Paragraph 1: The Opening Hook
The first paragraph is the test. If the reviewer is not interested by the end of it, the rest does not matter. You have about two sentences to prove you are not sending a template letter.
What Paragraph 1 Has to Do
- Name, school or current role, and the specific position you are applying for
- One line that frames your approach to design or the kind of work you do
- Enough specificity that the reader knows this letter could not have been sent to anyone else
What Paragraph 1 Should Never Say
- "I am writing to express my strong interest in..." — wasted line. The reader knows you are writing because they got the letter.
- "My name is X and I am a student at Y." — fine if used sparingly, but lead with something interesting first.
- "Throughout my academic career..." — vague and generic.
- "I am passionate about architecture." — every applicant is. Show, do not state.
Two Openers, Side by Side
Weak: "My name is Yuke Cai and I am applying for the entry-level Landscape Designer position at Mikyoung Kim Design. I will be graduating this May from Iowa State University with a degree in Landscape Architecture."
Stronger: "I am applying for the entry-level Landscape Designer position at Mikyoung Kim Design. I am a graduating Landscape Architecture student at Iowa State, and I approach design through research-driven methods focused on translating complex public-space challenges into clear, buildable solutions."
The stronger version cuts "my name is" (it is in the header), names the role first, and tells the reader what kind of designer you are in one line. That last sentence is your design lens. It travels into every paragraph that follows.
Setting Up Paragraph 2
The end of paragraph 1 should leave the reader curious about paragraph 2. Paragraph 2 is where you connect to the firm. So paragraph 1 should end on a note about your approach or interests that you can naturally extend into "and that is what drew me to your work." Do not waste paragraph 1 listing every course you have taken. The header already shows where you went to school.