Functional Resume: Examples & Skills Based Templates
You’re in the middle of a career change or have gaps in your employment. Show managers and coordinators how valuable your skills are with a great functional resume.
You’re about to compile information to write a data analyst cover letter.
From gathering raw datasets to translating numbers into usable statistics (and plain English), you enable business to make the best decisions.
First, though—
You need a cover letter for data analysts as accurate and compelling as the business intelligence you’ll bring to the table.
No sweat.
This data analyst cover letter guide will show you:
- Data analyst cover letter examples better than 9 out of 10 others.
- How to write a perfect cover letter data analyst job employers love.
- Tips on how to grab their attention with a top data analysis cover letter.
- How to sell yourself on a cover letter to get the data analyst jobs you want.
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.
Need to double-check your data analyst resume to be certain it’s as accurate as you are? Here’s our guide on that: Data Analyst Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
Considering similar positions too? See other cover letter examples for jobs in your industry:
- Business Analyst Cover Letter
- Business Cover Letter
- Consulting Cover Letter
- Cybersecurity Cover Letter
- Data Entry Cover Letter
- System Administrator Cover Letter
- Data Scientist Cover Letter
- Front-End Developer Cover Letter
- Executive Cover Letter
- Financial Analyst Cover Letter
- Investment Banking Cover Letter
- Manager Cover Letter
- McKinsey Cover Letter
- Blizzard Cover Letter
- Project Manager Cover Letter
- Retail Cover Letter
- Sales Cover Letter
- Software Developer Cover Letter
- Federal Cover Letter
Want to explore your options further? See our full selection of cover letter examples for every career: Best Cover Letter Examples
First, here’s our idea of the perfect cover letter for data analyst jobs:
Data Analyst Cover Letter Sample
Deborah Stansberry
1710 Dancing Dove Ln
Astoria, NY 11106
March 15, 2019
Joanna Conley
HR Manager
Tribeca Teknologix
233 Broadway, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10279
Dear Joanna,
Coming off an enlightening data analyst internship, I was excited when I found your new opening for an entry-level data analyst. As a computer science student, and later as a data analyst intern, I’ve developed and tweaked my informatics, data science, and statistical analysis skills, and I know I have what it takes to be a great addition to the team at Tribeca Teknologix.
As an intern with Ingenious Informatics, I worked on many small- and large-scale projects which allowed me to expand my data toolset and knowledge. That experience, coupled with my university IT background, gives me a great understanding of the ins and outs of data, including systems analysis, business practices, database management systems, emerging technologies, business trends and IT project management.
During my time at Ingenious Informatics, my wins included:
- Designed and built over 50 statistical analysis models on using Teradata.
- Increased data collection and processing rates by over 175% with AI and ML integration and new proprietary software.
- Won the Quanties 2019 Awards for Excellence for “Top New Practitioner.”
I am quite proud of the results I achieve, whether it’s simple data entry or complicated calculations and compilations. If you give me the chance to interview for the data analyst job, I’m certain you won’t be disappointed.
I eagerly welcome the chance to discuss the upcoming projects and plans of Tribeca Teknologix, as well as to share with you how my past wins at Ingenious can easily translate to increased insight and better predictions at TT.
Sincerely,
Deborah Stansberry
P.S. If you have time for a coffee, I’d love sitting down with you and discussing how I could bring my increased data processing rates (175%) over to Tribeca Teknologix.
How about that?
Writing a data analysis cover letter as unique as a key value storage entry is easier than you might think.
1
Pick the Best Format for a Data Analyst Cover Letter
You can’t jump into analysis before ensuring your data has quality.
Same here—
On a cover letter for data analysts, this means preparing a format that makes sense.
