Engineer Cover Letter Example & Writing Guide
- What should your engineer cover letter include?
- What can you write in the introduction of your cover letter?
- What should be mentioned in the cover letter body for an engineering vacancy?
- How to write a cover letter closing
Engineers are people who push the boundaries of science and solve complex technical problems, thereby enabling advancements across multiple industries. As such, it’s an exciting career path to follow! Whatever engineering discipline you choose, you’re bound to have some competition when it comes to applying for a job. One way to differentiate yourself from the competition is via a targeted engineer cover letter. Consider your cover letter as your latest engineering project. You’ve been tasked with solving an engineering problem and ensuring positive outcomes. In the same way, finding out your potential new employer's pain points, how you can help, and deliver positive results will convince them that you're the engineer they need to hire.
In this cover letter guide, along with the corresponding engineer cover letter example, we’ll look at exactly how to draft a cover letter that can get you interviews, including:
What should your engineer cover letter include?
What can you write in the introduction of the cover letter
What information can you give in the body of the cover letter
How to write a cover letter closing
What should your engineer cover letter include?
Your engineer cover letter needs to be clear, concise, and highlight your experience, achievements, and hard skills relevant to the job opportunity. Avoid a long cover letter (one page as a maximum) and including a lot of technical information.
Typically, your cover letter will include your contact information, details of the company you are applying to, the date, and a formal greeting. Following this, you’ll need a compelling introduction to hook the reader, main body of information, and finally your closing paragraph. We’ll go over these elements in detail in the following paragraphs.
What can you write in the introduction of your cover letter?
A cover letter’s introduction needs to hook the reader and encourage the hiring manager to read on. The majority of engineering job postings will include specific details of the skills and experience the company is looking for. Thus, in addition to conveying interest in the position, tick all these boxes via your academic studies, work experience, and achievements in the engineering field.
HIghlight the level and extent of your engineering experience, where you plan to add value to the company, your academic achievements, and any relevant publications. If you’ve secured a high-level qualification, such as a masters or doctorate in your field, highlight this in the introduction. Publications on emergent issues in your chosen field also show your eminence in the engineering world.
Dear Mr. Marc Duncan
As a highly motivated, solutions-focused engineering leader with nearly 15 years of professional experience, I am confident my skills and expertise will be of value to Duke Energy Woodsdale Power Generating Plant. I look forward to learning about your company needs and how I can leverage my background to help you achieve those goals. I am a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering and I have co-authored numerous publications in scientific and peer-reviewed journals.
What should be mentioned in the cover letter body for an engineering vacancy?
The body of the engineer cover letter is where you expand on your qualifications as an engineer, your specific expertise, and the unique value you can bring to the company.
An effective approach is to break into it 3 different sections:
Why you. Outline your qualifications relevant to the engineering opportunity. This could include the number of years in your chosen engineering field and across which settings. Perhaps you’ve delivered major cost savings or efficiency improvements via a standout project or established positive relationships with clients. You can also weave in your strong project management, communication, and problem-solving skills to demonstrate your unique value.
Why here. Why do you want to work for this particular company? Is the organization at the forefront of innovative engineering in your field? Do you admire the company’s strong reputation? You’ve probably already researched the company and will have reasons that the job really stood out to you, so express this in your cover letter.
Why now. Perhaps you’re a newly qualified engineer just starting out or a seasoned one looking to move into a leadership role. Communicating your career objectives and the backstory as to how you’ve arrived at this point in your career will allow your personality shine through in your cover letter.
Get more in-depth advice in our blog: Cover letter format: tips, tricks & examples
- Highlight relevant engineering projects. Include a brief outline of your role and the positive outcomes.
- Use bullet points to make your engineering achievements really stand out to the hiring manager.
- Get too technical. A long list of technical skills in a cover letter won’t inspire a recruiter to read on.
- Ignore soft skills. Teamwork, communication, and leadership are skills valued by employers.
Highlights of my qualifications include:
Six years of experience as a research nuclear engineer and technical consultant for nuclear power plant utilities.
Proven success as Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator on multiple projects with budgets of up to $1M USD.
Highly effective at project management, planning, scheduling, and leadership of engineers, professionals, and contractors.
Additionally, I offer outstanding problem-solving skills marked by an ability to analyze challenging issues and develop creative solutions. These qualities, combined with my commitment to meeting both company and client needs, would enable me to make a significant contribution to Duke Energy Woodsdale Power Generating Plant.
How to write a cover letter closing
The closing section of your engineer cover letter needs to thank the hiring manager for their time but also encourage them to get in touch with you. This is also a golden opportunity to deliver a strong finish to your cover letter. This doesn’t need to be a long paragraph (1-2 sentences is fine). Here’s some inspiration:
Outline a special achievement or skill. This should demonstrate the impact you will have: “Additionally, I offer outstanding problem-solving skills marked by an ability to analyze challenging issues and develop creative solutions.”
Include a Call to Action. Encourage them to take your application to the next level: “I look forward to speaking with you and learning more about the (Position Title) position and (Company Name). Until then, thank you for your time and consideration.”
Tick all the boxes on our cover letter checklist. Learn more here: Cover letter checklist
Enclosed is my resume for your review. I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss your needs and objectives and how I may contribute toward them. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Walker
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