How to craft a compelling database administrator cover letter

Database administrators are responsible for keeping systems of data well-organized, secured, and accessible to authorized users. To become a database administrator, you will need a cover letter that showcases your talents alongside the professional value you can provide to an employer.

In this guide, we will teach you the 5 essential steps for writing a database administrator cover letter. Keep reading to learn how to:

Format your cover letter header & headline properly
Create a personalized greeting on your cover letter
Write a compelling database administrator cover letter introduction
Highlight your accomplishments as a database administrator
Conclude your cover letter with an effective closing statement

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1. Format your database administrator cover letter header & headline properly

The first step to writing an effective database administrator cover letter is to create a well-formatted header and headline.

A cover letter header is the block of text containing all the necessary identifying information about the applicant and the company they are applying to. As for the cover letter headline, this is a brief title statement that grabs the employer’s attention and previews the most important information in the letter.

To better demonstrate how to craft these cover letter elements, we have included more in-depth examples and explanations below:

Formatting the Header

Cover letter headers can vary in format depending on your stylistic preferences. A header is most commonly found in the top-left or top-center of the document and typically contains 3 to 4 lines of text that include:

The name of the company you are applying to (& the department name, when applicable)
Your name and professional title
Your professional contact information (phone number, email address, etc.)

Here is an example of what a well-formatted database administrator header looks like

To: Ivy Tech Solutions, Data Analytics Department
From: Jane Doe, Database Administrator
(123) 456-7890 | janedoe@email.com | linkedin.com/in/jane-doe

Writing the Headline

When writing the headline of your cover letter, your two main goals are to attract the attention of the employer and to accurately and honestly preview the information to come in a compelling manner.

To do so, you should always use a keyword related to the position, an eye-catching number or trigger word, a powerful adjective or verb, and a promise.

Here is an example of a well-written Database Administrator headline, followed by a brief breakdown of its key components

My Best 3 Skills as a Database Administrator & How They Will Benefit Your Company

Trigger Word/Number: 3 Skills
Keyword: Database Administrator
Adjective/Verb: Best, Benefit
Promise: Your Company – adding these words to the end of your headline indicates to the employer that you will relate your skills directly to the needs of their company.

2. Create a personalized greeting on your database administrator cover letter

Any time you write a cover letter, it is important to include a thoughtful, personalized greeting.

A personalized greeting will address a specific person or department by name. As a result, you show employers that you have not only thoroughly researched their company before applying but also that you have excellent attention to detail.

If you are unable to uncover the exact person or department who will review your cover letter, try out one of the following alternatives:

To the [Company Name] Team

To the [Company Name] Hiring Manager

3. Write a compelling database administrator cover letter introduction

Next up is the introductory paragraph to your cover letter. While your headline and greeting help to immediately grab an employer’s attention, your introduction should be compelling enough to keep them attentive and reading further.

In your introduction, you should aim to include:

A brief overview of your professional history and goals
A statement on why you are enthusiastic about applying to this company
A mutual acquaintance (when possible)

Here is an example of how to write a database administrator cover letter introduction

To the [Company Name] Hiring Manager,

I am a motivated Database Administrator with 5+ years of experience working with the Microsoft SQL Server and SSMS. After working as a freelance contractor for your company for more than 3 years, your Lead Database Developer – John Smith – recommended I apply for this position.

4. Highlight your accomplishments as a database administrator

Now that you have effectively introduced yourself to the employer, it’s time to provide greater insight into your professional experience and value in the body paragraphs. A good cover letter will contain between 2 to 4 body paragraphs that answer the following key questions:

What excites you about working at this company?
What do you hope to learn from working at this company?
What accomplishments or qualifications make you stand out as an applicant?
What key skills do you possess that are relevant to the position?

Putting special emphasis on accomplishments is important, as your accomplishments help to show employers the real-life value you can offer their company.

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

As the Database Administrator for [Former Employer], I helped to develop and implement a new user authorization system that reduced database security risks by 75%. Additionally, I sourced a new database performance monitoring tool that reduced maintenance and operational costs by 35%.

5. Conclude your cover letter with an effective closing statement

The final step to creating your job-winning database administrator cover letter is to write a strong closing statement that includes:

An enthusiastic sentence saying you are looking forward to hearing from them
An additional sentence stating you will follow up, including how you will contact them or how they can contact you
A formal sign-off

Here is an example of an effective Database Administrator closing statement

As your new Database Administrator, I will strengthen your database security and optimize productivity to help your business reach its goals. I am eager to discuss this opportunity with you directly and am available to meet any weekday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The best way to reach me is at (123) 456-7890.

With Appreciation,

[Applicant Name]

Follow this cover letter outline for maximum success.

Published on March 16, 2022

Martin Poduška

Editor in Chief / Resume Writer

Martin is a resume expert and career advice writer at Kickresume. In his five years at Kickresume, he has written nearly 100 in-depth, painstakingly researched resume advice articles and, as chief editor, he has also edited and revised every single article on this website. Tens of thousands of job seekers read Martin’s resume advice every month. He holds a degree in English from the University of St Andrews and a degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Amsterdam.