1. How to Write an Engineer Cover Letter [+ Examples]

How to Write an Engineer Cover Letter [+ Examples]

LiveCareer Editorial Team
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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. 

Save time and have a cover letter ready in no time. Pick a cover letter template, use pre-written suggestions, and have your cover letter ready in minutes.

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Engineering Cover Letter Example

Max Ross

91 Warner Close

Hattingley

GU34 4BJ

077 4314 9367

max@ross.com

linkedin.com/maxross

John Snow

HR Manager

Robust Construction

1 Industrial

London

NW15 2RW

May 2, 2021

Dear John,

Having 14+ years of experience as a Civil Engineer in bridge construction with international teams on 3 continents, and having completed major motorway and bridge projects in UAE with a combined value of £1.1bn on-time and under-budget, I am confident I can deliver the same results for Robust Construction.

Working for my previous employer, Middle East Invest LLC, I have been involved in over a dozen modernisation projects in the UAE. In the case of the Sheikh Khalifa Crossing, I was on the engineering team that produced a design which reduced a popular route by 30 kilometres. This saved 40 million hours a year, with the economic impact being estimated at a £550 million boost to the local economy and business per annum. This meant that the £120m bridge paid for itself within three months of opening. The other two notable projects I managed, the Al Quwain and the Al Salik bridges also broke even within 6 months. I have also contributed to design and construction of 9 overpasses on the Al Quwain highway, with a total value of £47.5m, with a 3% saving with regard to projected cost. These were delivered two weeks ahead of schedule due to efficient work reorganisation. I have developed meticulous vendor management skills, able to secure a saving of 0.7-10% in relation to the projected costs.

The sheer profitability of my designs combined with proven vendor negotiation skills always secures a favourable financial outcome for my employer, and this will continue to be true in a role at Robust Construction. Overall, on all projects I managed at MEI LLC, I made a saving of 2.6%, or £28.9m, and feel confident I can leverage my network to produce similar results for Robust Construction in the Middle East region.

When would be a good time to set up a call or a meeting to discuss how I consistently reduce the costs of Middle East infrastructure projects?

Best Regards,

Max Ross

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

Max Ross

91 Warner Close

Hattingley

GU34 4BJ

077 4314 9367

max@ross.com

linkedin.com/maxross

John Snow

HR Manager

Robust Construction

1 Industrial

London

NW15 2RW

May 2, 2021

RE: Engineer Position

Dear John,

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 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.

Create your cover letter nowcover letter builder

Create your cover letter now

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

There is some good news. 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

Having 14+ years of experience as a Civil Engineer in bridge construction with international teams on 3 continents, and having completed major motorway and bridge projects in UAE with a combined value of £1.1bn on-time and under-budget, I am confident I can deliver the same results for Robust Construction.

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 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

Working for my previous employer, Middle East Invest LLC, I have been involved in over a dozen modernisation projects in the UAE. In the case of the Sheikh Khalifa Crossing, I was on the engineering team that produced a design which reduced a popular route by 30 kilometres. This saved 40 million hours a year, with the economic impact being estimated at a £550 million boost to the local economy and business per annum. This meant that the £120m bridge paid for itself within three months of opening. The other two notable projects I managed, the Al Quwain and the Al Salik bridges also broke even within 6 months. I have also contributed to design and construction of 9 overpasses on the Al Quwain highway, with a total value of £47.5m, with a 3% saving with regard to projected cost. These were delivered two weeks ahead of schedule due to efficient work reorganisation. I have developed meticulous vendor management skills, able to secure a saving of 0.7-10% in relation to the projected costs.

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

The sheer profitability of my designs combined with proven vendor negotiation skills always secures a favourable financial outcome for my employer, and this will continue to be true in a role at Robust Construction. Overall, on all projects I managed at MEI LLC, I made a saving of 2.6%, or £28.9m, and feel confident I can leverage my network to produce similar results for Robust Construction in the Middle East region.

When would be a good time to set up a call or a meeting to discuss how I consistently reduce the costs of Middle East infrastructure projects?

Best regards,

Max Ross

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:

  • 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.

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

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Create your cover letter

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!

How we review the content at LiveCareer

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.

About the author

LiveCareer Editorial Team
LiveCareer Editorial Team

Since 2005, the LiveCareer Team has been helping job seekers advance their careers. In our in-depth guides, we share insider tips and the most effective CV and cover letter writing techniques so that you can beat recruiters in the hiring game and land your next job fast. Also, make sure to check out our state-of-the-art CV and cover letter builder—professional, intuitive, and fully in line with modern HR standards. Trusted by 10 million users worldwide.

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