Data scientist cover letter

Data Scientist Cover Letter (With Examples)

Although data scientist positions are often extremely high-paying, they’re also some of the most competitive jobs out there. If you’re applying for such a position, you’ll likely be measured against dozens of other similarly qualified candidates.

For this reason, it’s extremely important to include a customized cover letter along with your job application.

The cover letter will allow you to highlight material from your resume and further expand on your achievements, increasing your chances of making a memorable positive impact on the hiring manager.

In this article, we’ll discuss the core structure and elements that all effective data scientist cover letters share. We’ll also provide you with important tips and writing samples to help you take your own cover letter to the next level.

The Most Important Parts of a Data Scientist Cover Letter

No matter which company you’re applying to, your data scientist cover letter will follow a similar structure and include the same key elements.

1. The header. List out your contact info, followed by the company’s info. You should also use a professional greeting, such as “Dear [Hiring manager’s name].”

   If you don’t know who will be reading your cover letter, using “Dear Hiring Committee” will suffice.

2. Opening paragraph. Hook the hiring manager’s attention by immediately jumping into your top achievements and sharing quantifiable results.

3. Body paragraph #1. Align your key skills with those mentioned in the job listing.

4. Body paragraph #2. Now that you’ve proven your past success explain how you’re going to replicate it at the company you’re applying to.

5. Closing. Thank the reader for taking the time to read your application and invite them for a follow-up discussion.

Data Scientist Cover Letter Opening

The opening paragraph is the most important section of your entire cover letter.

Most hiring managers spend a fraction of a minute reading over each candidate’s cover letter, making it imperative to catch their attention as quickly as possible if you want your document to make any impact at all.

Start by briefly stating the intent of your cover letter, and then immediately provide an impressive achievement that’s relevant for the position.

Draw the reader’s eyes and attention by quantifying this achievement. For a data scientist cover letter, the figure you provide should ideally describe an increase in the profitability or usability rate of a company’s data.

After the initial hook, you should provide more achievements to further strengthen your credibility.

Make sure that each achievement you mention is short and sweet, taking up no longer than one or two sentences. Write this using active-voice so that each item feels direct and action-oriented.

If a current employee of the company you’re applying to referred you for the position, the opening paragraph is also where you should mention this fact. State their name and position, and then reference them in your achievements using the following format: “At [company name], [contact’s name] and I created a…”

Here is a sample data scientist cover letter opening paragraph that demonstrates the principles we’ve covered so far:

Data Scientist Cover Letter Body Paragraph #1

The purpose of your opening paragraph was to grab the reader’s attention by demonstrating your general areas of expertise and ability to generate results.

With your first body paragraph, you now want to be more specific in the skills and qualifications you possess. If you’ve worked in the industry at length or earned a relevant degree, mention these facts in your opening sentence.

Follow up by highlighting some relevant key skills. Make sure to:

• Tailor the skills you cover to the job listing. Data science is an extremely broad field that encompasses many different topics.

  You want your cover letter to be concise, so make sure that you’re only demonstrating key skills that are mentioned in the job listing or are directly transferable.

• Demonstrate a variety of skills. Although the role of a data scientist is primarily technical, you’ll improve your chances of receiving an interview if you can demonstrate important non-technical skills such as effective communication and leadership.

  These types of skills are universally useful and will set you apart from many other candidates.

• Focus on benefits, not features. If you simply list out your skills, you’re not leveraging the advantages of the cover letter format.

  For each skill you mention, make sure to integrate it into an example that shows how you’ve used it to generate actual results for your employer.

Data Scientist Cover Letter Body Paragraph #2

So far, you’ve demonstrated to the hiring manager how you were able to generate value for companies in the past. You’ve also highlighted some of your key skills and areas of expertise.

You’ve proven your past successes. With your last body paragraph, it’s now time to make a case for how you’re going to replicate it for your new employer.

Here’s exactly how to do it effectively:

1. Set the scene. Begin by briefly covering why the company is hiring a data scientist. Don’t do this by making assumptions, as you don't want to risk aligning yourself with reasons and goals that they may not actually have.

   Instead, reference only facts that the employer includes in the job listing or has explicitly stated.

2. Show your interest. Being qualified for the job is important, but candidates who are able to express their interest and passion as well are the ones who will stand out from the competition.

   If you share the company’s values or are interested in their goals, make sure to briefly indicate it here before moving on.

3. Align your experience. Share a time when you’ve achieved the exact same results that the company is currently pursuing.

   You may not have worked on the exact same type of project, but try to pick one that’s as similar as possible.

   This is one of the most important sections of your entire data scientist cover letter, as it’s essentially the offer that you’re making to the company. You’re telling them: “I’ve successfully tackled this exact challenge in the past. Let me now do the same for you.”

Here is a sample second body paragraph to show you how to effectively implement these three principles:

Data Scientist Cover Letter Closing

Finish your cover letter by:

• Summing up your offer. Briefly remind the hiring manager of the skills you offer and reiterate your interest in joining the team.

• Indicating your appreciation. It’s standard practice to thank the hiring manager for taking the time to read your cover letter.

• Inviting follow-up action. Express your enthusiasm for a follow-up meeting with the hiring manager to discuss the position.

Take note of how the following sample cover letter closing covers these three bases:

Data Scientist Cover Letter Example

Here is a complete version of the data scientist cover letter sample we’ve covered so far:

Important Data Scientist Cover Letter Tips

Here are some additional tips to help your data scientist cover level reach the next level:

1. Quantify your achievements. Although this tip applies to any type of cover letter, it’s especially important to follow when you’re applying for a data scientist position.

   Companies hire data scientists to improve the usability and profitability of their data measurably. Unless you can provide actual figures to prove how much value you’re able to generate, employers will have no reason to hire you over other candidates.

   If you saved a previous employer money or improved the efficiency of their decision-making processes, make sure to state the actual dollar amount or rate of increase.

2. Include keywords in your cover letter. Many companies use automatic systems to filter and rank job applications they receive based on how frequently they mention certain keywords.

   This is an especially common practice when it comes to highly technical jobs, a category that data scientists definitely fit under.

   Take note of key skills and technologies that the company mentions in their job listing and try to integrate them, when relevant, in your cover letter.

   This doesn’t mean you should just load up your document full of buzzwords. Rather, the point is to be mindful when writing your cover letter and add them in whenever appropriate.