Software engineer cover letter

Software Engineer Cover Letter (With Examples)

There are approximately four million individuals whose professional title falls under the category of a software engineer. Unfortunately, there are only enough jobs out there for about 25% percent of them. That leaves a lot of hopeful and unemployed software engineers wondering how they can improve their chances of being noticed by a recruiter among the competition.

The answer is writing a cover letter that’s professional and strategic to accompany your application for a software engineer position.

Parts of a Software Engineer Cover Letter

It’s intimidating to enter an extremely competitive job market, like the one that modern software engineers are experiencing. With so many impressive and qualified candidates that are going after the same open position with full-force, getting ahead of the pack can feel impossible.

Before you give up all hope of putting your software engineering skills to good use in a new job, consider writing a cover letter.

A cover letter is an excellent way to add a flair of personality to your resume and other application materials. Since it takes the format of a professional email, a cover letter gives candidates the chance to connect with a hiring manager more directly. Oftentimes, effectively demonstrating yourself professionally in a cover letter results in getting a job interview.

Even though writing a cover letter for a potential job sounds tedious at first, think of it as writing a regular business email that greatly improves your chances of being a stand-out applicant. Consider the following steps for writing a software engineer cover letter.

Software Engineer Cover Letter Opening

Treat the opening to a software engineering cover letter as you would to the header to a formal email at work. Include your name, contact details, and the date because the employer might refer to this information later to contact you.

Additionally, attempt to find the hiring manager’s full name if it’s not easily accessible on the job posting.

A recruiter responds positively to applicants that made an effort to contact them personally. Address them by the formal rendition of their title, such as “Mrs./Ms./Mr. Last Name”.

With the business letter formatting out of the way, begin the first paragraph of the cover letter. This should be an easygoing initiation that states the job title you’re applying for, the company it’s with, and a tidbit about why you match the needs for the role. Keep the first paragraph under a few sentences long.

Software Engineer Cover Letter Body

With an impressive introduction to the cover letter made off the bat, don’t waste any time getting into the substance of the body.

Mention your education, experience, and skills that are directly related to the software engineering position that you’re applying for. Although it’s difficult to summarize details of your career, keep conciseness in mind throughout the writing process.

A cover letter should be a page long with about four paragraphs. In that space, you should be able to give the recruiter a good idea about your professional background and software engineering abilities.

You don’t need to disclose every fact about your career in the body of a cover letter. Only include your highest accomplishments and most relevant skills. This makes a hiring manager curious to seek out more information.

Software Engineer Cover Letter Closing

The recruiter has a clear picture of who you are and why you‘re fit for the position. Luckily, that’s the majority of the task when it comes to a cover letter. All that’s left to do is finish it off with a professional ending.

Thanking the hiring manager for reviewing your application, cover letter, and CV is the best way to finish off the last paragraph. A job seeker who is polite and appreciative of the opportunity to be considered is remembered fondly by a recruiter. Additionally, clarify your means of contact.

Example of a Software Engineer Cover Letter

Tips for Writing a Software Engineer Cover Letter

The sheer number of software engineers searching for work is enough to worry the average applicant. However, injecting some of your positive characteristics and these tips into your cover letter can help you get ahead of the competition.

1. Personalize your cover letter to each company you apply with. The problem that many software engineers face when they’re applying for jobs is that they’re up against so many other qualified applicants. One way to avoid getting lost in the shuffle is by personalizing your resume to every company you’re applying with.

   While this is important in most occupations, it’s crucial when you’re trying to squeeze into the 25% of software engineers that secured a job.

2. Highlight the qualities that make you stand-out. Certain skills are necessary to be a software engineer, and most applicants will be mentioning these.

   Let your resume do the talking when it comes to these common skills and focus on more unique abilities, accomplishments, or experiences that make you stand-out in your software engineering cover letter.

3. Put your personality on display. The main thing that makes you distinct from a sea of other software engineering applicants is your personality. In the words of your cover letter, try to bring your unique personality to the forefront.

   While you might have a lot of the same technical skills as other candidates, they can’t match your unique perspective and voice.