Electrical Engineer Cover Letter Example

What does a good electrical engineer cover letter look like? The main point, of course, is to convey your importance as a specialist, what you contribute to your employer and why you care about your job. Let’s think about how vital electrical engineers are to almost any enterprise or modern activity.

If you’ve ever flown on a plane, and there were lights and movies and a button that summoned a flight attendant — plus the wheels descended on time before landing — then you should thank an electrical engineer.

Something as simple as our morning coffee (unless you make your coffee on a campfire) relies to some extent on electrical engineering. Even our usually cordless devices, our prized phones and laptops, would be dead in the water without power. And in our increasingly sophisticated world, almost all power depends in part on electricity. 

Electrical engineers design, develop and build electrical devices, including electric motors, communications systems and virtually everything else that relies at some level on electricity. Some electrical engineers are also electronics engineers, who develop the technology behind the electronic devices like the gizmo on your phone that tells you where to drive when you’re lost.

If you’d like to get one of those jobs, it shouldn’t be too hard if you have the skills, but you’re going to need a winning job application package, which starts with an outstanding resume and cover letter. 

But you’ve plugged into the right place. Resume.io is a leading global supplier of occupation-specific writing guides and corresponding cover letter examples. We also offer resume writing guides and examples, informative blogs and field-tested templates to help you create both job application documents.

Here’s what we’ll talk about in this cover letter writing guide, backed by an electrical engineer cover letter example:

• Why an electrical engineer needs a cover letter
• How to structure and write this letter
• How to optimize the impact of each cover letter section: header, greeting, introduction, body and closing
• How to design the letter so it looks great
• Tips for writing a persuasive letter
• Common mistakes that you need to avoid

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How to write a cover letter - expert guide [2023]

Here is exactly how you can write a cover letter that will stand out from the crowd, and help you land that interview.

Why an electrical engineer needs a cover letter

Surveys of hiring managers have found that one of the top reasons that resumes are rejected is the failure to include a cover letter. It’s an expected part of a job application, so leaving it out is an automatic strike against you. 

A resume and cover letter do contain many of the same things, including some mention of the experience, skills and qualifications that make someone a good job candidate. But while a resume is a relatively impersonal document that isn’t addressed to anyone, a cover letter is a way of establishing a personal relationship with a hiring manager.

A cover letter enables you to showcase your personality, passion and drive in ways that a resume alone can’t. It enables you to tell stories about your past successes on the job. It allows you to discuss the needs of the specific employer you’re writing to. And it’s simply good etiquette — you are asking for a job, after all, and a cover letter is a way of doing so professionally and politely. 

If you had your own electrical engineering firm and you wanted to send a proposal to a client, you would surely include an introductory letter and not just a bid. This kind of personalized outreach is always more likely to get results.

In rare cases, a few employers may state that they prefer to receive a resume only. But unless you’re specifically asked not to, always include a cover letter with a resume. 

Best format for an electrical engineer cover letter

A cover letter should be a one-page document with a maximum of 400 words , and it should contain these elements in this order:

• Cover letter header
• Greeting/salutation
• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion
• Sign-off

In this section we’ll discuss what each of these should contain, as well as tips on how to write them effectively.

Cover letter header

Once known as a letterhead, the cover letter header is the space at the top of your letter that contains your name, profession, address, phone number and email. This needs to be there so that employers know how to contact you, but it also serves as a design element that should make your letter more pleasing to the eye.

It can include a light use of color, as well as creative use of typography and design. It should look attractive but professional, never garish or over-designed. 

To give you some ideas, look at the headers on the free cover letter templates offered by resume.io. Find one of these you like, download it and fill in your own information, and you won’t have to worry about designing the header yourself.

Goal of the cover letter header: Distinguish yourself from other job applicants by attracting visual attention and displaying your regard for detail and professionalism.

Greeting/salutation

You should generally open you cover letter greeting with the traditional -  “Dear Mr. [last name]” or “Dear Ms. [last name].” More casual greeting styles are sometimes used also, like “Greetings” or “Hello,” followed by the name. 

If you happen to know the person you’re writing to, addressing him or her by first name may also be acceptable. But beware of being too casual or familiar when writing to someone who has the power to offer you a job.

Do try to find out the name of the hiring manager responsible for the position you’re seeking, and use that person’s name. It shows your attention to detail and conveys respect that you’ve gone to the trouble of finding out the name of the appropriate person to address. 

If you can’t find this information online, consider making a phone call to the company to inquire. But if for some reason the company doesn’t want to name names, then you need to find a simple way to address your letter to an entire company or a department within that company, such as “Dear Acme Hiring Department.”

Goal of the cover letter greeting: Start off on a professional note while making a direct personal connection with the hiring manager.

Cover letter introduction

Open your letter with an engaging cover letter introduction paragraph that identifies the job you’re seeking and makes an opening case for why you’d be a great candidate. 

Use language that’s bold and confident, yet without ever crossing a line into arrogance or a presumption that your hire is a foregone conclusion. Find a tone of voice that captures both your professionalism and your personality. 

Normally your job experience should be the first thing you mention as you begin to discuss your qualifications. 

Here’s an example of a good cover letter introduction:

In my 10 years in electrical engineering, I’ve gained broad-based experience in designing electrical and electronic devices of all kinds, and I’d like to put my expertise and resourcefulness at your disposal as a senior electrical engineer.

Goal of the cover letter introduction: Captivate recruiters with a preview of your qualifications that motivates them to read more.

Body

The two or three paragraphs in the middle of your letter should generally start by expanding on your experience. Don’t just mention where you worked or for how long, but be specific about what you achieved at those jobs, using facts and figures wherever possible.

Tell a short story — discuss a difficult challenge you faced in the past, what action you took and how you resolved it. 

