Executive cover letter example

Let’s face it: landing a position in the C-suite is a big deal. And a half-baked application just won’t cut it. For an executive role, you need laser focus, leadership and confidence that radiate from your resume and cover letter the moment a hiring manager (or top-level decision-maker) begins to read them.

The job search for an executive comes with unique challenges. You may be applying for a position with a former employer or upon recommendation from another professional contact. Maybe you’re an outsider competing against a few internal candidates. Whatever the situation, your application will need to be near-perfect to have a chance at your executive level dream job.

When applying for an executive role, you’ll be up against dozens of highly-qualified candidates, each with executive resumes full of impressive work histories. So how can you show you have what it takes to out-perform them all? A great cover letter can make all the difference in proving your ability to lead a company to success.

Resume.io is committed to helping you land the perfect position with a professional cover letter and exceptional resume. Our tools, tips and templates are expertly-designed to help even the most advanced candidates make a great first impression.

This executive cover letter example along with our free sample cover letter will:

• Explore the unique challenges of cover letter writing for executives
• Offer free examples, samples and templates to help you avoid common mistakes
• Explore the power of storytelling to help you beat out even the most qualified applicants
• Help you harness your unique advantages to impress the employer and land the interview!

So how do you craft an executive cover letter that will get you into the C-suite? Let's get going right now to show you how (you can also check out our library of 125+ cover letter examples).

Best format for an executive cover letter

Primary purpose

If you’re applying for an executive position, this likely isn’t your first rodeo when it comes to applications, human resources and job interviews. Nevertheless, the stakes are as high as possible this time – your cover letter must be exceptional in every way in order to beat out the best of the best. 

Just because you have years of experience doesn’t mean your cover letter should be long and winding. In fact, the one page (about 200 to 400 words) rule of cover letter writing still applies to your document. The difference is, while a lower level applicant may get away with a few  rambling sentences, every single word of your executive cover letter must be precise and carefully chosen to build a picture of you as the ideal candidate. 

Secondary purpose

When you’re up for an executive level position, you already know that your competition is fierce. Other applicants have been working their whole lives for this moment, hoping and praying that this time they’ll finally land that top leadership role. In order to outshine them all, your cover letter can’t miss a single opportunity to impress.

An executive cover letter must be crafted with care. Every sentence must add to the intrigue about who you are as a person and what you can bring to the table. Use the job description, social media and other research about the company to truly understand their mission and framework. Then, offer your most impressive accomplishments and your visions for leading your potential employer into the future.

While lower-level positions may need to demonstrate a penchant for learning quickly or following instructions, the executive is the one steering the ship. Your cover letter is the moment to be bold instead of modest by putting your biggest and brightest ideas on display. 

By creating a compelling cover letter that piques a hiring manager’s interest and addresses the company’s exact needs, you’ll come across as a natural fit – someone who should have been making executive decisions from the very beginning. In that sense, a cover letter is your secret weapon to maximize your chances of landing the position even in a crowded pool of applicants.

Your cover letter is an executive summary. You need to state your case in a concise manner. This means taking care of the formatting and structure of your letter.

The format of an executive 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)

The format of a librarian cover letter should cover the entire basic picture of how you run a library’s day-to-day operations. It is easy to gush about your love of literature, but if you do not state how you run the operations, or balance the books, doubts will quickly surface about your impact. The cover letter sample at the end of this paragraph provides a good illustration of this dual approach.

The comprehensive cover letter guide offers more general advice about how to go about compiling cover letters, but below you will find specific advice on how to maximize the effectiveness of each specific letter paragraph and section.

This executive cover letter example gives you an overall idea of how this part of your application should sound:

Cover letter header

Your cover letter header occupies the prime real estate at the very top of your document. Because of its prominent position, the header serves two purposes. The first is to identify your document with your name, contact information, social media like LinkedIn and any other vital information in case a hiring manager wants to contact you. 

The second role of your header is to create attractive formatting that makes a statement. For an executive role, you’ll want to pay careful attention to the message sent by your visual presentation. You’ll want to convey a sense of authority and confidence while still conforming to the employer’s image.

The goal of this section: Keep your name and contact information right at the top of your document in case a hiring manager wants to get in touch. Create an attractive and deliberate format that conveys your personal style while still fitting in with the employer’s branding.

Cover letter greeting

Your cover letter greeting serves an important role in setting a friendly and respectful tone for the rest of the letter. As mentioned earlier in this example, you can customize your greeting based on your level of familiarity with the company or the hiring team. If you’re not exactly sure what’s most appropriate, err on the side of caution with the simple and professional “Dear” followed by the correct salutation and last name of the letter recipient.

The goal of this section: Create a personal connection by addressing the letter recipient by name with the greeting that’s most appropriate for your existing relationship.

Cover letter introduction

In some ways, your introduction is the most important part of your cover letter. If you can’t differentiate yourself and spark a connection, a hiring manager is likely to pass on your application before they even finish reading your opening paragraph. For an executive, this is not the time to play it safe. Keep a professional tone, but lead with your boldest idea, most impressive achievement or better yet, a captivating story that culminates in the success of your vision. Keep the introduction brief so that you can easily lead the reader into the body section.

