The Best Engineering Cover Letter Examples

The engineering industry consists of various sectors, such as civil engineering, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. There are many engineer jobs available, from entry-level engineer positions to management and senior-level positions. Companies across all industries are seeking candidates with experience in the engineering field.

A good engineering cover letter can increase your chances of landing a job interview. This is true whether you’re applying to an entry-level engineering position or a senior-level management position. Writing a convincing cover letter is crucial to your job search. It is as important as the CV that’s sent with a job application.

An engineering cover letter expands on your CV’s technical skills, soft skills and work experience. At the same time, it convinces hiring managers that you’re the ideal candidate for the position.

Most engineering positions need project management skills, leadership skills and communication skills. Thus, your engineering cover letter needs to show your competencies in these areas.

The perfect cover letter is long enough to show your years of experience and engineering skills. At the same time, it needs to apply to the job description. It also needs to be short enough not to lose the attention of hiring managers. Cover letter templates, engineer cover letter samples, and cover letter builders are all great tools to use. You can use them to write the perfect cover letter and land your new job in the engineering sector.

In this article, we’ll provide an example of an engineering cover letter and take an in-depth look at what makes it convincing. Engineers should use the following valuable cover letter tips in their cover letter writing process. By doing so, they will increase their chances of getting hired. This is true regardless of their level of experience or skill set.

Dear Mr. Smith,

As an automotive engineer with over 30 years of experience, I was thrilled to see your opening for an automotive engineer. I have a Ph.D. in hybrid vehicle powertrain systems. I also have postdoctoral research in flywheel energy storage technology. I have patented over 100 U.S. patents in automotive engineering. My expertise in engineering can give the Ford Motor Company valuable engineering innovation.

Your job post says you are looking for candidates with full-lifecycle product development experience. At Gates Corporation, I directed the development and commercialisation of the Gates CabRunner. The CabRunner is a cutting-edge Integrated power system application. I am confident I can direct and commercialise similar engineering innovations at Ford.

On my 18th birthday, my father bought me a Ford Mustang as a graduation present. This helped inspire me to become a mechanical engineer. Being a part of the greatest automotive company in history would be a dream come true for me. I would be honored to play a role in creating the next generation of engineering innovation at Ford.

I look forward to the opportunity to speak more in person about my research and U.S. patents and how they can help Ford achieve new innovations.

Sincerely,

Alexander Ksreh

Let’s look at the above example and what makes it such a great engineering cover letter. First, it fits the ideal half-page length that most hiring managers prefer. A cover letter can be between 250 and 400 words and one page in length, but keeping your engineering cover letter to around a half to a three-quarters page in length increases your chances of it actually getting read.

Second, the cover letter example fits the ideal cover letter format of three paragraphs:

1. First paragraph: This introductory paragraph introduces you to the potential employer. It also catches their attention with a hook, such as highlighting your best achievement. In the example above, Alexander does this by mentioning his U.S. patents.

2. Second paragraph: This body paragraph is where you provide more context. This is where you sell your greatest strengths and why you’re the best engineer for the position. Alexander sells his engineering expertise by stating his role at Gates Corporation. He gives an example of how he contributed to developing their Gates CabRunner.

3. Third paragraph: This is the closing section that utilises a call to action. Alexander does this by asking to speak more about his research and patents and how they can be valuable to the company.

Alexander tailors his cover letter to the company he’s applying for. He matches his engineering skills and experience to the skills and qualifications listed in the job post. He does this by showcasing a specific example where he directed full-lifecycle product development.

It’s crucial for you to reference specific examples like Alexander did, and showcase your most relevant skills and qualifications to help employers see why you’re an excellent fit for the role.