Google cover letter example

Ready to get your geek on? Landing a job at Google is a crowning achievement for many technology professionals. With cut-throat competition for these tech jobs, an astounding Google cover letter is the minimum requirement to get your foot in that hallowed interview door.

But what do you say to a company that has heard it all before? Telling them how amazing you are won’t make you stand out, so just go with the depth of what makes you great and hope that this is what they are looking for. If the fit isn’t quite there, you likely wouldn’t last long anyway. Share the very essence of who you are and what you can do for them.

A Google cover letter should start the conversations that you wish to continue during an interview. They are an entrepreneurial company, so while you seek to ‘fit’ the job description. If you feel that you can add value in certain ways, tell them about it.

Technology cover letters should contain a wealth of technical experience but remember to blend it with your behavioural skills. Check out our other cover letter examples and writing guides to give you a broader idea of writing approaches. A long list of programming languages and project deliverables won’t do. You need to weave a compelling narrative.

Here are some things that we will cover in this Google cover letter example guide:

• Choosing the best cover letter layout to cause maximal impact
• Choosing what to say in the introduction, middle part and end
• What do hiring managers from Google want to hear?
• Mistakes to avoid when you apply to Google

Best format for a Google cover letter

While you have likely seen many weird and wonderful applications to Google, showcasing your core experience and skill-set is vital here. Don’t go too wild and follow the standard cover letter format. The content of your cover letter is what matters most. It should include: 

• 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 three-hit structure of the intro, middle part and conclusion will allow you to pick three main stories from your career. Do your research into the role in question and think about the biggest challenges that you will be facing. Then picture yourself telling the story in front of the Google hiring manager during an interview. Pick out the most compelling narratives.

There is more to writing a cover letter than telling a good story — our comprehensive cover letter guide shares insights into the choices that an applicant has when organising the letter. The adaptable cover letter example below may offer some ideas:

Cover letter header

Everything at Google needs to be done by the book, so the cover letter header should be functional and unobtrusive. Share your full name, email, and mobile number in text (no fancy graphics) so that they can be easily recognised by the ATS software. 

Google probably knows where you live anyway, but there is no job search reason to include your full home address — there are potential data protection issues. You can share it when you get to the offer stage. Unless you want to be incredibly formal, there is also no reason to give the inside address of the employer. 

Cover letter greeting

Picking the right greeting for your cover letter is vital. When an application needs to go perfectly, this is not something that you would want to stumble on. Check the title of the hiring manager and make sure that you spell the surname correctly.

Google is a massive organisation (and somewhat formal in the early interview stages), so it may be that you do not know to whom the cover letter should be addressed. Avoid the impersonal ‘To whom it may concern’ greeting and opt for a warmer “dear (department) team.” Your cover letter will likely be read by multiple people, so this is acceptable.

Cover letter introduction

Get to the point in the introduction. Lead with your biggest achievement and the one thing that will catch their attention. If you start in a rambling and mundane manner, they won’t read any further. Impress with detail, offer some context to your greatest accomplishment.

If you want a job at Google, the whole introduction should read like a persuasive work of art. Be deliberate in your word choices, deploy only the most impactful action verbs and remember to keep it brief. You won’t intrigue them with five lines of waffle. Showcase yourself as a technology leader who is in demand.

Check out the cover letter sample for inspiration: 

Cover letter middle part (body)

Any Google applicant will be brimming with career stories. You will likely have many more than you can fit into a brief Google cover letter, so pick only the ones that will set you apart from the competition (and go into a little detail on each one). 

No hiring manager wants to read a long list of accomplishments — give them some juice on how you went about hitting the heights and a sense of what it is like to work with you.

It is this sense of uniqueness and personality that is welcomed by a top company such as Google. The success of their culture lies in the attraction of the most brilliant minds, so don’t feel that you need to conform to any sort of standard. Being different is not a bad thing – as long as you can explain how your differences help you to attain results.

The middle part of a Google cover letter can also touch on your educational achievements. Any technology-related job is likely to have a long list of developmental requirements, so only share the skills that are genuinely rare. 

The middle of this cover letter sample strikes all the right notes:

How to close a Google cover letter (conclusion)

Someone applying to Google will want to use every last word of the cover letter well. Having said this, it is important to end on a note of optimism and self-confidence — say you are looking forward to the potential of finding out more at an interview. 

Don’t be presumptuous and definitely don’t beg — simply find that middle ground. Have a look at our Google cover letter example conclusion:

Basic mistakes in a Google cover letter (and how to avoid them)

When you work for Google, mistakes are a core part of the job. Since you are pushing for amazing outcomes, regular setbacks will happen. Basic mistakes, however, are not acceptable. Make sure that you avoid these common errors in your Google cover letter:

• Spelling and grammar: Taking the time to check the spelling and grammar of your work should be ingrained in any professional’s approach to their work. A cover letter is one of the most important pieces of writing that you will do — use Grammarly.
• Parroting the job description: In the urge to make yourself sound like a perfect fit for the role, you might find yourself simply repeating the responsibilities of the job description. Talk about what you achieved, not what the job entails.
• Too conversational: A cover letter should contain a friendly tone, but its language should not be too chatty. Keep the sentences short and packed with facts. These are the conversation starters — keep them tight and compelling.

Key takeaways

1. Every sentence of the cover letter should be all about Google.
2. Make it as relevant as possible for the role that you are applying for.
3. Share your stories of technology teamwork – that really matters at Google.
4. Offer context to your career achievements wherever possible.

With Resume.io, writing your cover letter is as easy. Our carefully market-researched cover letter templates let you skip the fiddly formatting and simply start writing. If you’re looking for additional inspiration for cover letter writing, you can check out our related cover letter examples below.

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