Table of Contents
- Should UX designers have a cover letter when job hunting?
- What hiring managers want from your cover letter:
- Why your cover letter gets rejected (5 mistakes to avoid)
- Mistake #1: Typos and grammatical errors
- Mistake #2: A weak introduction that loses attention
- Mistake #3: Bad cover letter hygiene
- Mistake #4: You let AI write it (and it shows)
- Mistake #5: You're just restating your resume
- The UX designer’s cover letter full guide
- 1. Personal details
- 2. Salutation
- Introduction
- 3. Body
- 4. Closing
- Real-world cover letter from one senior designer
- Just write the damn thing
Do not index
Do not index
Read time: under 8 minutes
Should UX designers have a cover letter when job hunting?
In a job market where every pixel of your portfolio gets scrutinised and your Figma skills are dissected, the humble cover letter feels... antiquated. Why bother when your case studies do the talking?
Because hiring managers aren't just hiring hands. They're hiring humans.
What hiring managers want from your cover letter:
- Comprehend the role. Did you read the job description or just spam-apply? Can you connect your skills to their actual needs?
- Showcase your skills. Not by listing them (that's what resumes are for), but by demonstrating how you've used them to solve real problems.
- Demonstrate fit. Culture matters. Startups want scrappy builders. Enterprises want strategic thinkers. Show you get it.
- Pitch your enthusiasm. Hiring managers can smell indifference. Passion is contagious. Apathy is a dealbreaker.
Your job is to capture the employer's attention by making it scannable, concise, and personal. Do not ramble!
Why your cover letter gets rejected (5 mistakes to avoid)
Mistake #1: Typos and grammatical errors
This one's obvious, but somehow people still screw it up. One or two typos? Maybe forgivable if the rest is stellar. Multiple typos? You're done.
Hiring managers see typos as a proxy for attention to detail. If you can't proofread a one-page letter, how can they trust you to ship polished designs?
How to avoid this:
- Have a friend review it
- Sleep on it and read again with fresh eyes
- Read it out loud to catch awkward phrasing
- Write your cover letter in Grammarly (even the free version works)
Seriously. Just proofread. It's not hard.
Mistake #2: A weak introduction that loses attention
Most cover letters start like this:
"I am writing to express my strong interest in the UX Designer position at Company Name. With over X years of experience in UX design, I believe I would be a great fit for your team."
Cool. So does everyone else.
Hiring managers read dozens of these every day. Your intro needs to hook them immediately or they'll skim the rest (or worse, stop reading entirely).
What works better:
Start with a relevant pain point or insight.
"Your checkout flow has a 68% cart abandonment rate. I've spent the last two years reducing checkout friction at Company X, and I know exactly how to fix this."
Or lead with genuine enthusiasm:
"I've been a daily Notion user for three years. When I saw you're hiring a Product Designer to work on collaboration features, I knew I had to apply."
See how much more engaging those are? They're specific. They show understanding. They make the hiring manager think, "Okay, this person might get it."
Mistake #3: Bad cover letter hygiene
Some designers treat cover letters like therapy sessions. TMI alert.
Don't do this:
- "I've always struggled with confidence, but I'm working on it."
- "I'm looking for a new opportunity because my current manager doesn't appreciate my work."
- "My dream is to work at a company that values work-life balance because I burned out at my last job."
Keep personal struggles out of it. This isn't about your journey of self-discovery. It's about solving their problems.
Also avoid:
- Obvious lies. Don't claim you "live and breathe" their product if you've never used it. They can tell.
- Excessively long letters. If your cover letter is longer than one page, you're doing it wrong. Cut it down.
- Industry jargon overload. If you're writing to a non-designer hiring manager, don't drown them in "heuristic evaluations" and "Gestalt principles." Speak clearly.
Mistake #4: You let AI write it (and it shows)
ChatGPT and other AI tools can be useful. But if you copy-paste AI-generated cover letters without editing, you're sabotaging yourself.
Hiring managers are getting better at spotting AI-written content. The telltale signs:
- Overly formal, corporate language
- Perfect grammar but zero personality
- No specific examples or personal voice
- Generic praise ("I am excited to contribute to your mission of innovation")
AI can help you draft. But you need to inject yourself into the writing. Add your voice. Share actual stories. Make it sound like you, not a robot.
Mistake #5: You're just restating your resume
Your resume already lists your experience. Your cover letter shouldn't be a redundant summary.
