You have the creative vision it takes to develop a cohesive image for the projects you work on and the managerial skills to lead a team of artists and designers. Your resume lists your experience, but your art director cover letter gives you the opportunity to describe just how your style fits the company or project you want to lead.
You may work in print media, film, advertising, product packaging, or any other area where visual appeal and/or brand identification are required. If you flow among them, your cover letter is the perfect place to explain how your variety of experience sets you up for success in the role you want.
Your cover letter is an essential part of your job application because it not only allows you to expand upon your resume but also gives you a chance to fill in any blanks that didn’t fit in that document.
This writing guide and the art director cover letter example within, along with Resume.io’s other job search resources including free cover letter examples will help you write a document that helps you bring your vision to a new challenge. Below, we’ll discuss:
- The format that will help guide your cover letter writing
- Why cover letters are a valuable part of your application
- How to make the most of each sentence in your one-page letter
- Avoiding common mistakes job applicants make
If you’re looking for additional inspiration for cover letter writing, you can check out our related cover letter samples:
Best format for an art director cover letter
Although it seems counterintuitive, parameters allow for more creativity. Your job application follows this truism. Before you jump into writing your art director cover letter, you need to know the outline to follow.
The format of an art director cover letter should contain the following elements:
- The cover letter header
- The greeting/salutation
- The cover letter intro
- The middle paragraphs (body of the letter)
- The ending paragraph of your cover letter (conclusion and call-to-action)
For a general overview and advice for compiling cover letters, the comprehensive cover letter guide is your resource. Below you will find specific advice on how to maximize your message in each section of your letter.
This art director cover letter example will give you a blueprint for writing your own cover letter:
Re: Art Director role
Dear Mr. Markersby,
Working as an art director in the luxury industry is a dream. Not only are you intimately involved in product design and advertising, but you are also driving the image of the brand to a loyal customer base that feels a deep affinity for your products. That is a great responsibility.
More than two decades of experience with three leading brands has taught me much about influencing public perception through brand campaigns. Art is not only about the visuals – it is how you make people feel. 500 hours of focus groups and dozens of brand redesigns have informed my ability to make the right artistic choices.
My wealth of experience in InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator allows me to bring my creative visions to life. Nothing speaks to an audience of executives like a powerful image. I know what it takes to convey the essence of a business with graphics and imagery. Brand recognition is more enduring when your marketing is congruent.
During my time at LastPoll, I pioneered a visual strategy that led to an astounding 45% increase in customer engagement. I know that you have a similar customer profile at Klean, so I am excited to replicate my success. My innovative design solutions contributed to our winning the Clio Award for Excellence in Advertising.
I enclose a portfolio of my work, but as we have met a few times I hope that you are aware of what I might bring to your business. As always, it is about the personal touch, so I look forward to the opportunity of exploring a potential connection during an interview.
Sincerely,
Felicia Underhill
Do I need an art director cover letter?
What’s the point of an art director cover letter when I have a portfolio that speaks for my successes? Do recruiters actually read cover letters anymore?
Let’s answer the second question first: yes and no. Not all recruiters will read your cover letter, but for those that do, it’s an important part of your application. In fact, it may be the deciding factor in whether or not to offer you an interview. Recruiters may only read your letter if they need a tiebreaker or are on the fence about whether you’re right for the job. A great art director cover letter is essential in this case.
Yes, your portfolio offers the best examples of your achievements, but your job entails more than creativity. You’re a manager of artists, and your cover letter can enlighten recruiters on how you wrangle creatives into a team, cope with egos, and get the highest quality images possible all while adhering to a consistent look. You may also be responsible for making sure all deadlines are met, scheduling workers, and training employees.
Going the extra mile never hurts, especially when you consider that the median salary for art directors is $121,500.
Cover letter header
We know you’re itching to show off your artistic eye. The header of your art director cover letter is the place to do it, with a couple of warnings: make sure your contact information is still readable and do not take up too much valuable space in this one-page document.
The goal of our header is to allow HR personnel to contact you quickly and easily to schedule that coveted interview. It should include your name, title, best email and phone with which to contact you, and your address.
Align the design of your header with that of your resume. This is particularly important in your profession since one of the goals of your job is to ensure a recognizable visual style that projects the right image. If you want some examples of the direction you should go in, take a look at our expertly-designed cover letter templates, and save your great ideas for your next job.
Cover letter greeting
Kick off your art director cover letter with a professional, yet personable, greeting. Using a person’s name increases their engagement with your message and tells them that you have taken the time to find out who they are and what they need.
