Cover E-mail

A cover e-mail is a letter of introduction, sent to an employer, accompanying a resume or CV. This e-mail is structured to speak more into detail of your CV, and express why you are applying for this job, and what you can offer to the role. This is what an employer would read before considering you for application, so it should be presented professionally. I will be creating a cover e-mail applying for a company or studio that I am interested in.

First of all, a cover e-mail is a small page long document to describe who you are, why you are applying for this job, and what you can offer. It is vital to first of all research the studio before writing to them, for example, searching for the recruiting managers details, researching the history of the studio, the projects they have produced and more. A cover e-mail is made to confidently explain your skills and qualities that are essential for the job role you’re applying for. Lastly, it is respectable to thank the employer for considering you for the role.

 

The website indeed.com offers examples of cover letters to express how each job role would be presented in a cover letter. I had a look at a few examples choosing different job roles – to see what ideas I can get from them, and see how a cover letter is structured.

Graphic Designer

Here we have the Graphic Designer cover letter. First they clearly label what position they are applying for and the name of the company. They express their admiration to the company and suggests how they would fit right into the team. In the next paragraph it is about a previous graphic design role. They explain their main duties in the role and how it has benefitted the past company – making them look like a hard worker. Their next paragraph goes into detail about their extended skills such as digital marketing and animation. They express how they work on their own projects and as a result is more experienced in multiple mediums. Lastly they thank the employer and summarise how they can be a good candidate. This is a cover letter suited for an experienced Graphic Designer, one that has work experience, and personal experience. This is an effective cover letter with the great contents of experience included, and the passion for the specific company they are applying for.

 

Artist

Here we have the Artist cover letter. It starts with what position they are applying for and the name of the company. They suggest that with their experience and education, they are a well-suited applicant. In the next paragraph, they tell a story about their art journey, from an early age. They talk about high school as art being their high achievement, and then goes on to explain their studies at a college. They list the mediums they studied, the topics they made projects on, and their most favourite thing about being an artist. Lastly they thank the employer and summarise how they can be a good candidate. This cover letter is more situated for a graduate, looking for an art industry job. The passion in the story and their detail into their skills is effective too. Also, their list of achievements are a sign that they are a great worker and artist too.

 

Sources:

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/cover-letter-samples

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/cover-letter-samples/graphic-designer

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/cover-letter-samples/artist

 

I picked to write about the studio Sixteen South, and apply for a 2D animator role. Their website is linked here:

https://sixteensouth.tv

 

Firstly, we worked on a task during class practicing how to write a cover e-mail for applying for a job. We chose between four job applications that we were interested in. I chose the 2D Animation role for this task. We took some time to figure out the structure of our cover e-mail, and find information that we could write about ourselves – our skills and qualities. I was not able to write down much information, but I learnt what structure I could go for, and later on I would find the right contents to talk about.

 

I started up a photoshop document containing my title name and my contact information. I wanted to follow the same design style as my CV so I copy and pasted the same title from my CV, and changed the colour. I copy and pasted the type font also and used it for my text and paragraphs.

 

 

From our lecture on cover e-mails, I followed the section prompts to help me write out my information. For section 1, it says ‘Why are you applying?’ ‘What position are you applying for?’ and ‘Where did you hear about the Job advertisement?’ I wrote that I was a passionate artist, interested in the studios 2D animation projects. That I am applying for the role of a 2D Animator, and I had heard of the job advertisement from their own website jobs portal, where they will post available job roles to apply for. I also added a sentence that I would be ‘a valuable contribution to the team‘ as this leads onto section 2.

 

For section 2, it says ‘What do you have to offer?’ ‘Outline specific qualifications that make you a good candidate’ and ‘show what you have to offer’. I wrote that I am an animation student at Ulster University, so I am constantly learning, and have experience of animation techniques like concept art, storyboarding, video editing, on software like After effects, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro. I also explained what current project I am working on at the moment, that includes aspects and techniques for 2D animation. This can let the employer know I am interested in the role as I work on projects that contain the role duties.

 

Lastly in section 3, it says ‘Thank your employer for considering you for the position’ ‘Summarise in a sentence why you are a good candidate’ and ‘Mention that you look forward to hearing back from your employer’. I wrote about the studios slogan ‘Impatiently believing in more’ and wrote how it inspires me and how I relate to the phrase. I concluded that I would love to follow in their path, and work with them. I stated where they could find my portfolio for easy access, and lastly thanked them for taking the time to consider me, and that I look forward to hearing from them. As an addition for the sign off, I added my signature to be seen more professional.

 

 

This is my final cover e-mail / letter to the right. I am happy with the outcome. I was able to write just under 300 words describing my skills, and explaining why I was suitable for the role. I am a lot more confident in working on this kind of industry material than I was before, as I took time to figure out what contents I should be writing about. However if I were to do this again, I would possibly layout the document as more of an e-mail format, but it is still effective as a document format I believe. Also, next time, when I am writing up a cover e-mail for an application. I will make sure I can find the name and details of their recruiting manager/management.

 

Link: Cover_Letter

 

 

Sources:

https://learning.ulster.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/pid-6293987-dt-content-rid-23744491_1/courses/17898_2122/Cover%20Letters%20%26%20Emails%282%29.pdf

https://sixteensouth.tv

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back To Top
Skip to toolbar