Developer cover letter

Developer Cover Letter Writing Tips (With Examples)

While many software developer jobs are extremely lucrative, they also tend to be notoriously lucrative.

When applying for such positions, you won't only need to demonstrate a variety of technical and personality skills but also prove that you're more qualified in those areas than the large pool of candidates competing against you.

One of the best ways to maximize your chances of securing the interview is to include a compelling cover letter with your application.

Cover letters are perfect supplements to resumes, as they allow you to expand and highlight skills and achievements listed on the latter.

In this article, we'll show you how to craft that compelling winning letter. You'll read free writing samples and important tips, as well as learn about the core components and structure that your document should follow.

The Most Important Parts of a Software Developer Cover Letter

The first step to creating an effective software developer cover letter is to make sure that it follows a logical structure and includes all the important core components.

These components are:

1. The header. List out your basic contact info, such as full name, phone number, and email. Include the company’s contact info as well.

   Begin your actual cover letter with a professional greeting such as “Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name]”

2. Opening paragraph. State your cover letter’s intent, and then hook the hiring manager’s attention immediately by providing an impressive, relevant career achievement example.

3. Body paragraph #1. Provide more career achievement examples to further strengthen your credibility.

4. Body paragraph #2. Prove to the hiring manager how you’ll replicate your past career successes at their company.

5. Closing. Reiterate your interest, thank the hiring manager for considering your application, and invite them to a follow-up meeting.

Software Developer Cover Letter Opening

Surveys show that the majority of hiring managers will spend less than a minute reading over each candidate’s application, so the most important goal of your cover letter opening should be to catch their attention.

Do this by starting with a brief statement of intent and then immediately diving into an impressive career achievement that shows the type of results that you’re capable of generating.

For a software development job, you want to choose an achievement that demonstrates either your excellent technical skills or abilities as a team leader.

Make sure that you focus on describing the quantifiable results of your actions rather than the actions themselves. Your goal here is to impress, not simply explain your ability to perform mundane day-to-day duties.

This section is also where you should quickly mention any relevant certifications or degrees.

If a current employee at the company recommended you for the job, make sure to mention their name and position, as well as integrate them into one of your career achievement examples to prove that they’ve observed your abilities.

Software Developer Cover Letter Body Paragraph #1

Use your first body paragraph to further strengthen the credibility you established in your opening.

Provide two or three more job achievement examples that showcase a variety of different skills.

For a software development position, the main skill categories you want to cover are:

• Foundational programming knowledge.

• Proficiency with development tools such as frameworks and libraries.

• Collaborative skills such as leadership and effective communication.

Here’s a sample body paragraph that puts this advice into practices:

Software Developer Cover Letter Body Paragraph #2

With your final body paragraph, you now want to convince the hiring manager that you’ll be able to replicate your past career successes at their company.

Each organization faces different challenges, so read the job listing clearly and see if they mention any details on the projects they’re hiring developers for.

If you can’t identify any specifics, then just focus on the main duties and skills mentioned in the listing.

Think back on your career to see if you’ve tackled any similar challenges. The goal here is to tailor your experience as directly to the job as possible.

Take note of how the following body paragraph puts this method into practice:

Software Developer Cover Letter Closing

This section needs to accomplish the following:

• Sums up your cover letter. Reiterate your main skills and interest in the position.

• Invites the hiring manager for further discussion. Express your enthusiasm for a follow-up meeting to discuss the job.

• Thanks the reader for their time. Thank the hiring manager for taking the time to consider your application.

Here’s a sample that achieves all three of these goals in a concise manner:

Software Developer Cover Letter Sample

Here is a complete version of the software developer cover letter we’ve covered so far:

Software Developer Cover Letter Tips

Here are some extra tips to keep in mind when you’re writing a cover letter for a software developer position:

• Don’t rehash your resume. The purpose of your cover letter is to supplement your resume’s weaknesses, not simply copy it.

  This is especially important to keep in mind when it comes to technical jobs, as many candidates fail to see the value in creating a narrative of who they are as a professional, as opposed to just listing out technical skills and achievements.

  It’s important to demonstrate the skills you’ve mentioned in your resume, but make sure to also expand on them and at least lightly tie them into your values as a person.

  Do this by adding a line or two about how you always strive to improve your skills and love working with teams.

• Don’t ignore soft skills. Even when it comes to technical jobs, you don’t want to completely ignore demonstrating soft skills such as effective communication.

  No matter how skilled a candidate is at software development, they’re still just one person who needs to fit into a cohesive team. Providing a few achievement examples that show your interpersonal and leadership skills is a great way to stand out from the crowd and impress.

• Use keywords. Many companies use applicant tracking software to automatically rank and filter job applications they receive by how many keywords they include.

  This is an especially common practice for technical jobs, as employers often seek candidates with extremely specialized domain skills. Ensure that when you’re discussing your achievements, you aren’t just vaguely describing the technologies you’ve worked with but also actually mention them by name.

  If you discuss multiple projects you’ve completed in Java, for example, make sure to actually mention that it was in Java at least once or twice.