Creative Cover Letters (With Examples)

When cover letters are done right, they can immediately set you apart from the rest of the applicant pool, but they can be tricky to perfect. Without overwhelming your reader, there’s a lot of information you need to cover in a limited amount of space.

Hiring managers can read through dozens of cover letters in a day, so making sure yours stands out is key to getting an invitation to interview.

You can make your cover letter stand out in two ways: with compelling writing and creative flair. While you might think it’s impossible to infuse a cover letter with any personality or creativity, it’s actually a fairly easy way to improve your application.

We’re going to break down some creative cover letters and give you examples of cover letters to look at. Keep on reading and you’ll be ready to add some creative flair to your job application and stand out from the crowd.

What Is a Creative Cover Letter?

A creative cover letter is a cover letter that grabs the reader’s attention by doing something different, whether that’s done visually or through the written content. You might be wondering what exactly a creative cover letter entails, but the good news is that it’s totally flexible.

You can get creative with the design of your cover letter, which is great for people in creative industries (think architecture, graphic design, marketing, entertainment, or media), or you can add some flair to your writing.

It’s really up to you and what creative elements you think will fit with your experience, the job you’re applying to, and the industry you work in.

If you’re thinking about changing the design to be more creative than the standard header and content format, make sure that your creative cover letter will be well-received. Some professions are stricter and want to see your skills, experience, and qualifications instead of your creativity.

In these cases, it’s best to stick with a classic cover letter with just a professional header and you can get more creative in the body of your letter.

In industries where creativity is encouraged and a good way to attract attention, you can play with the layout, design, and color scheme. The sky’s the limit and you can get super creative.

You just have to make sure that your cover letter is legible and communicates all of your skills and experience.

If you’re getting creative, try matching your cover letter to your resume, website, or portfolio. Use the same color scheme or design across all of your application materials so your submissions are easily identifiable and cohesive.

If you’d rather leave your cover letter looking traditional and just spice up the content, there are plenty of ways to make your writing engaging. Improving your writing and adding a little extra flair can liven up your cover letter, making it exciting for the reader.

Hiring managers and recruiters see so many cover letters in a day and most of them are dry, but if you can add a little bit of excitement, you’re sure to be remembered. Keep reading to see our best tips for adding a little creative flair to your cover letter writing.

Tips for Making Cover Letters Creative

When it comes to the actual writing of your cover letter, you want to present your information in the most engaging way possible. Infuse the letter with some personality and stand out from the rest of the applicants.

If you can communicate your personality through the cover letter, you’ll stand out and get a chance to start building rapport with the hiring team. Here’s a few tips on how to make your cover letter stand out:

• Take advantage of your first sentence. One of the best ways to spice up your cover letter is by adding an engaging first sentence. Choose something that will draw your reader in and make them want to keep reading.

  Make sure whatever you write is relevant to the job position or your experience, but you can have a little fun with that first sentence.

• Show off your passions. If you love your career path or you’re super excited for the position you’re applying to, let it be known!

  Sharing your genuine excitement and passion for a field, industry, or job is a good way to show your dedication, expertise, and engagement.

  Being a candidate with obvious passion for a field will make you stand out above the other candidates who only have a mild interest.

• Talk about the company. One way to get creative is to research the company and find interesting facts or stories that you connect with, then mention them in your cover letter.

  Include things about where your interests intersect or why you love that company in particular. Some examples include charities that you’re both passionate about or how the organization has made an impact on your life.

• Create a story. Your cover letter doesn’t just have to be a dry walkthrough of your professional life and achievements.

  If you can find a way to turn your experience into a story and hit all of the points you need to, it’s a great way to make your application more memorable.

• Include a belief statement. Like a goal or objective on a resume, a belief statement on your cover letter can give hiring teams a one sentence overview of who you are and what you want to achieve.

  It’s a great place to write about yourself and align with a company’s values or goals to show that you’ve done your research and you’d be a good culture fit.

• Mention a network connection. If you have a friend who already works at the company or got a referral from someone in your network, you should add that to your cover letter. That shows that you already know people at the company and they could vouch for you.

  Connections at companies can be extremely useful, so try networking and seeing where you can find connections.

• Start with your accomplishments. You might have an achievement that you’re especially proud of or is particularly relevant to the position you’re applying for.

  If that’s the case, leading with that might be a good way to capture your reader’s attention right from the beginning.

10 Examples of Creative Cover Letters

It can be hard to get started on a creative cover letter, so here’s a few examples of how you can incorporate our tips from above.

Just remember that creative cover letters are still professional documents that are meant to convey specific information on your professional experience and your skills.

It’s important to add some personality to your cover letter, but you still need it to perform its professional function.