The goal of this section: Create an interesting and impressive opening sentence that immediately makes you stand out from other candidates and pulls a reader into the rest of your letter.

The resume sample text below jumps right in with a summary of this executive's career including a highlight.

Cover letter middle part (body) 

Your cover letter body section is where you’ll carefully lay out all the reasons why you’re the perfect fit for this particular executive role. Limit yourself to just a handful of your strongest arguments and make sure to back up your achievements with specific numbers, facts or timeframes. This section should contain only the most relevant examples based on the position you’re applying for. The STAR method may be able to help: first list a Situation, then the Task required, your Action and the ensuing positive Result.

For an executive role, your ideas and vision for the future of the company are paramount to the position. Without coming across as condescending or presumptuous, describe your ideas and vision for leading the business forward.

The goal of this section: Lay out your most relevant and impressive achievements using the STAR method, describe your strategies and ideas for future company success.

The bullet points in the cover letter sample text below serve to break up the text and focus attention on big achievements.

How to close an executive cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)

Your cover letter conclusion’s primary job is to house your Call to Action. While this strategy works for candidates of all levels, executive applicants shouldn’t be afraid to be clear about their intentions. Express your enthusiasm for discussing the position further and invite a hiring manager to contact you for an interview. You may even want to leave your contact information again here, space permitting. Don’t forget to thank the reader for their consideration.

Then finish your letter with a signature that matches the tone of your greeting and the rest of your letter. “Sincerely,” “Best regards” and “Warm regards” can all work well.

The goal of this section: Create a clear and confident call to action that invites a hiring manager to contact you for an interview, use a professional and appropriate signature to finish your letter.

The cover letter sample conclusion below explains the applicant's interest in the position and ends with a call to action.

Writing psychology – cover letter tools and strategies

While an executive cover letter will need to be adapted to the exact position, industry and company, there are a few qualities that anyone in a leadership role must express:

• Confidence: Imagine if the passengers found out the captain wasn’t confident about sailing the ship. An executive needs to hold tight at the helm even in stormy weather. Display confidence and know-how in your tone, without braggy unnecessarily.
• Strategy: An executive sees the bigger picture and takes calculated risks to progress the business. Make sure the final body paragraph expresses your vision and plan to ensure growth.
• Teamwork: An executive might be in charge, but that doesn’t mean they work in a bubble. Professional communication and expert listening skills are vital to the success of any upper level employee.
• Management: Great organization skills, an ability to delegate tasks and conflict resolution are the executive’s secrets to minimizing friction within the company. Make sure your cover letter demonstrates how your management style meshes with the business’s goals and needs.

Sharing your professional story

Standard advice for job seekers is to impress recruiters with their achievements by using numbers, facts and figures to show what they can bring to the company. While the same advice certainly applies to executives, there are a few key differences.

First of all, you’re going to be up against plenty of other candidates who possess a laundry list of successes. They will likely layout out their achievements with key bullet points. They will share examples of their impressive work experiences and write with impeccable grammar and spelling. 

If you want to win the job as an executive, you need to go above and beyond. Your cover letter shouldn’t rehash what’s on your resume. It should offer new details and a surprising behind-the-scenes look at how you effectated change. Don’t be afraid to share challenges you faced and the ways in which you overcame them. An executive position is not about being a rote cog in the wheel, it’s about leading the team with charisma and determination. Your executive cover letter should paint you as an individual – someone who fits in with the company but isn’t afraid to pull in a new direction.

Executive cover letter format and common mistakes

Little errors can spell the demise of any application, but for executive candidates the stakes are much higher. Pay extra attention to avoid these common pitfalls before you submit your cover letter:

1. Spelling and grammar mistakes: Typos and incorrect sentence structure are hardly excusable at such a high level. They make a hiring manager wonder if you pay attention to detail or if you can be trusted to communicate professionally once hired. Use spell check rigorously and ask a friend to proofread before you submit.
2. Sloppy formatting: Poor visual presentation instantly dashes your credibility and makes you look uninterested in actually landing the position. Go the extra mile by using an expertly-designed template or another professional aid.
3. Poor tone: Striking the balance between arrogant and confident can be tricky. And being too modest might give the impression that you lack leadership qualities. Make sure to back up your achievements with numbers and statistics or ask someone you trust to evaluate the tone of your cover letter.
4. Generic letter: An uncustomized cover letter full of copy-paste sentences and general qualities will likely do you in before the end of the first paragraph. An executive cover letter needs to show a deep understanding of your potential employer’s challenges, goals and tone from the top of the page right down to the signature.

Key takeaways

1. A cover letter is an essential component of any complete executive application since it’s the best place to share the achievements, personality and vision that will help you lead the company forward.
2. Your executive cover letter must be well researched and highly tailored for the company’s goals and objectives.
3. Make sure to include your perspectives and vision for moving the business forward towards the end of the body section.
4. Don’t just recite achievements from your resume – use your cover letter to provide interesting new information, make a personal connection and tell a story about your success.
5. Make sure your visual presentation is as sharp as your writing by aligning your cover letter and resume styles.

With resume.io’s advanced tools, you can create a perfect cover letter in no time at all: use our machine-learning writing suggestions, recruiter-approved templates and professional designs to craft your stand-out Executive Pitch!