A fundamental of any executive job search is to have an executive cover letter. Without an effective executive cover letter in place, you will lack a tool that is required in almost every executive role you apply for. This following article will give you all the vital information you need in crafting your executive cover letter.  

What is an executive cover letter?

An executive cover letter is an introductory letter that briefly introduces you to potential employers. The executive cover letter also sells you to potential employers on why you are suitable for that role.

Executive cover letters should also be written in a letterhead style that looks like something that resembles a cover letter fit for an executive.

Executive cover letter tips (Do’s and Don’ts)

To write an effective executive cover letter, it is crucial you know some of the most important Do’s and Don’ts. Below you will find the top 10 for both Do’s and Don’ts

Top 10 Do’s on an Executive cover letter

  1. Do make sure your cover letter looks like a letter written for an executive.
  2. Do make sure you have perfect spelling and grammar in your cover letter.
  3. Do make sure on top of the cover letter you have in letterhead style your full name, address, email, and phone number.
  4. Do make sure the cover letter has the current date on top.
  5. Do make sure, followed by date you should list the hiring manager’s full name if you have it if not call them hiring manager.
  6. Do make sure that the first sentence should be an introduction to you and the role you are applying for.
  7. Do make sure you list your 3-5 major selling points in the cover letter that sells you as an executive to potential employers.
  8. Do make sure you end with a concluding sentence that reinforces your strengths as an executive leader.
  9. Do make sure at the bottom of the cover letter you list your name and contact information.
  10. Do make sure you include any designation you have beside your name.

Top 10 Don’ts on an Executive cover letter

  1. Do not write long executive cover letters that are over 1 page in length.
  2. Do not write things in the executive cover letter that are not relevant to the job you are applying for.
  3. Do not use slang and unprofessional wording in your executive cover letter.
  4. Do not make the executive cover letter in small font and keep it to a font of 12.
  5. Do not write the executive cover letter in a font style that is not a normative professional font and keep it to fonts like Times New Roman, Calibri, and Arial.
  6. Do not write a generic executive cover letter, and it should be customized to the role you are applying for.
  7. Do not write an executive cover letter that does not include critical points about why they should hire you for the role.
  8. Do not mention anything that is not positive in your executive cover letter.
  9. Do not write long-winded paragraphs in your executive cover letter.
  10. Do not write a crowded cover letter where information is hard to read.

Executive cover letter examples

Executive Cover Letter Example 1

Mike Smith, MBA

45 Water Ave, Boston, MA 02108 407-389-8134 [email protected]  

October 30, 2020

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am interested in the CEO role your company posted on Indeed. I have been following your organization closely and would love an opportunity to be part of your successful and growing company.  My education and experience have prepared me to do an outstanding job for your company.

The following selected experience makes me an excellent candidate for this position:

  • My peers have recognized my efforts as an effective executive by voting me two times as the Mid-Cap, CEO of the year votes in Fortune magazine.
  • As a builder of multiple enterprises, I have built and developed multi-million-dollar businesses from the ground, including Scorpion Telcom, that was later sold to a major US telecommunications company.
  • I have over 20 years of experience turning around struggling organizations, including struggling retailer Discount Radio, by moving all brick and mortar operations online. I also turned around ACAD, the world’s largest manufacturer of shopping carts, by lowering operating costs.
  • I have a management education that includes obtaining my MBA from Harvard and receiving my BA in economics from Brown. I also have my CPA designation from AICPA.

My extensive experience and proven track record as an experienced CEO would make me a great asset to your organization. I have submitted my application for your consideration and look forward to hearing from you to discuss the position.

Sincerely,

Mike Smith, MBA

407-389-8134 │ [email protected]

Executive Cover Letter Example 2      

JANE SMITH

55 Don Mills Rd, Orlando FL 32819416-424-3192 [email protected]  

November 3, 2020

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am incredibly interested in your Chief Innovations Officer role that you have posted on LinkedIn. My leadership experience and education have prepared me to do an outstanding job in that position if given the opportunity.

The following experience has strengthened my candidacy for the position:

  • Over 25+ years of successful experience as an Innovation leader that has managed teams globally, including the Canada, United States, Nigeria, and China. This included experience in diverse sectors such as financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and aerospace
  • Extensive customer acquisition experience, including my recent role as a VP of Innovation at Daniel Health System, where I decreased the cost of acquiring consumers from $114 to $36.
  • Global experience with evolving pricing, including experience with Mathcom Inc, where I created different product packages and price tiering by country, currency, and demographics.
  • Proven Innovation leader who has produced millions of dollars in profits for the organizations that I lead, including increasing revenue by $100 million per year when I worked at ACME Bank.

My experience and proven track record as an Innovations Executive in diverse environments have prepared me to be a great asset to your organization. I have submitted my application for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you to discuss the position.

Sincerely,

Jane Smith

416-424-3192 │ [email protected]  

Executive Cover Letter Example 3

DANIEL RICHMAN, CPA

1234 Hogan Court, Baltimore, Maryland 633-319-7611 [email protected]

December 21, 2020

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am interested in the CEO positionthat your company has listed on Indeed. I have been following your organization closely and would love an opportunity to be part of your successful and growing companyMy experience working for large global brands like Discount Radio, Scorpion Telco, and Magna Foods and others has prepared me to do an outstanding job in that position.

The following experience has made me an excellent candidate for this position:

  • I have 25+ years of progressive executive CEO experience working in multiple sectors, including Telecom, Financial Services, Retail, CPG, and Manufacturing.
  • For my work as a turnaround expert, I have been twice awarded the prestigious Mid-Cap CEO of the year voted by peers in Fortune magazine for turning around Discount Radio and Daniel Mortgage.
  • Through my dedication to building profitable enterprises, I successfully created from the ground up two companies that were later sold for an enormous profit.
  • I am a lifelong learner I earned my Degree in Communications from Stanford University. As well I have continued my education by optioning my CPA, PMP, and my Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

My extensive experience and proven track record in communications would make me a great asset to your organization. I have submitted my application for your consideration and look forward to hearing from you to discuss the position.

Sincerely,

Daniel Richman, CPA

[email protected]

633-319-7611

Executive cover letter template

Name

Address Phone Number Email

Date

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am interested in the _____ role your company posted on ______. I have been following your organization closely and would love an opportunity to be part of your successful and growing company.  My education and experience have prepared me to do an outstanding job for your company.

The following selected experience makes me an excellent candidate for this position:

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

My extensive experience and proven track record as an experienced ______ would make me a great asset to your organization. I have submitted my application for your consideration and look forward to hearing from you to discuss the position.

Sincerely,

First Name Last Name

111-111-1111 │ [email protected]

Executive cover letter template 2

First Name Last Name, Designation

Address000-000-0000 email  

Date

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am extremely interested in your _______________ role that is posted on _________. My leadership experience and education have prepared me to do an outstanding job in that position if given the opportunity, and with over __ years of related experience, I would be effective from the start.

The following experience has strengthened my candidacy for the position:

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

My experience and proven track record as an __________ Executive in diverse environments have prepared me to be a great asset to your organization. I have submitted my application for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you to discuss the position.

Sincerely,

Name

Phone │ Email

FAQ

How long should an executive cover letter be?

There are unwritten rules in terms of how long an executive cover letter should be. The unwritten rule is

the fact an executive cover letter should not be more than 1 page. Anything more then this and it will

outside the norm of what is expected on a cover letter.