Usually you’ll want to mention your educational experience and any relevant certifications you may have. If you’re new to this field (for example, if you’re still in college), it may be appropriate to lead with your education and any internships you may have had.

Always try to say something about the employer you’re writing to, noting any challenges the company faces that you’re aware of, and discussing how your contribution can help the company achieve its goals. At the very least, this demonstrates that you’re writing a letter targeted to a specific employer and not just mass-mailing a generic cover letter to all.

Goal of the cover letter body: Reinforce the connection between your previous a and potential future benefits to the hiring organization.

Cover letter conclusion

Wrap up your cover letter conclusion with a thank you and some kind of call to action. The last thing you want is for your reader to set your letter aside and do nothing about it. So let that person know that you’re looking forward to a response of some kind, whether it’s an email, a phone call or (ideally) an invitation to come in for an interview. 

Avoid suggesting that you “expect” a response or feel entitled to one, but plant the thought that you would be delighted to hear back, letting your reader know that you’re genuinely interested in this job.

Here’s an example of a persuasive cover letter conclusion and call to action:

I hope you’ll agree that my job experience makes me well suited for the electrical engineering job you’re offering, and I thank you for considering my candidacy. I’m always reachable at the contact info listed above, and I look forward to hearing from you soon to discuss the matter further.

Aim of the cover letter closing: End on an upbeat, self-assured note with a call to action that ideally results in an interview.

Cover letter sign-off

Closely with “Sincerely,” “Best regards,” “All my best” or a similar phrase, and type your full name below that.

How to design a good-looking cover letter 

Looks matter, so you need to pay attention to the appearance of your cover letter design. We recommend using a professional cover letter template that’s already done the design for you. Here are some of the design principles to consider when building or choosing your cover letter format and visuals:

Font: The font you use should be one that’s easy to read and doesn’t look strange or unusual in any way. Don’t use fonts that look like cursive, that are too bold or too lightweight, or that for any other reason look exotic. For specific dos and don’ts, review our guide to best fonts cover letters.

Font size: Make the font size no larger than 12 points and no smaller than 10. Resist the temptation to cram your long letter onto one page by reducing the font size, and instead focus on cutting unnecessary text. 

Text alignment: Align text left, rather than justified from margin to margin, to leave a little white space where each line ends.

Paragraphs: Do not indent paragraphs, leave a space between them, and to avoid big blocks of black text on your page, don’t make them too long.

Margins: Use one-inch margins on the top, bottom, left and right of your letter.

Save as PDF: Save your cover letter as a PDF before attaching it to an email or uploading it in the employer’s job-application system. A PDF will retain the formatting of your original document, whereas other formats can make text jump around or even turn to garble when viewed on a different device or opened in a different application.

Again, your safest bet is to use a professionally designed cover letter template that’s already taken care of all these design issues. We have an excellent cover letter builder that helps you with pre-generated phrases (no more writer’s block!)

The psychology of writing a persuasive letter

As you’re writing this letter, you want to try to get inside the reader’s mind a bit. Your goal is to convince this person that you are so qualified for the job that they will feel compelled to take action on your letter and initiate the steps that will lead to your hire. 

So your letter needs to be a model of persuasive writing. In fact, depending on how important this job is to you, you may have to write the letter of your life. 

Psychologists say that humans are wired to respond to stimuli in both rational and emotional ways. Rational responses are slower and more deliberative, while emotional responses are more automatic, “from the heart.” Both responses can be involved in hiring decisions, and both can be subconsciously triggered by different kinds of language. 

For example, the rational mind will respond more readily to a job candidate’s job experience, education, skills and other qualifications. But the emotional “heart” responds to more intangible factors, like the candidate’s passion, personality, drive and likeability. Think about this as you write your letter, and don’t be too robotic or cold, but speak like one human being to another. 

Nobody wants to hire somebody they don’t like, so be absolutely positive that nothing in your letter makes you sound superior or egotistical.

Remember that a letter seeking a job should be focused on the employer’s needs, not yours. You’re not trying to convince the recruiter that you need a job — you’re trying to make a case that the company needs you. 

So put yourself in the shoes of the person you’re writing to, and don’t just write the letter you want to write; write the letter that person would want to receive.

Common mistakes you don’t want to make 

Unfortunately, people who write cover letters often make mistakes. Here are some of the more common ones that you should be aware of so you don’t repeat these errors.

• Typos and simple writing errors: Misspellings, bad grammar and poor punctuation can all be deal-breakers, so reread your letter carefully. If in doubt, hire an editor to review it and correct any errors you might have made.
• Cover letter clichés: There are certain phrases that recruiters have read a thousand times before, like those from people who claim to be “team players” who “think outside the box.” Eradicate these phrases from your vocabulary and use original language that you haven’t read anywhere else.
• Non-customized letters: One-size-fits-all cover letters that you plan to send to 50 employers will rarely get results. Every cover letter should be targeted to a specific employer to address its needs and to talk about how you can help solve its problems.
• Design errors: Garish headers, strange fonts, tiny text and other design errors may disqualify your letter at a glance. Unless you’re really skilled at typographic design, use a template to sidestep these and other fatal flaws.

Key takeaways for an electrical engineer cover letter

1. A cover letter is an essential part of a job application package that can make the difference between success and failure, so it shouldn’t be an afterthought that you dash off in five minutes.
2. Follow the rules of proper cover letter structure to make sure your letter contains all the essential elements.
3. Follow the principles of good cover letter design so that your letter looks as good as it reads.
4. Put yourself in the shoes of your reader and write a letter focused on the needs of the employer.
5. Avoid common errors like typos, clichés, mass-produced letters and poor design.

For best results, start with a professionally designed cover letter template like those we offer at resume.io. We can’t write the letter for you, but we’ll provide a framework built for success