Learn to write a fantastic animator cover letter in this jaw-dropping guide

Animators bring art to life, working countless hours and using complex software and digital programs to create beautiful moving pictures for everything from movies to advertisements. To earn a position as an animator, you need to write a cover letter that showcases not just your talent but also your best professional qualifications.

In this guide, we will teach you 5 key steps for writing a cover letter as an animator. Keep reading to learn all about how to:

  • Format a cover letter header & headline as an animator
  • Tailor your cover letter for the role of an animator
  • Craft a compelling cover letter introduction as an animator
  • Highlight your best skills & accomplishments in animation
  • Finish your animation cover letter with a persuasive conclusion

1. Format a cover letter head er & headline as an animator

Beginning at the top of your cover letter, the first elements you will create are a header and headline.

Your cover letter header comes first, listing your name, contact information, and the necessary information about the company you are applying to.

When formatting this header, make sure to put special emphasis on your name by using a larger and bolded font. This helps your name stand out to employers, potentially helping your name to stick out in their memory when they are reviewing all applications later on.

Here is an example of a well-formatted animator header

Lisa Von, Animator

(123) 456-7890 | lisavonanimation@email.com | linkedin.com/in/lisa-von

To: Fire Games, Inc.
Animation Department
1234 Street Address
Los Angeles, CA, 33004

With your header in place, the next element you will create is your cover letter headline. A headline is a short title statement that includes a keyword related to the position, an eye-catching number or trigger word, a powerful adjective or verb, and a promise to the employer that the letter is tailored for their company.

Here is an example of an effective animator headline, followed by a brief explanation of its main components

My 3-Step Approach to Realistic Animation & How I Will Apply it to Your Company’s Projects

Trigger Word/Number: 3-Step Approach

Keyword: Animation

Adjective/Verb: Realistic, Apply

Promise: Your Company’s Projects

Still looking for a job? These 100+ resources will tell you everything you need to get hired fast.

2. Tailor your cover letter for the role of an animator

As you write your cover letter, it is important to inject details that explain why you are a great fit for this company specifically. To do this, you will need to research the company thoroughly before writing your letter, looking for information such as:

  • Skills, qualifications, and other keywords used in the company’s job description
  • Articles or press about the company, specifically in regards to its teams and employees
  • Specific staff members responsible for hiring and reviewing applications

This last piece of information is used to create a personalized greeting – a type of cover letter greeting that addresses the specific staff member by name. Including a personalized greeting immediately indicates to the reader that you have done your due diligence before applying.

Here are 3 examples of personalized cover letter greetings

  • Dear Head Animator John Swift,
  • Dear Mr. John Swift,
  • Dear Creative Director Jane Black,

Find out your resume score!

Our AI Resume checker can scan your resume for issues and give you tips on how you can improve it.
Get my resume score
Resume Analytics

3. Craft a compelling cover letter introduction as an animator

While your header, headline, and personalized greeting help to initially impress an employer, you need to write a compelling introduction to truly catch their eye and keep them reading.

An animator’s cover letter introduction should include:

  • A concise summary of your professional history & specializations
  • Any notable associations with major brands or media projects
  • A mutual acquaintance (when possible) – including a mutual acquaintance provides the employer with an immediate trustworthy professional reference (and can help score you major brownie points!)

Here is an example of a compelling introduction from an animator’s cover letter

Dear Head Animator John Swift,

I am an advertisement animator with more than 6 years of experience working on major corporate commercials and marketing campaigns. In my time as a freelance animator, I have been contracted by companies including the Coca-Cola Company, Nike, and Google. I have also previously worked under contract for your Creative Director Jane Black, who reached out to me about applying when this position became available.

4. Highlight your best skills & accomplishments in animation

Following your introduction are the body paragraphs of your cover letter, where you can provide more in-depth explanations of your qualifications, skills, and accomplishments.

As you describe your best professional attributes, make sure the details you include are:

  • Relevant: Keep in mind the role and responsibilities listed within the description of the job you are applying to. The skills and accomplishments you describe in your cover letter should be highly relevant to showcase why you are a great fit for the position.
  • Contextual: When describing skills and accomplishments, don’t just plainly state them – give key contextual information that allows the employer to see the bigger picture. For example, don’t just say you have communication skills, explain how you apply those skills in the workplace.
  • Quantifiable: Whenever possible, include quantifiable facts and statistics.

Here are 6 examples of skills in animation to describe in a cover letter

  • Conceptualizing animation elements
  • Storyboarding processes
  • Principles of design
  • Collaborating with audio professionals
  • Animating environmental elements (background, objects, etc.)
  • Knowledge of animation software

Here is an example of how to describe an accomplishment in a cover letter

As an animator at [Former Employer], I worked primarily on background animation for a 3-D video game project, focusing on making the background and environmental elements interactive and highly responsive. My work on this game helped me to win the best Background and Immersion Animator award in 2021.

5. Finish your animation cover letter with a persuasive conclusion

To complete your animation cover letter, you need to write a persuasive conclusion that encourages the employer to reach out to you for an interview. This conclusion should include:

  • How and when you can best be contacted
  • When you plan to follow up
  • A formal sign-off

Here is an example of a persuasive conclusion from an animator’s cover letter

I am eager to get to know your animation department and team better if given this opportunity. I would love to speak directly and am available to meet any weekday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. If I have not heard from you by next Monday, I plan to follow up via phone call at that time.

Warm Regards,

[Applicant Name]

If you have ever wondered how a cover letter differs from a resume, this article will tell you everything about the key differences between the two.