

The closing paragraph is about getting to the next step in the hiring process. After you’ve mentioned that you’re interested in the position and outlined the skills and experiences you have that qualify you for the job, you now want to mention again that you’d love to be considered for the position and request an interview. Give the potential player the best phone number to call to contact you as well as the best time to contact you if you’re not available all the time.

Include a Professional Closing

Close your letter with a professional closing. “Sincerely” has been the most common closing that job applicants have used for a long time, and it remains a good way to go with your letter. In addition to handwriting your signature, you’ll also want to include your typewritten name below your signature.

The Importance of Writing a Great Cover Letter

The graphic design cover letter is the first impression a potential employer will have of you, so it’s important to get it right. There are a lot of mistakes that potential candidates make in their cover letters that you can avoid by following the process above. If you’re applying for several jobs, make sure to tailor your letter for each company and each position you’re applying for. Crafting your cover letter can be an enjoyable experience because you’re applying your skills that are often used for marketing purposes to market your own skills. For more information about crafting a cover letter that will market the best qualifications you have, check out Udemy’s training course in creating a professional resume and cover letter.