FBI Cover Letter Example

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agents protect the safety of the country. Here are three actionable tips for writing an FBI cover letter and proving you’re a star applicant.

1. Show your passion for the FBI role in your cover letter

An effective way to start a cover letter is to express passion for the position you’re applying to. A strong opening paragraph is a great place to tie in your enthusiasm with the responsibilities required for a role in the FBI and set yourself apart from other applicants.

Show hiring managers you’re passionate and excited about working for the FBI by explaining why you’re applying. Good reasons include:

• fulfilling a lifelong dream
• serving your nation
• upholding the law

However, make sure your purpose matches the FBI’s values and goals. Take time to understand what the FBI requires in its applicants by carefully reviewing its website and job postings.

Next, mention in your cover letter how your unique background and work history relate back to the FBI’s needs. Use job specific keywords from its website and include them in your cover letter. Take a look at our FBI cover letter example, in which our applicant shares their high school dream:

I’d like to express my enthusiasm in applying for the Special Agent role in Albuquerque, serving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as advertised on fbijobs.gov. I’ve acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Criminal Justice from the University of Arizona Global Campus. I also have excellent medical, visual, and physical fitness levels. I’ve dreamed about being a responsible member of the FBI ever since I was in high school. It would be an honor to uphold our nation’s values of safety and integrity, and I hope to provide my best to the FBI as a Special Agent.

2. Highlight your FBI-specific skills throughout your cover letter

FBI agents need intelligence, training, and physical fitness to succeed in the role. A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, law, criminology, political science, or a similar field is required.

You also need to prove you have 3 years of related work experience before joining the FBI. Showcase your work history and education by describing your hard and soft skills.

Hard skills are learned on the job or through schooling. You need many hard skills to work in law enforcement. Here are some examples:

• Collecting and analyzing data
• Legal knowledge
• Scientific knowledge
• Military experience
• Excellent physical fitness
• Mentally fit
• Use of weapons
• Computer skills
• Language skills
• Questioning and interviewing techniques
• Accounting and finance

Soft skills are also essential for FBI agents. Soft skills relate to how you solve problems and interact with other people. Working in diverse fields (depending on your unit) and travel is often required for FBI special agents, so adaptability and problem solving skills are essential. Have a look at more key soft skills:

• Logic
• Lateral thinking
• Organizational skills
• Observation
• Empathy
• Communication skills
• Stress management
• Leadership skills
• Persistence
• Decision making
• Negotiation
• Integrity
• Dependability
• Discipline

3. Accurately format your cover letter

FBI agent job applications have strict requirements and require accuracy and attention to detail. Study the FBI’s job description closely and follow its specific instructions. In addition, use proper cover letter formatting:

Save your cover letter as a PDF. Using a PDF keeps your original formatting and ensures that your cover letter won’t get filtered out by the FBI’s applicant tracking systems (ATS) — software that picks up on job specific keywords.

You should also adjust your cover letter margins to 1”–1.5” and left-align your text to make sure your cover letter has enough white spacing and is easy to follow. Adjusting the margins slightly is acceptable, but avoid making any large adjustments, or else your cover letter will look too packed with information or — alternatively — full of empty space.

Next, make sure you set your font size at 10.5 to 12 points so hiring managers can effortlessly scan your cover letter, and choose an appropriate cover letter font like Times New Roman or Arial to set a professional tone. Fancy fonts appear unprofessional and won’t be understood by ATS software.

Finally, keep your cover letter between 250 and 400 words, or between three and four paragraphs. Using proper cover letter length shows employers that you can convey essential information while writing concisely, indicating you have superb communication skills. Hiring managers are too busy to read cover letters that are longer than one page.