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Software Engineer Cover Letter

| By | Reviewed by Samuel Johns, CPRW

Before you apply for the next software engineer position, make sure you have a cover letter that complements your resume. Our software engineer cover letter example and writing tips demonstrate how you can highlight your knowledge of programming languages and database technology.

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A software engineer cover letter example template
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Software Engineer Cover Letter Template (Text Format)

Formatting your cover letter well is essential if you want to impress employers with your application.

Text Format
[Today’s Date] [Hiring Manager’s Name] Haystack Search
47 Westwater Way
Austin, TX 78717

Dear [Mr./Ms./Mx.] [Hiring Manager’s Name],

With six years of experience in full-stack web development and systems architecture, I am confident I will be an excellent fit for Haystack Search’s next Senior Software Engineer. My experience has provided me with the innovative and technical skills necessary to successfully provide your company with multifaceted technical solutions across a wide range software platforms.

At New Enterprise, I am responsible for leading the development for three high-traffic ecommerce websites that offer 12 million monthly users customizable documents. I oversee the building of innovative systems architecture via Kohana and Laravel frameworks, HTML5, CSS3/SASS, JavaScript/React, MySQL, and ElasticSearch.  I was instrumental in structuring several internal systems comprising order entry/management tools, conversion/revenue reporting, and production workflow tracking, as well as designed custom REST APIs built in Python, Laravel PHP, and NodeJS. I also successfully collaborate on solutions with our product, QA, and marketing teams to offer the best user experience to build higher customer lifetime value.

I have refined my strengths through six years of experience in DevOps, where I provided solutions in database technology, programming, operating systems. The following is a snapshot of my broader technical skills:

  • Agile Project Management
  • Custom Web and Mobile Applications
  • Database Programming
  • Data Science
  • Networking Devices and Tools

It would be a pleasure to learn more about Haystack’s needs, and I would welcome the chance to provide further insight into my knowledge of project management, technical abilities, personal attributes, and track record of success in building revenue generating web technologies compatible across multiple platforms, browsers, and devices.

Thank you for considering my candidacy for this position. I hope to hear from you soon to schedule an interview.

Sincerely,

Your Name

3 software engineer cover letter writing tips

Learning how to put together a cover letter for the specific job(s) you want will help you land more interviews.

Here’s everything you need to know to write a convincing software engineer cover letter:

1. Add software skills to your cover letter

Because software engineers need to work with various pieces of software, list the specific software you’re proficient with in your cover letter. Depending on your speciality, you could mention some of these common software skills in your writing:

You should also list the above skills on your resume of course, but use your cover letter to highlight the most impressive software-related achievements you’ve scored for your current or previous company using the technical skills you’ve listed. This allows hiring managers to see what you can do for their company. For example, you might write:

Created 17 ecommerce websites integrated with PayPal, Authorize.net, and other payment gateway APIs.

Find out which computer skills each company is seeking by paying close attention to their job ad, and then emphasizing the skills listed there. That means you will need a unique cover letter for each position, because each company is looking for slightly different skill sets.

2. Research the company and showcase what you found out

When you’re writing your cover letter, meld your research about the company into your letter’s content. Proving you know something about a company’s past successes and future goals shows hiring managers you’re serious about your application and know what kind of challenges you’ll face if you’re hired.

For example, if you found out that the company signed a deal with a major bank to develop its web banking app for iOS or Android, you can then mention your experience building secure encryption methods into apps. Such an anecdote shows you have the experience to help the company succeed with their new business venture.

3. Emphasize your soft skills too

It’s common for applicants in highly technical fields like software to neglect talking about their soft skills. That’s because they have so many hard skills that fitting in soft skills seems like a waste of valuable space on their cover letter.

However, even software-industry employers value soft skills because an employee with good people skills gets along well with their colleagues, avoids arguments and personality clashes, and contributes to a positive work environment, boosting productivity and profitability.

Here are some soft skills you can talk about in your software engineer cover letter:

Are you particularly skilled in any of those areas? Put these soft skills into context by demonstrating how you applied them to improve workplace processes or attain goals. For example, you might write this bullet point:

  • Onboarded 3 new hires, with all 3 completing onboarding 17% faster than expected due to my recognized teaching and communication skills.
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