What the recruiter is looking for
A portfolio link
In the very first paragraph. Three well-explained projects beat fifteen visuals with no context.
A process
The starting problem, what you observed in users, the choices you made and why. The result alone is not enough.
The tools of the job
Figma for UX/UI, the Adobe suite for graphic design. Name the ones you really use day to day.
Working with others
Developers, marketing, clients: a designer who can present and defend their mock-ups becomes independent faster.
Example letter
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am a [Bachelor in UX/UI Design] student at [school], looking for a [12-month] apprenticeship starting in [September 2026], with [three weeks at work and one week at college]. Your UX/UI designer role interests me because [you design an app that healthcare professionals use every day], a setting where every screen has to be simple. My portfolio: [link].
For [a course project / a freelance client], I reworked the booking journey for [name of the service]. After [five interviews] with users, I cut the form from [six steps to three], prototyped the new version in Figma and tested it before handover. [The drop-off rate fell / testers' feedback confirmed the time saved.]
I build my mock-ups with reusable components and check contrast and tap target sizes from the design stage. I talk regularly with developers so that what I design can actually be built.
[Company name] appeals to me because of [specific reason: the importance you give to user testing, and the design system you keep evolving, which I would like to learn from].
I would be glad to walk you through one of my projects at an interview.
Yours faithfully,
[First name Surname]
Replace everything in square brackets. Keep the structure, change the examples: a recruiter spots a copied letter within one line.
Keywords found in these ads
- Figma
- UX design
- UI design
- User research
- Wireframes
- Prototyping
- User testing
- Design system
- User journey
- Accessibility
- Responsive design
- Adobe Illustrator
- Photoshop
- Visual identity
Reuse the exact terms from the ad, but only the ones you can back up with experience, a project or a course. A keyword you can't explain at interview costs you more than it earns you.
The same rules apply to your CV.Read the ATS CV guideThe mistakes that lose the reader
- "Creative and passionate about design": the sentence every candidate writes.
- No link to the portfolio, or a link that asks you to log in.
- Only showing finished visuals, without explaining the process.
- A badly laid-out letter: for a design role, it is judged like a deliverable.
Frequently asked
questions
Is the letter different for a graphic designer role?
Yes in the examples, not in the structure. In graphic design, talk about visual identity, media and print; in UX/UI, about journeys, testing and interfaces. Always reuse the terms of the ad.
My portfolio only has course projects, is that a problem?
No, for an apprenticeship it is expected. Choose the most polished ones and, for each, explain the problem, your process and what you would do differently.
See also
Letter templates
Apprenticeship cover letter examples by job: web developer, UX/UI designer, sales, HR, marketing, accounting. With practical tips.
Web developer
Example cover letter for a web development apprenticeship: what recruiters look for, a full letter, keywords and mistakes to avoid.
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