Scrum Master cover letter example

A scrum master’s value comes in their ability to facilitate and guide their agile team towards the continuously moving targets of intermediate sprints. Sure, their mastery might be conveyed in the ultimate success of the projects, but this is far from the whole story. The scrum master cover letter is key in starting to peel back some of these organizational layers.

Scrum masters need to work well within a broad team, so sharing their personality in a cover letter is important. This is not possible to do in a factual resume - share some of your project wins in your scrum master cover letter to show that you have what it takes.

This guide, along with our scrum master cover letter example, will explore:

• Formatting the scrum master cover letter to offer a logical sequence of success
• Which stories to share in the intro, middle part and end of the cover letter
• Sharing behaviours and interpersonal skills alongside your tactics and results
• Giving a sense of your organizational skills and mastery of the methodology

Facilitating the success of others is important for a scrum master - include not only your achievements but the accomplishments of those around you. That is the hallmark of a true leader.

Best format for a scrum master cover letter

Just as a scrum master influences their team with well thought out arguments and persuasive rhetoric, so their cover letter needs to reach a crescendo that ends in an invitation to interview. The typical cover letter structure to accomplish this is as follows:

• The cover letter header
• The greeting / salutation
• The cover letter intro
• The middle paragraphs (body of the letter)
• The ending paragraph of your cover letter (conclusion and call-to-action)

This scrum master cover letter sample could provide a great starting point:

Cover letter header

The cover letter header for a scrum master should contain everything that is essential for them to be invited to an interview – their email, contact mobile and maybe a link to their social profiles if they are relevant. Include these basics at the top of your scrum master cover letter and your future boss will be able to concentrate on your core messages.

You don't need to include your full home address - there may be data protection issues here. Also, the inside address of the employer is an outdated convention - only include this if you wish to be incredibly formal. This is space that could be better used to share your career story.

Goal of the cover letter header: Contact details are an expected part of a cover letter, and they should be included both here and in your resume. You never know when a hiring manager might feel an urge to invite you to that crucial interview.

Cover letter greeting

Every scrum master should understand the importance of respecting those around them by addressing them suitably. The greeting on a cover letter should start with a professional “Dear Surname.” No other more informal variants should be considered. 

Check the spelling carefully and maybe even double check to whom it should be addressed – this is a valid question if the job description does not make it clear and it may even offer an opportunity for a quick phone call to ask a couple of extra questions that you may have.

Goal of letter greeting: Get the greeting right first time - there is really no excuse.

Check out the greeting of our scrum master cover letter example below.

Cover letter introduction

The introduction of a scrum master cover letter should marry the sorts of projects that their teams have undertaken with the types of challenges that lie ahead. If the specifics of the two do not match, there is already a sense of uncertainty in terms of the hiring decision. Pick projects of a similar scale, dimension, timeframe and financial impact – if at all possible.

As scrum masters are expected to be highly process oriented, the language of the cover letter introduction should be functional and concise. The scrum master cover letter is not a place for fanciful adjectives and convoluted turns of phrase. Your first example that you share should explore the challenge and how your behaviours influenced the outcome.

Goal of the cover letter intro: Choosing a relevant example is critical to capturing the attention of the hiring manager – a functional introduction sets the tone.

Below you’ll find the introduction from our scrum master cover letter sample.

Cover letter middle part (body)

The crux of a scrum master’s activity lies in the success of those around them. The middle parts of the scrum master cover letter should therefore contain a strong emphasis on how they facilitated the success of their project teams. Feedback from those that they have worked with adds an element of authenticity, and there should definitely be a flavour of what it is like to work within their project team. 

Study the types of projects that you will be working on and try to include experiences where the previous solutions will be required to combat your future obstacles. Successful job searches all have an element of time travel about them – what you have achieved in the past is easiest to replicate. Make it clear that you have what it takes for the role.

Goal of the body of your cover letter: Share the sorts of stories that you will expect to replicate in your new role, using the language and tone of your future employer.

Here you’ll find the body of our cover letter example.

How to close a scrum master cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)

When reading a scrum master cover letter, you may wish to be left with a lasting impression of organizational excellence and efficient communications. Share one last example to demonstrate how you keep the complicated sets of cogs in motion.

Once you have laid out your arguments, your case should be pretty clear cut, so don’t feel any shame in saying that you are looking forward to the opportunity of an interview. Don’t be overly demanding and inquire hopefully rather than expectantly.

Goal of the closing: One last story to illustrate your personal brand and a call to action.

Check out the closing of our cover letter sample below.

Key takeaways

1. Set out your scrum master experience in a compelling manner.
2. Include your impact on those around you and how you brought your team together.
3. Stick to the normal cover letter format – don’t go into too much detail in each part.
4. Check out our scrum master cover letter sample for more header design ideas.