Here’s a sample data analyst cover letter outline to use as a schema:
Data Analyst Cover Letter Sample—Format Template
- Your contact details
- The date of writing
- The company’s contact details
- An opening greeting
- An introductory paragraph
- A paragraph on why you’re the ideal candidate
- Several achievements with numbers
- A paragraph on why this data position is right for you
- A closing paragraph
- A complimentary close and your name
- Optionally, a postscript after your signature
Stick to around 200–300 words for the written portion of your data cover letter, depending on your data-wrangling experience.
This formula is sure to excite them!
Pro Tip: Writing a cover letter for a data analyst internship or freelancing for online jobs? Follow this data analyst cover letter guide all the same!
To read more about choosing the best data analyst cover letter components, see this article: What to Include in a Cover Letter?
2
Start With a Data Analyst Cover Letter Intro HR Managers Love
You love data, so here’s some for you:
Data analysis is one of the most in-demand careers for the future.
However, operations research specialists and data analyst jobs are expected to grow by a whopping 27% between 2016 and 2026 in the US alone, adding more than 31,000 new hires.
This means—
There’s row upon Excel row of candidates to compete against.
So, start off strong from the get-go to minimize the risk they’ll move on to the next applicant.
People love hearing their own name, based on a study of MRI scans—first name, especially.
So, as you do, use this data to your advantage:
Data Analyst Cover Letter Example—Salutation
| wrong |
|---|
| Dear sir or madam, |
| right |
|---|
| Dear Joanna, |
How do you find their name?
Scour their website, delve into LinkedIn, or pay a hacker on the dark web.
If you need to be formal, such as for a more traditional agency, their last name is still better than no name: Dear Ms. Conley.
Can’t find a name at all?
No worries.
Choose something safe, such as Dear Hiring Manager. That still beats To whom it may concern!
Don’t care for Dear? Not able to find a name? We’ve got other options for various scenarios: How to Start a Cover Letter: Sample & Guide [20+ Examples]
Now the intro paragraph, where grabbing their attention really begins.
First, here are two opening examples for entry-level data analyst cover letters:
Data Analyst Cover Letter Entry-Level Examples—Introductions
| wrong |
|---|
| My name is Deborah, and I’m interested in applying for the open job position which you posted on Indeed. I have just finished my college, and I certainly have the skills and knowledge necessary to do this job right. |
| right |
|---|
| Coming off an enlightening data analyst internship, I was excited when I found your new opening for an entry-level data analyst. As a computer science student, and later as a data analyst intern, I’ve developed and tweaked my informatics, data science, and statistical analysis skills, and I know I have what it takes to be a great addition to the team at Tribeca Teknologix. |
They’re both all about you, but—
The first one is bland and generic, like skimming through sample data.
The right one, though, shows you’re as adept at parsing info as Avro—
It talks up your background, the skills, and analytics experience you have, and brings it all together in an understandable manner.
Pro Tip: Never write a universal cover letter. It’ll immediately be filtered out of the candidate pool. Tailor the cover letter, instead, by personalizing it directly to the company, the senior data analyst, and the exact analytics position.
There are other ways to go about your data analyst introduction statement. For more ideas, see: How to Write a Cover Letter: Sample & Guide [20+ Examples]
3
Write a Great Middle for Your Cover Letter for Data Analysts
You hooked them in the intro.
Now, show scalability by keeping them intrigued into the body section.
Here’s what to cover in the 2 or 3 paragraphs of a perfect cover letter core:
- Detail your educational and vocational data background.
- Include several quantifiable wins to prove you get data.
- Give an example of some of your best data and analytics skills.
- Show hunger and enthusiasm for the data analyst position.
Check out this entry-level data analyst cover letter body:
Sample Cover Letter Data Analyst Entry-Level—Body Paragraphs
As an intern with Ingenious Informatics, I worked on many small- and large-scale projects which allowed me to expand my data toolset and knowledge. That experience, coupled with my university background, gives me a great understanding of the ins and outs of data, including systems analysis, business practices, database management systems, emerging technologies, business trends and IT project management.