Instead, use your cover letter to:
- Tell the story behind your work
- Show enthusiasm and cultural understanding
- Highlight achievements that matter most for this role
- Connect the dots between your experience and their needs
If I can read your cover letter and learn nothing new about you, it's useless.
This framework is part of Job Sprint—165+ micro-video lessons directly from years of experience hiring UX designers as UX Managers.
The UX designer’s cover letter full guide
1. Personal details
Give just enough information for them to contact you.
What NOT to include:
- Multiple phone numbers
- Multiple mailing addresses
- Links to every social media profile you have
They don't need your life story. Just the essentials.
2. Salutation
Be smart about your salutation. Try to be personal when you can. There are 3 basic approaches you can take
- Casual
Dear AnaHi John
- Neutral / Safe
HelloHi
- Formal
To whom it may concernDear Hiring Manager
Do a quick LinkedIn search to find the hiring manager's name if possible. Personalization always helps.
Introduction
This is the part where you need to show excitement, plus a quick stroke about you. The goal is for them to get a bit of understanding from you, even if they don’t read the rest.
Example:
I am excited to express my interest in the of Product Designer position. As a meticulous & process-focused designer, I believe I can be a great fit for your team.Short. Specific. Confident.
3. Body
Structure:
- Read the job description carefully
- Identify 2-3 key requirements they're looking for
- Match each one with a specific example from your experience
Example:
During my time at ABC Manufacturing, I launched three products for the company, including product B, which is the most popular product in the company's history. Because of my contributions, ABC Manufacturing has doubled its revenue from five years ago4. Closing
You have already made your case and shown excitement, so make this short.
What to include:
- A thank you
- Your contact info (again)
- A call to action (inviting them to learn more)
Sign off casually:
- "Best, [Your Name]"
- "Cheers, [Your Name]"
- "Thanks, [Your Name]"
No need for "Sincerely" or "Respectfully yours." You're a designer, not a lawyer.
Example:
Thank you for your help and consideration. If you would like to know more about me, please feel free to visit my [portfolio] or email me at [email.com]. Have a great day, [Your name]This framework is part of Job Sprint—165+ micro-video lessons directly from years of experience hiring UX designers as UX Managers.
Real-world cover letter from one senior designer
Hi Courtney and team,
I am applying for the Senior User Experience Designer position at Peloton. I am confident I have the perfect combination of skills and experience to be an asset to Peloton’s mission of making exercise fun.
As you will find on my resume, I have experience in behavioral apps and B2C from working at Hooli as a Senior designer, and as a UX researcher at the University of SportX, and this is what I believe I can bring to the table:
- User-Centric Design: During my time at Hooli, I created a fitness chat app that was featured on Shape Magazine's online platforms. I used my knowledge of Usability Testing and about 2000 hours of interview time to shape a useful app for coaches to keep a calorie count.
- Business-savvy: The team and I spent more than 2000 hours talking to athletes, coaches, and influencers to get insights into what they need and want from an app like this. We've used those insights to shape our roadmap for 2023, and we're confident that our app will help grow revenue by 20% by EOY.
- Leadership skills: I don’t have to have a title to create a cultural impact. I made a safe environment for new designers in the company by documenting our processes and working alongside 2 junior designers to improve our work and demonstrate our value as a team. In the last 3 months, we have presented in 5 team meetings about the value of design, design systems, and best practices.
I am truly grateful for your consideration. Feel free to review my portfolio or contact me with any questions.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Evelyn Esma
Why this works:
- Short and scannable: The whole thing is under 300 words.
- Personalized greeting: She addresses the hiring manager by name.
- Organized structure: Three clear categories with specific examples.
- Confident but humble: She's proud of her work but respectful in tone.
- Clear positioning: She immediately connects her experience to their mission.
- Leadership without ego: She shows impact without needing a fancy title.
- Quantifiable results: Numbers like "2,000 hours," "20% revenue growth," and "five team meetings."
This is what a great cover letter looks like. Study it. Adapt it. Make it your own.
Just write the damn thing
A solid cover letter can be the difference between landing an interview and getting auto-rejected by an applicant tracking system.
When a hiring manager asks for a cover letter, they're giving you a gift. An opportunity to stand out. To show personality. To make a case that your resume alone can't.
Don't waste it by sending a generic template you found on Reddit. Put in the work. Read the job description. Research the company. Write something real.
Your next job is out there. You just need to write a cover letter that doesn't suck.
Now go do it.
Whenever you're ready, there are 4 ways I can help you:
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4. Job Sprint Course: Stand out in an unpredictable job market by building a memorable personal brand and a killer job search strategy.
