35+ Successful Cover Letter Tips & Advice (With Examples)
Cover letter writing tips—sure to turn any boring letter into something employers want to read.
Your data scientist cover letter has to wow employers like a million-dollar Kaggle prize. But—you won’t get there by saying “My resume’s attached.” The worst part? You’re not a professional writer. After fifty or so false-starts, your hopes of getting hired start to cluster a lot lower.
Take heart. The good data science jobs are out there. You know—the ones with big brands, great training, and high pay. Best yet, it’s not hard to write a winning cover letter. Just pick a good cover letter format and avoid the cliches. You’ll be data mining faster than you can say “Decision tree.”
This guide will show you:
- A cover letter sample for data scientist jobs better than 9 out of 10 others.
- How to write a cover letter for data scientists that lands more interviews.
- Why the right datapoints from your work history can make the difference.
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 examples and create your cover letter here.
Considering similar positions too? See:
- Computer Science Cover Letter Example
- Cybersecurity Cover Letter Example
- Engineering Cover Letter Example
- Engineering Internship Cover Letter Example
- Software Engineer Cover Letter Example
- Software Developer Cover Letter Example
- IT Cover Letter Example
- System Administrator Cover Letter Example
- Formal Cover Letter Example
- Best Cover Letter Examples for All Professions
This data scientist cover letter template works like R:
Data Scientist Cover Letter Sample
Your Name
Data Scientist
Mailing Address
Phone Number
Email Address
Date
Hiring Manager Name
Title
Company Name
Mailing Address
Dear [Hiring Manager Name],
Congratulations on Data0011’s 99% “recommended by employees” status on Glassdoor. Your commitment to internal communication and development are exceptional—thanks in large part to your efforts.
Currently I’m a senior data scientist at Exend Capital, a multinational investment firm with $54 billion under management. What attracts me to Data0011 is the chance to support your need for the development of internal machine learning tools that aid in data modeling, prediction, and presentation. At Exend, I created 4 proprietary machine learning tools that integrated with existing ERM and CRM software with 99.9% uptime during transition. I also created and presented data models that facilitated 20% higher returns than our historical performance.
[Hiring Manager Name], I look forward to speaking with you about how my machine learning and data modeling skills can help with [Company Name]’s data science challenges and opportunities for the next quarter, year, and decade.
Best regards,
[Your Name], Data Scientist
[Phone Number]
[Email]
Wow.
A cover letter for data scientist jobs like that could get you in at StreamSets.
Send your cover letter for data scientist jobs with an outlier resume. See our guide: Data Scientist Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
Now, here’s how to write data scientist cover letters that work:
1. Use the Best Data Scientist Cover Letter Template
You can’t get hired with a data scientist cover letter that resembles an Excel sheet. To get a bigger data set of jobs, start from basic principles with a crisp cover letter layout. Your goal should be to look as clear and simple as a Tableau report. The 3-paragraph resume format is well-liked because it works.
Use this template when formatting your cover letter.
Sample Data Scientist Cover Letter—Checklist
- your contact info
- the company’s contact info
- Dear [Hiring Manager Name],
- first paragraph: an eye-catching introduction
- second paragraph: why you want the job and how your key skills fit
- third paragraph: your offer
- best regards and your name and title
Pro Tip: In a cover letter email, you don’t need a street address. Your email address and phone number are enough. But—pay close attention to your subject line.
2. Start Your Data Scientist Cover Letter Right
The hiring team won’t read your data scientist cover letter without a reason. The first paragraph is where you give them one. Dig deep to find a fact that holds them like a clickstream. The trick? It can be a simple as their Glassdoor rating, an award they won, or a big data science win from your career.
These cover letter first paragraph examples for data scientists break it down:
Data Scientist Cover Letter Examples [First Paragraph]
| Right Example |
|---|
Trisha Stamm Data Scientist 3127 Winding Way Providence, RI 02908 401-439-3501
3/2/20
Richard Gaona CEO Data0011 2973 Bond Street Providence, RI 02906
Dear Richard,
Congratulations on Data0011’s 99% “recommended by employees” status on Glassdoor. Your commitment to internal communication and development are exceptional, thanks in large parts to your efforts. |
Job-getting.
Why does that data science cover letter example get it right?
Because it:
- Proves you know a thing or two about the firm.
- Reminds them of something they’re proud of. That’s powerful!
But this data scientist cover letter example misses the point:
| Wrong Example |
|---|
To Whom It May Concern,
I’m a data scientist skilled in machine learning, data visualization, and modeling. I’m known for my strengths in statistics and debugging. I’m a high-energy critical thinker with an aptitude for building frameworks that facilitate business growth. I delve deep to create strong insights the guide companies to increased ROI. |
Ick.
