Data Scientist Cover Letter

A well-written cover letter can make all the difference between landing an interview for a Data Scientist job or finding your job application rejected. A Data Scientist cover letter conveys who you are and what you can bring to the organization. While your resume and portfolio highlight your skills, knowledge, and experience, your cover letter should provide information the recruiter might not gather from your resume and portfolio alone. When writing a Data Scientist cover letter, highlight any qualifications you possess that are mentioned specifically in the job description. You will want to tailor your cover letter to each application to maximize your chances of success during your job search. The following sections offer tips and best practices for crafting a cover letter for a Data Scientist role. 

How to Write a Data Scientist Cover Letter

There are some core ingredients every cover letter needs regardless of job type, such as the title of job you are applying to and success stories that demonstrate the skills you possess (especially those specified in the job description). However, cover letters for Data Scientist positions and other data science roles have additional criteria you will want to include. The following sections detail some of these requirements. 

Understand the purpose of the cover letter

Before writing your Data Scientist cover letter, review and reflect on the purpose of the cover letter and what it should accomplish. The cover letter should answer the following questions: 

• What led to your data science career? What is your professional story? 
• What do your data science projects say about your skills? How does the work relate to this position?
• What technical and soft skills do you possess relevant to this position? 
• What interests you about this role?
• What data science accomplishment are you most proud of?

Remember that your cover letter should convey to the Hiring Manager the unique combination of skills, knowledge, experience, and personality that make you the best candidate for this position. While your letter should remain professional, sincerity regarding your passion and your data science journey can go a long way in helping your cover letter stand out from others.

Start with an outline

To ensure that your cover letter includes everything it needs and reads cohesively and professionally, start by creating an outline. This will help you structure your letter so the Hiring Manager can read it quickly and easily while grasping what makes you a qualified candidate for the position. 

Use the following structure to create a well-organized Data Scientist cover letter: 

1. Include your name and contact information in the heading. 
2. Include the date. 
3. Add the organization’s name and address. 
4. Start by greeting the Hiring Manager by name and title.
5. Introduce yourself. 
6. Describe your skills and qualifications, especially those specifically mentioned in the job description. 
7. Elaborate on recent skills and projects relevant to the position, including those in your portfolio.
8. Tell the Hiring Manager what interests you about this job and what you bring to the table.
9. Conclude by thanking the Hiring Manager for their time and stating that you look forward to hearing from them regarding next steps in the process. You may also restate your contact information. 
10. Close out the cover letter with your name. 

Open your letter with a strong introduction

Use the introduction section of your cover letter to state what makes you the best candidate for this position. Discuss your unique attributes, what draws you to data science and to this role in particular, and what about the organization interests you. An engaging introduction will encourage the Hiring Manager to continue reading your cover letter. Always remember to tailor your introduction to the organization and position you are applying for. 

Highlight technical and soft skills

Your cover letter should highlight your technical and soft skills, especially those outlined in the job description. However, you want to do this in a way that doesn’t simply repeat the information already included in your resume. Use your cover letter to provide further detail regarding your qualifications and mention any transferable skills from your past positions. Also include skills obtained from your education and training. Skills and qualifications important to a Data Scientist position include: 

• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving
• Python programming
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning
• Teamwork
• Strong communication
• Analytical thinking
• Adaptability
• Computer science
• Statistical analysis
• Deep learning
• SQL
• Mathematics
• Data visualization

Quantify your achievements and accomplishments

Data Scientists use exact measurements to detect patterns in data and determine the success of an organization’s efforts. Rather than simply mention your accomplishments, your cover letter should quantify your achievements. If you improved the efficiency of a system, state the percentage by which efficiency increased. Showcasing tangible results of your efforts prove to recruiters how much value you can bring to this position. 

Show your enthusiasm

In the next section, expand on what draws you to this data science position. How do your values align with those of the organization? What about this Data Scientist role catches your interest? What made you want to apply for this position? Convey your enthusiasm for this role to encourage the Hiring Manager to consider you for the next round.

Conclude professionally

Close out your cover letter by thanking the Hiring Manager for their time and encouraging them to contact you to speak further about the role. You can include your contact information in this section again if you wish. You may also wish to restate your enthusiasm for the role. Be sure to sign and proof the letter before sending it off.

5 Data Scientist Cover Letter Tips

Keep the following tips in mind to create a strong Data Scientist cover letter.