1. Some people may say that I’m crazy for quitting my real estate job and going to culinary school, but those people have never tasted my signature pasta alla vodka. My unique career journey positions me perfectly to manage ABC Restaurant as they franchise and expand, while keeping the quality of service consistent.

2. As the recipient of the American Financial Technology “Most Cutting-Edge IT Initiative” award, I’m always ready to bring my best, most creative ideas to whatever IT project I’m tackling. I’m committed to staying up-to date with industry trends and bringing that knowledge and expertise to share with all of my colleagues when we tackle projects.

3. When I noticed that ABC Company donates 10% of its profits to the ASPCA, I knew that I had to apply to this position. I care deeply about animal welfare causes and even spend my free time volunteering with the ASPCA. Being able to work at an organization that gives back to a group I support while allowing me to grow professionally is an opportunity that I cannot pass up.

4. As an accountant, I believe that everyone should know how to manage their finances responsibly. I do not just analyze and watch over my clients’ finances, but teach them how to be financially responsible so they can make informed decisions about their money.

5. When I was a kid, I lived at the movie theater. I would always see new movies as soon as they came out and kept going back to see everything again. Since then, I’ve worked to fit my love of movies and skill as a writer to find a career in media journalism. This position writing for the culture section of XYZ Magazine is the perfect opportunity for me to contribute to an iconic publication while bringing my personal passions into my professional life.

6. You’re looking for a social media savvy content marketer? Look no further, I’m right here. I have grown Instagram accounts by 5000+ followers, created dedicated TikTok audiences, and ran Facebook ads with 200% ROI in the last year alone and I’m excited to beat those stats with ABC Company.

7. Thanks to my former colleague, Jane Doe, I heard of an opening for a PR Director at your company and was immediately intrigued. Jane has nothing but great things to say about your company and once I saw the job description, I knew it would be a perfect fit.

8. I have been constantly refreshing XYZ Company’s careers page since I found out about their mission to support local nonprofits with innovative tech. When I finally saw a job posting that happened to be in my industry, I applied immediately. I admire XYZ’s mission and I believe my enthusiasm for web development and your mission will make me the perfect fit for the Full Stack Developer position.

9. If you’ve seen my resume, you know that I’m not exactly qualified for the business analyst position. But what you can’t see from my resume is my dedication to teaching myself the ins and outs of the industry in my spare time or the endless networking I’ve done to understand the role of a business analyst. Here’s why I’m uniquely positioned to wow you as your newest business analyst.

10. I believe that every business has a valuable service to provide, it’s just about finding the perfect audience for it. As a marketer, I love tackling the “hard to sell” businesses and flipping around their branding and messaging until they’re profitable.

Creative Cover Letter FAQ

1. What should a creative cover letter include?

   A creative cover letter should include a standard heading but a unique body paragraph. A standard header is important for professionalism, but the body of the letter should be an interesting way of introducing your skills and accomplishments.

   This is especially true for your opening sentence, which can pull the reader in by outlining a specific accomplishment. After that, building a story can be a creative way of expressing your passions and interest in the company. Plus, if you can add a specific stat or two about your accomplishments, you’ll be even more golden.

2. How do I make my cover letter unique?

   You can make your cover letter unique by adding relevant personal touches. For example, telling a brief story about how and why you left your real-estate job to pursue culinary school can speak to your passion and willingness to learn.

   Plus, such an opening is unexpected and clever. What restaurant would expect you to talk about real estate? But, that makes you a more unique and memorable candidate.

   The way you choose to make your cover letter unique can largely depend on your experience. Taking a more humorous and self-aware approach can be good if you don’t have the experience (as shown in example nine) while giving specific stats can be ideal if you have experience. (as shown in example six).

3. How do you end a creative cover letter?

   The best way to end your creative cover letter is through charming confidence. Briefly summarize why you’re the best candidate for the job, and thank the employer for their time.

   At the very end of your letter, you can include closing salutations such as: “Sincerely,” “Best regards,” or “Thank you for your consideration.”

4. Are creative cover letters effective?

   Yes, creative cover letters are effective. For example, up to 83% of hiring managers say that a great cover letter could convince them to schedule an interview with an applicant.

   And a creative cover letter makes you even more memorable, which will make it far easier to land an interview.

Author

Amanda Covaleski

Amanda is a writer with experience in various industries, including travel, real estate, and career advice. After taking on internships and entry-level jobs, she is familiar with the job search process and landing that crucial first job. Included in her experience is work at an employer/intern matching startup where she marketed an intern database to employers and supported college interns looking for work experience.

Expert

Matt Warzel, CPRW, CIR

Matt Warzel a President of a resume writing firm (MJW Careers, LLC) with 15+ years of recruitment, outplacement, career coaching and resume writing experience. Matt is also a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing Focus) from John Carroll University.