You’ve found the perfect industrial design job and your resume is ready. Now, you hit a snag — crafting a cover letter that doesn’t just parrot your resume. You need to share that one sparkling achievement that you're proud of, painting a vivid picture of your success without falling into the trap of clichés. Remember, formality is key, yet your story should fit on just one page. Let's guide you through writing a cover letter that stands out without standing on too long.
- Personalize your industrial design cover letter and get inspired by other professionals to tell a compelling story;
- Format and design your industrial design cover letter to make an excellent first impression;
- Introduce your best achievement in your industrial design cover letter to recruiters;
- How to make sure recruiters get in touch with you, using your industrial design cover letter greeting and closing paragraphs.
What is more, did you know that Enhancv's AI can write your cover letter for you? Just upload your industrial design resume and get ready to forward your job application in a flash.
If the industrial design isn't exactly the one you're looking for we have a plethora of cover letter examples for jobs like this one:
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Industrial Design cover letter example
Taylor Foster
Houston, TX
+1-(234)-555-1234
help@enhancv.com
- Emphasize relevant experience: In the cover letter, mentioning the candidate's role in cofounding Lessard and successfully leading it to profitability showcases strategic foresight and resilience, which are key attributes for leadership roles in industrial design.
- Spotlight on achievements: By highlighting specific outcomes, such as the cost savings of $2.3 million and improving production standards, the candidate effectively demonstrates their ability to deliver results that could be attractive to the hiring manager.
- Demonstrate understanding of industry challenges: The candidate's experience in reallocating engineering resources and navigating supplier shifts during economic downturns provides evidence of their capability to manage and adapt to industry-specific challenges.
Five tips on formatting your industrial design cover letter
Do you want to make a good impression on recruiters and, at the same time, follow the best industry advice on writing your industrial design cover letter?
Make sure to include the following:
- Header and Salutation;
- Introductory paragraph;
- Body paragraph;
- Closing paragraph;
- Signature (this one is up to you).
Remember to use the same modern, simple font for your industrial design cover letter as you did for your resume (e.g. Lato, Rubik, etc.)
Ensure your industrial design cover letter is single-spaced and is wrapped around a one-inch margin, like in our cover letter templates.
Once completed, use our cover letter builder to export your industrial design cover letter in the best format to keep your information intact - PDF.
At the end of the day, your industrial design cover letter won't be assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) software, but by the recruiters. Your information should thus be legible, organized, and follow a structured logic.
The top sections on a industrial design cover letter
- Header: Include your contact information and the date, ensuring the recruiter can easily identify you and understand the timeliness of your application, which is crucial for time-sensitive design projects.
- Greeting: Address the recruiter or hiring manager by name whenever possible, as personalized greetings demonstrate attention to detail, a valuable trait in industrial design.
- Introduction: Briefly introduce yourself and state your intent to apply for the industrial design position, showcasing your passion and familiarity with the industry to capture the recruiter’s interest right away.
- Body: Highlight your relevant design experience, skills in CAD software, understanding of manufacturing processes, and portfolio successes to emphasize your suitability for the role and how your design philosophy aligns with the company’s products and mission.
- Closing: End with a proactive statement, expressing your eagerness to discuss your potential contributions to the company in an interview and reinforcing your commitment to advancing the field of industrial design through innovative solutions.
Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter
- Proficiency in design software: Recruiters look for candidates with expertise in industry-standard software such as Adobe Creative Suite, SolidWorks, or Autodesk programs to ensure efficient, high-quality product design and visualization.
- Strong sketching and prototyping skills: The ability to quickly translate ideas into sketches and create physical prototypes is crucial for effective communication of design concepts and for testing the functionality of design solutions.
- Understanding of manufacturing processes and materials: Knowing how products are made and what materials are suitable for various applications is essential to creating feasible and cost-effective industrial designs.