That’s impersonal and mired in adjectives.
But—what if you’re writing a cover letter for a data scientist internship?
Data Scientist Cover Letter Sample [Entry-Level]
In new data scientist resume cover letters—
List number-crunching achievements from:
- Non-data scientist jobs
- Your degree and time in school
- Personal projects and group projects
- Volunteering
- Certifications like GCP
Or start your cover letter for data scientist jobs with:
- A recent success the company attained
- A fact that attracts you to the company
- The name of a data scientist or manager who works there already
- Your passion for data science
See these data scientist cover letter examples with no experience:
- As a data scientist at Exend Capital, my models helped fund managers earn $23 million more per year. For your company...
- I have loved everything about data science since my first regression model back in high school. Today...
- Congratulations on your recent acquisition of DataDataField Inc.! The reason that excites me so much is...
- Jessie LeBlac suggested I apply. She remarked recently that my machine learning skills...
- When I graduated with a 4.0 from Syracuse University...
- When I spoke on a panel with DJ Patil at the AAAI conference...
- My article in Forbes about machine learning...
Powerful.
Those starting lines for cover letters for data scientists all beat, “My application and resume are attached...”
Pro Tip: Do projects on data cleaning, predictive analysis, and exploratory analysis on Kaggle. Then post them to GitHub or an online portfolio and tease them in your letter.
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.
3. Target Your Data Scientist Cover Letter Middle to the Job
You’ve got their attention. What now? Simple. Make them see they’ve got to read your resume or else. How? With a well-classified second paragraph for your cover letter for data scientist jobs. The trick is to match yourself with the company. Learn their needs, then mine your past for times that fit.
Add:
- The reason you want this data scientist role
- Your knowledge of the data scientist job requirements
- Proof you can cluster and predict like Allen Bonde
See these data scientist cover letter examples:
Data Scientist Cover Letter Examples [Middle]
| Right Example |
|---|
Currently I’m a senior data scientist at Exend Capital, a multinational investment firm with $54 billion under management. What attracts me to Data0011 is the chance to support your need for the development of internal machine learning tools that aid in data modeling, prediction, and presentation. At Exend, I created 4 proprietary machine learning tools that integrated with existing ERM and CRM software with 99.9% uptime during transition. I also created and presented data models that facilitated 20% better returns than our historical performance. |
Exceptional.
That shows your data science skills fit the position.
But—
The next of our data scientist cover letter examples deviates too far:
| Wrong Example |
|---|
I’m a talented individual and data scientist, a high-energy machine learning developer, and an insightful team player with impressive skills in data visualization, R Studio, and Python. I excel in statistics and multiple modeling tasks and am a top-notch problem solver who helps companies maximize profitability and clarify big datasets. |
Nope.
You breezed right by the job description. Phrases like “high-energy” mean nothing because we don’t have a frame of reference. High? How high? Show us what you did. Then we’ll know how high.
Make your cover letter slightly more than half a page. See our guide: How Long Should a Cover Letter Be? Sample & Guide
4. End Your Data Scientist Cover Letter Strong
Don’t leave them hanging. Finish your cover letter with an offer or you’ll get a “meh” response. For the best shot at the interview, find out what they like, then tease it in your final paragraph. Most employers want a long-term data scientist whose goal is to increase KPIs that matter.
These examples show how:
Cover Letter Examples for Data Scientist [Ending]
| Right Example |
|---|
Richard, I look forward to speaking with you about how my machine learning and data modeling skills can help with Data0011’s data science challenges and opportunities for the next quarter, year, and decade.
Best regards,
Trisha Stamm, Data Scientist 401-439-3501 |
That’s Sisense-level.
It gives:
- More skills
- The promise of a good interview conversation
But the next of our data scientist cover letter samples gets lost in the massive set of applications:
| Wrong Example |
|---|
Thank you for reading this. Please see my resume. |
Buried deep.
Pro Tip: Outline your cover letter before you start. You’ll astronomically increase your chances if you include projects that matter to the industry, like healthcare or finance.
Key Takeaway
Here’s how to write a data scientist cover letter:
- Use the right data scientist cover letter format. Add your Josh-James-level skills.
- Start your cover letter with a Teradata-worthy fact.
- Tell why you want the job. (Not just “I need money.”) Then transition to your most fitting skills.
- Make an offer to end your cover letter for data scientist jobs.
Not sure how to start your data science cover letter? Want to write a cover letter for data scientists that makes the phone ring? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!