Review the job description

Review the job description for the data science role you are applying for. This will refresh your memory and also provide you the opportunity to review the exact skills and qualifications related to this position. Take note of the skills and qualifications that align with your knowledge and experience. You can even mirror the wording of the job description in your cover letter in describing your skills and qualifications. This will show that you have paid close attention to the job description and taken the time to tailor your letter to this role. You should also look for any specific instructions included in the job description for your cover letter. Some organizations now require all applicants to begin their cover letter with a specific sentence or phrase or to include a specific sentence or phrase in the cover letter to be considered for the role. This ensures the candidate can follow instructions, carefully reviews materials, and helps to weed out applications that are sent to hundreds or thousands of job listings through bots.

Tailor your cover letter

Tailoring your cover letter to the job position you are applying for will show recruiters that you have taken the time to research the job. It will also help to ensure your cover letter stands out from the generic letters submitted by other applicants. Hiring Managers may sift through hundreds or even thousands of cover letters, so the more relevant yours is, the more likely it is that the recruiter will read it all the way through. 

Limit your letter to a single page

Cover letters should be limited to a single page. Keeping your letter clear and concise will help to ensure the Hiring Manager reads it all the way through. Say exactly what needs to be said without adding anything superfluous. Most cover letters will range from around 250 to 400 words in total. Focus on highlighting the skills, experiences, and attributes that make you the right candidate for this position. Avoid using smaller font sizes to squeeze your letter onto a single page. If your letter is longer than a single page on the first draft, read through it several times and edit the letter down by phrasing things in a shorter way and deleting unnecessary words or sentences. Many online tools can assist you in writing more concisely, such as Grammarly. You can also consult with a mentor or trusted professional about keeping your cover letter short and to the point.

Proofread and edit

You will want to proofread and edit your letter multiple times before submitting it. This will ensure that your letter is as professional and polished as possible. Proof your letter for misspellings, grammatical errors, and typos. Communication is a key qualification for Data Scientists since they communicate their findings to stakeholders in presentations and reports. You can use built-in proofreading software as well as tools like Grammarly to tighten your writing and review it for professionalism. You can also ask others to proofread your letter since a fresh set of eyes can easily catch small mistakes you might have missed.

Get feedback

Whenever possible, it helps to get feedback on your Data Scientist cover letter from a trusted mentor or professional. If you are part of a data science certificate program that includes one-on-one mentorship, you can use sessions with your mentor to review your job application, including your cover letter. 

Learn the Skills to Become a Data Scientist at Noble Desktop

If you are looking to start a new career in data science, you might think the only way for you to become a Data Scientist is by enrolling in a four-year university or pursuing other costly and lengthy educational options. However, there are many alternative methods available to help you transition into a data science career, including data science bootcamps and certificate courses designed to help working professionals gain the skills needed to obtain an entry-level job as a Data Scientist. Exploring in-person and live online data science bootcamps and certificate programs can help you find the class that meets your career goals, budget, and schedule. The first step to finding the class that fits your needs is to understand the differences between in-person classes and live online classes. 

In-person data science classes meet in a traditional classroom setting at a physical location. In-person classes have the advantage of providing all necessary equipment, such as computers and software, and allowing students to network with local professionals such as your classmates and instructor. You also have the advantage of learning from an expert instructor face-to-face. The primary drawback to in-person courses is the extra time and money required to commute to the physical learning location. Live online data science classes offer many of the same benefits as in-person classes, including the ability to learn in real-time from an expert instructor. You can also collaborate with classmates, and you have the advantage of learning remotely. 

Noble Desktop offers several different in-person and live online data science classes that can help you start a career as a Data Scientist. The Python for Data Science Bootcamp teaches students foundational programming concepts and how to handle different data types, use conditional statements to control the flow of a program, use Scikit-Learn, Matplotlib, Numpy, Pandas, and other Python libraries and tools. Noble’s Data Science Certificate program and Data Analytics Certificate program provide a deep dive into the topics and skills essential to launching a career in data science or data analytics and offer one-on-one mentorship and job search assistance. All Noble Desktop classes provide students with hands-on experience, flexible financing options, setup assistance, a free retake, small class sizes, and real-time guidance from an expert instructor.

Learn more about Noble Desktop’s in-person and live online data science classes.

You can also learn more about data science careers and data science learning options with Noble’s free Data Science Learning Hub.