- Creativity and problem-solving abilities: Industrial designers must be innovative and able to approach challenges with unique solutions that satisfy aesthetic, functional, and user-experience requirements.
- Knowledge of ergonomics and user-centric design: An understanding of how users interact with products and the importance of designing for comfort, efficiency, and accessibility is vital to successful product design.
- Experience with design research and user testing: Recruiters value candidates who can conduct thorough design research, user testing, and analyze feedback to iterate and improve upon design concepts effectively.
Greeting recruiters with your industrial design cover letter salutation
What better way to start your conversation with the hiring manager, than by greeting them?
Take the time to find out who the professional, recruiting for the role, is.
Search on LinkedIn, the company website. And for those still keen on making a fantastic first impression, you could even contact the organization, asking for the recruiter's name and more details about the job.
Address recruiters in the industrial design greeting by either their first name or last name. (e.g. "Dear Anthony" or "Dear Ms. Smarts").
If you're unable to discover the recruiter's name - don't go for the impersonal "To whom it may concern", but instead use "Dear HR team".
List of salutations you can use
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear [Company Name] Team,
- Dear [Department Name] Team,
- Dear [Specific Contact Person's Title and Name],
- Dear Selection Committee,
- Dear [Mr./Ms./Dr.] [Last Name],
Your industrial design cover letter introduction and the value you bring
Moving on from the "Dear Recruiter" to your professional introduction.
Use those first two sentences of your industrial design cover letter to present the biggest asset you'd bring to the organization.
Don't go into too much detail about your achievement or the skill set, but instead - go straight for the win.
That is - what is your value as a professional?
Would you be able to build stronger, professional relationships in any type of communication? Or, potentially, integrate seamlessly into the team?
What comes next: your industrial design cover letter middle paragraphs
In the next three to six paragraphs (or the body of your industrial design cover letter) you have to prove your unique value.
Most candidates tend to mess up at this stage. They tend to just copy-paste information from their resume.
That's one big no-no.
Remember that when writing your industrial design cover letter, it has to be personalized. And, your ultimate aim is to catch the recruiter's eye.
So, look back on key job requirements and write down a list that includes the ones you cover.
Next, select just one key achievement from your professional (or personal) history that meets those advert keywords.
Narrate a story around how you've grown your skill set and knowledge. Also, aim to show the unique understanding or soft skills you bring about, thanks to your past success.
A sincere and original way to end your industrial design cover letter
When writing their industrial design cover letter, candidates tend to use one of these phrases, "Sincerely yours" or "I look forward to hearing from you".
Both statements show good manners, but your cover letter should end in a more actionable manner.
Write about:
- how you see yourself growing in the role/organization;
- the benefits you would bring about (you'd impress even more with tangible metrics);
- the next steps in the process (provide your availability for interviews).
What to write on your industrial design cover letter, when you have zero experience
The best advice for candidates, writing their industrial design cover letters with no experience, is this - be honest.
If you have no past professional roles in your portfolio, focus recruiters' attention on your strengths - like your unique, transferrable skill set (gained as a result of your whole life), backed up by one key achievement.
Or, maybe you dream big and have huge motivation to join the company. Use your industrial design cover letter to describe your career ambition - that one that keeps you up at night, dreaming about your future.
Finally, always ensure you've answered why employers should hire precisely you and how your skills would benefit their organization.
Key takeaways
Winning at your job application game starts with a clear and concise industrial design cover letter that:
- Has single-spaced paragraphs, is wrapped in a one-inch margin, and uses the same font as the industrial design resume;
- Is personalized to the recruiter (using their name in the greeting) and the role (focusing on your one key achievement that answers job requirements);
- Includes an introduction that helps you stand out and show what value you'd bring to the company;
- Substitutes your lack of experience with an outside-of-work success, that has taught you valuable skills;
- Ends with a call for follow-up or hints at how you'd improve the organization, team, or role.
Industrial Design cover letter examples
Explore additional industrial design cover letter samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.
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