Engineering Cover Letter Examples & Writing Guide

Create your cover letter now

Jacques Buffett, CPRW

Career Expert

Updated July 24, 2024

Reviewed by:

Roma Kończak, CPRW

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Create a cover letter now

From constructing the soaring arches of a bridge to careful arrangement of the molecules that make up materials, engineering requires planning, precision and structure to achieve successful outcomes.

Getting the best engineering jobs is no different, and the best way to build a job search to the highest tolerances is to include a well-written engineering cover letter. And if you give us just five minutes of your time, you’ll learn how to write one.

This guide is going to show you engineering cover letter examples that’ll help you get your own constructed in no time.

Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from 20+ professional cover letter templates that match your CV. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.

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Engineering Cover Letter for a CV—See more cover letter examples and create your cover letter here.

Engineering Cover Letter Example

Philip Adebayo

101 Northolt Close

London

W12 NFG

8th July 2020

Marina Johnson

Head of HR

Globex Construction Services

10–12 Hyde Street

London

E1 6NY

Dear Ms Johnson,

As a civil engineer with specialist experience in bridge construction in the Middle East I was excited to see your opening for a consulting civil engineer to work with your partners in the region. It would be a pleasure to bring my keenly developed local industry knowledge to the table.

As a civil engineer of 10 years standing with the Afiq Group I have had oversight of 15+ bridge and motorway flyover projects in Dubai, Jordan and Egypt. Each of these projects has been completed underbudget and within projected timescales, creating savings of £2m+. I have also led on the development and utilisation of local talent, contributing to ensuring a minimum of 50% of project manager’s were locally sourced.

I understand that Globex intends to expand within the Middle East and I am excited about the opportunity to use my C1 level Arabic language skills and contacts with local suppliers to contribute to a smooth transition to this exciting and challenging region. I am also committed to the same goals as Globex in ensuring maximum contribution to local communities with minimum environmental impact. Working with you would be a brilliant opportunity to use my skills and experience to effect positive change.

Many thanks for taking the time to review my application. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at your convenience so we can discuss how my knowledge of arid region-specific construction methods could be an asset to this role.

Yours sincerely,

Philip Adebayo

You’ve just read a great engineering cover letter sample, and you’re about to see how to write your own. But first—

Don’t forget that even the best engineering cover letter needs a CV to go with it, and here’s how to get it written: Engineering CV Example & Writing Guide

And we’ve got guides for other careers too.

Engineering Cover Letter Template

Here’s how to write a cover letter for engineering jobs.

1. Build Your Foundations With a Well Constructed Cover Letter Format

The title of this section says it all. You’ve got to build your engineering cover letter on a solid base. Good formatting gives a more professional presentation and makes your cover letter easier to read. Here’s how to do it.

Choose a cover letter template that matches your CV. Margins should be one inch on all sides and line spacing should be single or 1.15.
Then select an easy-to-read font set at 11–12pts. The best CV fonts work for cover letters too. The jury’s out on whether sans serif or serif fonts are more readable, but if you stick with tried and true classics like Garamond, Tahoma and Arial you won’t go wrong.
And before you start to write, plan your content to take into account the best cover letter length. Stick to one page at most.

2. Write Your Engineering Cover Letter Header

Writing the cover letter address can’t be that hard surely? It isn’t when you know how, but so few of us actually write letters in our everyday lives it’s easy to forget what the rules are. Here’s a reminder to make sure your header is perfectly formatted.

Start with your own personal details, making sure they’re right aligned. Then leave a space and include the date you wrote your letter, using the correct format e.g. 8th July 2020.
Then revert to left-alignment and write the hiring manager’s contact details. And try to use the hiring manager’s name. This activates their brain and makes them more alert and ready to pay attention to your letter.

The hiring manager’s name might be mentioned on the job advert or you may be able to find it on LinkedIn. Alternatively, just call the company and ask. Whatever you do, don’t miss the opportunity to take advantage of this easy psychological hack.

3. Start with a Personal Greeting and a Compelling First Paragraph

Now it’s time to start convincing the hiring manager you’re just the candidate for the job. With 1.8 million workers in the sector, engineering recruiters see a lot of applications pass across their desk so you have to get their attention fast. Here’s how to do it.

Start your engineering cover letter with a standard formal greeting, it’s still a business letter after all. ‘Dear [hiring manager’s name]’ if you’re writing to a named person and ‘Dear Hiring Manager’ if you’re addressing the letter anonymously. Leave ‘To Whom it May Concern’ and ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ back in the 19th century where they belong.
In your first sentence, name the role you’re applying for to show you’ve written a specifically targeted cover letter.
Then mention an impressive professional achievement as a ‘hook’ to catch the recruiter’s attention.

4. Add More Proof That You’re an Ideal Candidate

The second paragraph of your engineer cover letter strengthens the foundations you laid in your introduction. This is your opportunity to add even more proof of how your abilities will help you excel in your new role. Here’s how to do it effectively.

Plan this paragraph by reading the job advert and making a note of all the experience and skills that are mentioned in the job description.
Then show how well you can do the job by using another professional achievement that matches up with the job requirements. Use numbers to quantify and accomplishment statements to add structure and impact.

5. Show How Much You Want the Job

Every employer wants employees who are positive and committed to the company, so show some passion for the role and the company you’re applying for. This is even more important at the start of your career, such as if you’re writing an engineering graduate cover letter. Positivity and a good attitude go a long way to compensating for a lack of experience. Here’s how to set the right tone.

Research the employer and find out a positive fact about them. Then mention it as your inspiration for applying for the job.
You could also show your eagerness to help by researching any challenges the employer is facing and explaining how you can help solve them. You can also mention how you intend to contribute to the company’s future growth.

6. Finish With a Thank You and a Call to Action

We’ve come to the last paragraph. Now’s the chance to have a strong finish and really drive home your value as a candidate. Here’s how to nail your last impression.

Underline your professionalism and positivity by thanking the hiring manager for their time.
Then use a call to action to secure an interview. Ask the hiring manager to contact you so you can discuss the job in more detail. And as an added incentive mention one more impressive bit of experience or skill that will help contribute to the team.

Pro Tip: You don’t have to say ‘please find attached my CV’, it’s a bit redundant these days and there are better ways of saying it if you really have to.

7. Nail Your Sign-Off

Much like your cover letter header, this part is easy to get wrong because we’re just not accustomed to writing letters anymore. So here’s a reminder to make sure you sign off your engineering cover letter in style.

Write your full name and include a digital copy of your handwritten signature.
Use the correct sign-off. ‘Yours sincerely’ if you wrote to the hiring manager by name and ‘Yours faithfully’ if you didn’t.
And if you’re sending your engineering cover letter as the body of an email, put your contact details immediately below your signature rather than in your header.

If you want a more detailed guide to writing a cover letter for engineering jobs you can read more here: How to Write a Cover Letter: Complete Guide

By now you’ll have created the perfect engineer cover letter, remember to create a perfect CV to go with it.

When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your CV here.

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When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.

Thanks for reading. Do use the comments section to ask any questions. Perhaps you’re writing for a specific situation such as a chemical engineering cover letter or a mechanical engineering cover letter. Whatever scenario you’re facing, don’t be afraid to ask, I’ll be happy to help.

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