Maintenance and repair technicians must have an eye for detail, so when hiring managers are looking for employees, they look for cover letters that display that care. Going beyond rehashing your resume will take you far. A great maintenance and repair cover letter is like a well-oiled machine: it keeps your application moving forward smoothly.
In this cover letter guide, along with the corresponding maintenance and repair cover letter examples, we’ll cover the following topics to help you write the best cover letter possible:
- How to choose the best cover letter format and what paragraphs the cover letter should include
- How to make the most of each cover letter paragraph (header, greeting, intro, body and conclusion)
- What tone and style to use when writing your cover letter
- What mistakes to avoid when writing your maintenance and repair cover letter.
So, what is the best way for you to prove you are a detail-oriented problem solver? How do you answer that all important question? What will set you apart from the other candidates? The guide below will analyze the details (you can also check out our library of 125+ cover letter examples).
Best format for a maintenance and repair cover letter
Taking care of the formatting of your letter will help you develop a stronger application. You have a lot to say and less than a page in which to do it. A clear structure will define your message and make it easier for recruiters to follow.
The format of a maintenance and repair cover letter should contain the following elements:
- The cover letter header
- The greeting / salutation
- The cover letter intro
- The middle paragraphs (body of the letter)
- The ending paragraph of your cover letter (conclusion and call-to-action)
Your letter needs to demonstrate your problem-solving abilities by highlighting how you approach breakdowns with the machinery you tend. You need to establish that you develop processes and routines and can follow them, while understanding that sometimes you have to show flexibility. That’s a lot to cover in 300 words, but at the end of this section, you will find a maintenance and repair cover letter sample that shows one way to accomplish this.
The comprehensive cover letter guide is a great read for general advice on writing cover letters, but the remainder of this text gets deeper into each paragraph and how best to compile it.
The maintenance and repair cover letter example below gives an overview of how to create your own application:
If you want more examples of cover letters, you can check out our related maintenance and repair cover letter samples:
Cover letter header
What’s more important than the ability for a recruiter to contact you to schedule an interview? That’s where the header of your maintenance and repair cover letter comes into play. This graphic element includes your name, email and phone information and adds a design feature to your letter.
Create consistency within your application
Use the same fonts and basic style for your cover letter and resume. This creates the look of a complete package instead of separate, stand-alone elements. It also makes it easier to match up your documents in case they get separated during the applicant screening process.
When a hiring manager reads your letter and is inspired to schedule an interview, you don’t want them having to fumble around looking for your contact information on a different document. Even a small obstacle can make a big difference in your job hunt. Make sure this information is clearly displayed.
The aim of this section: Make it easy for a hiring manager to contact you for an interview while adding a bit of style to your letter.
Cover letter greeting
No matter how casual an environment is, you are always better off sounding a bit more formal in your cover letter greeting. That’s why we recommend starting off with “Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms. Surname,” as our cover letter samples do. The combination of business formality and personalization sets the tone for your maintenance and repair cover letter.
If you cannot find out the name of the hiring manager or your prospective boss, you may use “to whom it may concern” or “dear maintenance team leader.” The more you learn about your prospective place of employment first, the easier it will be to choose the correct greeting.
The aim of the cover letter greeting: Set the tone for your letter with a personal, yet professional, opening.
Dear Ms. Cole,
Cover letter introduction
Flip the start switch quickly when you develop the introduction to your maintenance and repair cover letter. Within your first paragraph, you need to answer that big question, “Why should I hire you?” by offering up your work philosophy and your greatest achievement.
Tell a story that illustrates how you solved a maintenance problem or discovered potential breakdown before it cost the company time and money. Try to match the examples you use to situations that might occur at your targeted new position.
Your introduction should say, “I am a problem-solver who uses processes and maintenance strategies to keep my machines running efficiently.” Then, end with a sentence that previews the information you will give in the next paragraphs. See our cover letter sample below for one way to go about it.
Try incorporating your knowledge of maintenance strategies into your cover letter. Choose among reactive, preventive, condition-based, predictive and prescriptive examples to define your maintenance and repair achievements.
The aim of the cover letter intro: Demonstrate that you will be an asset to the maintenance and repair team and give the hiring manager a reason to read on.
I am writing to introduce myself and to express my sincere hope to join the Dealy Insurance Group as a dedicated and skilled Maintenance and Repair Worker. I am confident in my ability to effectively oversee and manage the maintenance and repair procedures involved in a facility as large as yours. In my last two places of employment I received high praises from my supervisors for excellent upkeep of each facility. I believe my ability to maintain an organized work schedule and an itemized inventory list is conducive to success. I also believe in the importance of being highly communicative with administration, and addressing problems before they grow.
Maintenance and repair cover letter middle part (body)
You’ve gotten the hiring manager interested, and now you have to keep the wheels turning by really selling yourself. You can expand upon your introductory example, or offer up some more ways that you are an asset to the maintenance and repair team.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What is my general approach to maintenance and repair?
- Have I completed any particularly difficult repairs?
- Are there processes I have improved upon?
Consider answering one or more of these in the body of your maintenance and repair cover letter. Use strong descriptive and action words that give the hiring manager a clear picture of your work style and personality.
In this section, you can list achievements in simple bullet format to highlight them, but also to break up blocks of type. Just as in your maintenance and repair resume, details and data go a long way toward helping you make your case for employment.
The aim of the body of your cover letter: Illuminate what makes you an excellent maintenance and repair professional and explain how that will help your future employer.
I am skilled in handling basic repairs, installation procedures, plumbing, cleaning procedures, and various grounds management tasks. I would be honored to help ensure a safe and sanitary environment at the Dealy Insurance Group.
How to close a cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
You’ve shown off your best, now keep up the confident manner in your cover letter conclusion. Remember that if you don’t believe in your abilities, no one else will either. Remind the hiring manager what makes you an excellent candidate, but steer clear of overblown language that may come off as bragging.
If you have the space, add a more personal note that hooks the hiring manager into wanting to hear more (during your interview, of course). You could tell why you want to work at the particular business or reveal how you became a maintenance and repair technician.
Finally, politely end with a call to action or request for an interview, as our cover letter sample below does.
The aim of the close of your cover letter: End with confidence and a reminder about why you are an excellent candidate.
If you would like to further discuss what I can bring to this important role, please contact me at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Abe Louis
Tips for avoiding mistakes in a maintenance and repair application letter
- Try to write in your natural voice. Many job applicants think the way to go is to sound starchy or use vocabulary they wouldn’t normally. It’s OK to get a bit of help from a thesaurus if you’re stuck for a word, but you want to sound like yourself to give the hiring manager a clue to your personality.
- Spell check and grammar check. While one small error may be overlooked, you are trying to prove you are detail-oriented and the tools to help you are readily available, so why take a chance?
- Keep it short. A cover letter should never be more than one page. That means using brief examples -- no more than a sentence or two.
- Remember the ATS. If you are applying online, the Applicant Tracking System may be taking your cover letter into account when it ranks your application, so get those resume keywords and phrases into your cover letter, too.
Key takeaways for a maintenance and repair cover letter
- Explain in the first paragraph why the company should hire you.
- Show off your problem-solving skills and process-orientation with an example of your career success.
- Use strong language that conveys a sense of who you are, but remain true to your own voice.
- Match the career highlights you choose to the type of work your prospective employer needs.
With Resume.io’s guidance, writing your cover letter is easy. Our expert-tested and pre-formatted cover letter templates make it simple to click and start creating.
