How to Write an Engineer Cover Letter [+ Examples]

If not for engineers, there would be a lot more people walking around right now starting sentences with ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if’. Engineers bring the mind’s vision into the real world, and it’s useful to most people. 

You negotiate with the laws of the universe in order to bring about a desired outcome, and you’re also about to use this guide to navigate the rules of the job market to achieve a desired outcome—your gainful employment.

Whether you want to build bridges or fly to Mars, you’re going to need an engineering cover letter. Here’s a step-by-step guide. 

Use the LiveCareer cover letter builder and your cover letter will write itself. Choose a professional template, answer a few easy questions and the creator will generate a professional cover letter for you with just one click.

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Looking for a different cover letter example? See:

• Administrator Cover Letter Example
• Architecture Cover Letter Example
• Business Analyst Cover Letter Example
• Consulting Cover Letter Example
• Investment Banking Cover Letter Example
• PhD Cover Letter Example
• Research Assistant Cover Letter Example
• Teacher Cover Letter Example
• Teaching Assistant Cover Letter Example
• Warehouse Operative Cover Letter Example

Haven't found your job? Check our full list of professional cover letter examples.

Engineering Cover Letter Example

That’s the blueprint to a ground-breaking engineering cover letter. Let’s get yours wired up. Here's what to put in a cover letter:

1. Begin your engineer cover letter with a header and salutation

Make sure your contact information matches the header on your engineering CV, and align it to the right. The hiring manager’s details belong below that, aligned to the left. Then, the date and the subject of the letter (RE: [Job Title] Position).

Address your cover letter by first name to the hiring manager, that is far more preferable than ‘To Whom It May Concern’. If you can’t find this information in the job ad or on their website, check their LinkedIn, or call them up.

Check that you have everything:

Engineering cover letter example—header

You can adjust every cover letter created in the builder to meet the job requirements. Choose the name of your profession and the company to which you’re applying, and the LiveCareer cover letter builder will automatically adapt the content for you. Create a cover letter faster than you ever thought possible and apply for the job in record time.

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2. Hook the reader into your engineering cover letter with the first paragraph

Let's talk about the cover letter structure. We've got some good news here. Most cover letters start off with pointless waffling, and some simply just blow the hiring manager’s fuse. By getting right to the point, and sticking to it, you can avoid both, and be the natural solution to their problem.

Explain the strongest reason for why they should hire you right away. This could be the depth of experience you have in your prospective employer’s niche, this could be the one project that you aced that covers everything you’re going to be doing in your new position.

Research thoroughly, and summarise your experience to give them a reason to keep reading. This paragraph should be kept to between 40 and 80 words.

Engineering cover letter example—opening paragraph

3. Showcase experience in the body of your engineering cover letter

Now that you have their attention, it is time to go slightly more in-depth. If you are just starting out and writing a cover letter (also called a letter of application) for engineering internships, you could talk about one of your side or school projects that was particularly successful.

If you are well-experienced, elaborate on several key projects you completed that fit the profile of your new employer with appropriate metrics. Put your achievements in the spotlight and make sure it’s clear that your new employer can expect the same. 

This paragraph should amount to between 120 and 200 words.

Engineering cover letter example—main paragraph

You don’t have to create any content yourself. The LiveCareer cover letter generator will automatically suggest the best content for your cover letter with ready-made examples and expert tips.

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4. Sign off your engineer cover letter with a call to action

You have laid all the facts on the table. Now tie up those facts into a new reality for your prospective employer—reiterate exactly what you’re going to do for your new employer, and what proves that you can do that. Use 60-80 words for these closing arguments.

Instead of a bland and annoying ‘I look forward to hearing from you’, use another line to confidently ask for a call or a meeting to discuss a key achievement or project that they might be interested to hear more about.

Sign your cover letter formally with a ‘Best regards’. 

Engineering cover letter example—closing paragraph

5. Use an organised engineering cover letter format

Now for the specification. There are some rules to follow to make sure your cover letter reads well and brings about the outcome you desire. Here are some cover letter format rules:

Engineering cover letter length

When it comes to cover letter length, a concise business letter is more effective than an overly long one.

• 1st paragraph—40-80 words
• 2nd paragraph—120-200 words
• Closing paragraph—60-80 words
• Total 200 — 350 words
• No longer than 1 page of A4

Match the format of your engineer CV

Your engineering CV and cover letter must match, regarding general style, contact information, fonts, etc. They are two parts of the same document. For a higher readability, it is recommended to use a simple template without graphics.

Use a readable font for your engineering cover letter

Practicality beats style when it comes to engineering cover letters, so pick a readable font in a size 10-12. Choose from classics like Arial or Tahoma, or try something like Palatino or Didot to stand out slightly without compromising readability.

Even margins and white space

For a neat cover letter layout, use square 1-inch margins on all sides and white space between sections to break up the text into easily readable chunks. If there is a wall of text, consider using bullet points to list some achievements.

Craft each engineering cover letter precisely

One size does not fit all. Every company is different, even if they do similar things. Study their approach, values and projects they work on to understand whether you’d be a good fit, and what experience is most relevant for each. 

Not only does this increase your chances, this saves your time, also. You will gain a better understanding of what you would like to do and which companies might not be the best fit for you.

Save your cover letter for engineering jobs as PDF

Many large companies have Applicant Tracking Systems to manage the applications. Check what format they requested in the job ad, and if they don’t specify that they want a *.doc, save your cover letter as a PDF to protect the formatting. Note that an email cover letter follows different guidelines.

A cover letter alone simply won’t be enough—you need an impactful CV, too. Create your CV in minutes. Just follow our wizard and fill in every CV section with ready-made content. Get started by choosing a professional CV template.

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Does this answer how to write a cover letter for engineering? Got any more questions on what to include? Did you find the engineering cover letter example helpful? Let us know in a comment!

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Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.