During my time at Ingenious Informatics, my wins included:
- Designed and built over 50 statistical analysis models on using Teradata.
- Increased data collection and processing rates by over 175% with AI and ML integration and new proprietary software.
- Won the Quanties 2019 Awards for Excellence for “Top New Practitioner.”
I am quite proud of the results I achieve, whether it’s simple data entry or complicated calculations and compilations. If you give me the chance to interview for the data analyst job, I’m certain you won’t be disappointed.
See that?
This wasn’t even 150 words in length, but it packed a punch. It follows our structured data framework to maximize its effectiveness in a minimal amount of space.
Whether you’re a market data analyst or a financial data analyst, that’ll keep them excited.
Pro Tip: We suggested you use keywords on your data analyst resume, and we urge you to do the same here. Also, choose a good font for your cover letter to make it legible—all this data you’re compiling is worthless if they can’t read it!
Need more ideas on how to tweak these middle bits? We’ve got all the cover letter dos and don’ts here: 35+ Professional Cover Letter Tips and Advice
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.
4
How to Close Data Analyst Cover Letters Like a Boss
Your data analyst duties aren’t over until you prepare a handy visualization which enables the powers that be to derive meaning.
Same on a data analyst cover letter—
It’s not ready to turn in if you don’t wrap it up perfectly.
Here’s our take on a strong closing paragraph for data cover letters:
Data Analysis Cover Letter Examples—Closing Paragraph
| wrong |
|---|
| I look forward to receiving a call back from you or your staff at your earliest convenience. |
| right |
|---|
| I eagerly welcome the chance to discuss the upcoming projects and plans of Tribeca Teknologix, as well as to share with you how my past wins at Ingenious can easily translate to increased insight and better predictions at TT. |
The first example is common, but way too impersonal—
A mistake as ghastly as ignoring solid numbers.
The other one, however, brings your cover letter to a satisfying close. It offers up a call to action and does the heavy lifting for them by implying a correlation between your past work and your future data analysis.
As powerful as IBM’s Watson.
Next up—
Just a closing sentiment followed by your full name:
Sample Cover Letter Data Analyst—Valediction
Sincerely,
Deborah Stansberry
Piece of cake, right?
Finally, consider adding a postscript. While it isn’t necessary, it is a useful way to catch their attention once more before the hiring manager decides.
Here’s a cover letter postscript in practice:
Entry-Level Data Analyst Cover Letter Sample—Postscript
P.S. If you have time for a coffee, I’d love sitting down with you and discussing how I could bring my increased data processing rates (175%) over to Tribeca Teknologix.
See how it’s done?
Here, you add a friendly, human touch to the often-indifferent atmosphere of any data hiring process. On top of that, it reminds them you’re the best analytical candidate by bringing up a win once more.
That’s as solid as Hadoop.
Pro Tip: Is your online data kafkaesque? Before you email your data analyst resume and cover letter, clean your online presence and ensure your LinkedIn profile is up to par.
Looking for more ideas on how to close out a weather data analyst or systems data analyst cover letter? We’ve got a great guide right here: How to End a Cover Letter: Sample & Complete Guide [+20 Examples]
Key Takeaway
Now you have a data analysis cover letter as neat and orderly as Tableau insights.
Let’s wrap it all together—
Here’s how to write the perfect cover letter for data analyst jobs:
- Format your data analyst cover letter template right.
- Begin with a captivating introduction sentence or two.
- Discuss your academic and professional background.
- List a few of your key data analysis accomplishments.
- Write about how this data job is the perfect fit for you.
- End with a powerful closing statement and call to action.
- Consider a postscript to add a human touch and extra info.
Now THAT’S a cover letter that’ll satisfy any senior data analyst’s job search query!
Have any questions on how to write a cover letter for data analysts or interns? Not sure how to talk up your machine learning skills, artificial intelligence achievements, or data know-how? Get at us in the comments below and let’s chat. Thanks for reading!