Unless you are acquainted with your reader, your best bet is “Dear Mr./Ms./Dr./Mx. [last name].” If you’re unsure what pronouns your reader uses, call the company and ask. Getting someone’s name or gender wrong is worse than not using their name at all.
Finally, if you are writing to a hiring committee or you cannot find the name of a contact person, you may fall back on “Dear Art Department” or the like.
Cover letter introduction
The guiding principle of the introduction of your art director cover letter is to intrigue your reader so that they will read on. Your first sentence should summarize your career, highlighting the aspects that most highly correspond to the job for which you are applying.
Every sentence within your letter should build your case for employment by explaining to the recruiter what you bring to the table. You only have about 400 words, so make each one count.
Remember that recruiters are looking to fill a need, so tell them within this first paragraph how you will do this. You may even come right out and say, “My vision for your product is XX.” You will offer more details in the body of your letter, but the introduction is the place for your high-level message.
Dear Mr. Markersby,
Working as an art director in the luxury industry is a dream. Not only are you intimately involved in product design and advertising, but you are also driving the image of the brand to a loyal customer base that feels a deep affinity for your products. That is a great responsibility.
Cover letter middle part (body)
The middle part of your art director cover letter allows you to expand on your main message by offering the details of what you have accomplished. If you are looking for your first art direction job, here is where you explain why you’re ready for the opportunity.
Carefully consider which achievements best highlight your readiness for this new job. Don’t make the assumption that the recruiter will understand how your examples relate to the job you want. Spell it out. It’s great that you revamped a print magazine’s style profile, but how does that make you the right person to develop the look of a new toothpaste?
Be sure to describe examples of your management style, a problem you solved and the results, or a project that you managed from start to finish. You may use a bulleted list to enumerate easily explained successes and include data and details wherever applicable. As you know, big blocks of type are uninviting, a secondary reason for a bulleted list.
More than two decades of experience with three leading brands has taught me much about influencing public perception through brand campaigns. Art is not only about the visuals – it is how you make people feel. 500 hours of focus groups and dozens of brand redesigns have informed my ability to make the right artistic choices.
My wealth of experience in InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator allows me to bring my creative visions to life. Nothing speaks to an audience of executives like a powerful image. I know what it takes to convey the essence of a business with graphics and imagery. Brand recognition is more enduring when your marketing is congruent.
During my time at LastPoll, I pioneered a visual strategy that led to an astounding 45% increase in customer engagement. I know that you have a similar customer profile at Klean, so I am excited to replicate my success. My innovative design solutions contributed to our winning the Clio Award for Excellence in Advertising.
How to close an art director cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
You’ve made your case and the recruiter is still reading. That’s a great sign. Now you need to remind them of the message of your art director cover letter by restating your key qualifications or how you will enhance the art department.
Your conclusion should also include a reminder that you would love to discuss the opportunity further. Be assertive without being pushy; do not assume an interview offer is on the way. A little flattery never hurts, so you may add a sentence about why the opportunity is so attractive to you.
Finally, close your letter with “Sincerely,” or “Best regards,” and your full name. There’s no need to include a signature on an emailed application, but you may choose to do so.
I enclose a portfolio of my work, but as we have met a few times I hope that you are aware of what I might bring to your business. As always, it is about the personal touch, so I look forward to the opportunity of exploring a potential connection during an interview.
Sincerely,
Felicia Underhill
Basic mistakes in an art director application letter (and how to avoid them)
You’re a visual person being asked to put your best foot forward in writing. If writing isn’t your talent, feel free to ask a friend for help or to edit when you’re finished. If you just need a few pitfalls to look out for, the list below will help.
- Inconsistent tone. You are writing a professional letter, so you need to keep your tone polite yet personable as if you were speaking to a colleague at a professional conference. It is easy to veer into more casual writing if you are relating an incident from your career, but try to take a step back from the tone you would use to tell a story to a friend. Avoid getting too formal as well, or you will sound unnatural.
- Spelling, grammatical, or word usage errors. Use the tools at hand such as spell and grammar check to ensure you don’t give a recruiter an opportunity to eliminate you from the running. Double or triple-check the spelling of the contact’s name, too.
- Credit where credit is due. It’s unlikely you single-handedly completed your projects, so explain what your role was and how you worked as part of the team or as its manager. HR departments like team players, not those who take credit for an entire team’s work.
Key takeaways
- Yes, you absolutely should write a cover letter. Going the extra mile is worth your time and may make all the difference.
- Get the name and title of your reader correct. There’s no quicker way to end up in the circular file.
- Personalize your art director cover letter for each job by choosing the highlights of your career that best fit the job requirements.
- Don’t assume the recruiter knows you want an interview, politely ask for one in the conclusion of your letter.
