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.
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:
- A UX designer cover letter sample better than 9 out of 10 others.
- How to use your achievements to your advantage in a UX designer cover letter.
- How to write a cover letter for a UX designer that will get you hired.
Do UX Designers Need a Cover Letter?
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:
- Graphic Design Cover Letter Sample
- Social Media Manager Cover Letter Sample
- Web Developer Cover Letter Sample
- Web Designer Cover Letter Sample
- Digital Marketing Cover Letter Sample
- Product Manager Cover Letter Sample
- Front End Developer Cover Letter Sample
- Apple Cover Letter Sample
- Software Engineer Cover Letter Sample
- PR Cover Letter Sample
- Computer Science Cover Letter Sample
- Marketing Coordinator Cover Letter Sample
- Recent Graduate Cover Letter Sample
Want to explore your options further? See our full selection of cover letter examples for every career:Best Cover Letter Examples
UX Designer Cover Letter Sample
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:
- Increasing user satisfaction by 25% with targeted, research-based interface improvements.
- Creating and testing over 50 high- and low-fidelity prototypes, 2 of which eventually became the company’s flagship products and generated average annual revenues of $600,000.
- Introducing the practice of iterative testing and design to the company, achieving an average usability improvement rate of 45% per iteration.
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:
1. Use the Best UX Designer Cover Letter Template
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:
The Best UX Designer Cover Letter Template [Checklist]
- Your name, job title, and contact details, including your phone number and email address. Add your mailing address only if you’re applying by post.
- (Optional) Link to your online UX design portfolio and relevant social media.
- Date of your application.
- The hiring manager’s contact information.
- Dear + the hiring manager’s name. If you don’t know their name and can’t find it online, use the phraseDear Hiring Manager instead. Avoid saying Dear Sir/Madam—it doesn’t sit well with most people to be addressed in this way.
- Cover letter body split into three paragraphs:
- A short introduction tailored to the position and the company. Include an eye-catching professional achievement to hook the recruiter from the start!
- A longer section describing your experience, skills, and accomplishments to show that you fit the job. You can use bullet points to highlight your biggest wins.
- A paragraph explaining why you’re interested in working for this particular company.
- Closing paragraph with an offer and a CTA.
- Signature
- Best regards, followed by your name and job title.
- (Optional) P.S.
- An additional achievement to boost your conversion rates.
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
2. Start Your UX Designer Cover Letter in the Right Way
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:
UX Designer Cover Letter Examples [First Paragraph]
| RIGHT |
|---|
Katherine Essary UX Designer 304-654-7373 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 |
|---|
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:
Entry Level UX Designer Cover Letter Example [First Paragraph]
| 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
3. Write a Great UX Designer Cover Letter Middle
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:
- Show that you understand the role and the company.
- Use examples from your experience to prove you’re the right person for the job.
- Explain why you want to work for this particular company, highlighting your shared values.
Let’s validate our idea and see if everything works as expected:
Sample Cover Letter for UX Designer [Middle]
| 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.
4. End Your UX Designer Cover Letter with a CTA
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.
UX Cover Letter Examples [Ending]
| 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:
- Shows enthusiasm at the prospect of an interview
- Mentions a couple of key skills compatible with the job ad
- Hints at having additional abilities not covered in the letter
- Offers to use her skills for the benefit of the company
In other words, she avoids all the pitfalls of a generic cover letter ending such as this one:
| WRONG |
|---|
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:
- 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.
- P.S.: I can’t wait to tell you about a new UX research method I came up with to get accurate actionable insights in half the time.
See? Now the recruiter can’t wait to talk to you!
Read more: How to End a Cover Letter: 20+ Examples
Key Takeaway
Here’s a quick recap of how to write a job-winning UX designer cover letter:
- Follow the correct format. Your cover letter should be clear and easy to navigate like a well-designed UI.
- Start strong with a big achievement. Hook the reader from the first sentence and keep them reading.
- Prove yourself. Show that you understand the role and have the right skills and experience to excel.
- End your cover letter with an offer. Add a surprise factor with an optional P.S.
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!
