How to Write an Effective Electrical Engineer Cover Letter and Resume

Writing an impressive cover letter is very important in your electrical engineering job search journey. Companies receive hundreds of applications for vacancies and the majority of them are similar to each other. This is why you need to have an electrical engineer cover letter that helps you stand out. 

You shouldn’t just send out any cover letter, you should send out an eye-catching one that will convince the hiring manager to invite you for an interview. To help you achieve this, we’ve created this article to provide you with tips to help you craft a winning cover letter and accompanying resume.

Electrical Engineer Cover Letter Guide

An electrical engineer cover letter should include necessary components like your personal information, the company details, the hiring manager’s name, and your work accomplishments and skills. What distinguishes your cover letter from your resume is your personality and the opportunity to tell your story in a way that your resume can’t show.

Why Does Your Electrical Engineer Cover Letter Matter? 

Your electrical engineering cover letter matters significantly because it is your first opportunity to get your foot in the door. Your resume shows all about your professional life in brief statements and lists, however, your cover letter gives you the chance to show off your personality.

If done right, your cover letter can convince your potential employer that you are the ideal candidate for the job and help you stand out. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the jobs for electrical engineers will grow by seven percent, which is just as fast as other occupations. However, electrical engineer positions may decline in some industries. 

A great cover letter will help you stick out in a crowded job market. By following the necessary guidelines, you are guaranteed to catch the hiring manager’s attention and earn you the opportunity to have an interview for an electrical engineer position.

Essential Components of Your Electrical Engineer Cover Letter

To have a strong cover letter that stands out, you need to include certain essential components. The components of an excellent cover letter include contact information, a mention of past accomplishments, and a call to action. Follow these cover letter structure guidelines to create a customizable cover letter format for all future applications.

• Header. The header should include your name and contact information. You can use a standard header template to create an appealing header.
• Company info. The company information should come next and should include the hiring manager’s name, company name, address, and phone number. 
• Introductory paragraph.  This is your first opportunity to impress the hiring manager. It should include details that explain briefly why you are the right candidate for the job. You can include your experience, present company name, education, and relevant skills. You should also start by mentioning your excitement about applying. 
• Second paragraph. The second paragraph should start by going into detail on why you are the right fit for the electrical engineering role. You should describe your responsibilities in previous roles and mention how this experience will benefit the company. You can also include the electrical engineering skills you applied that helped you succeed in these roles.
• Third paragraph. This is where you get to impress the hiring manager by talking about your relevant achievements in your professional life. You can use bullet points to highlight them and should also make use of statistics to further emphasize your level of expertise.
• Closing paragraph. You should end the letter by mentioning the company’s values and why you would make a good impact on the company. Thank the hiring manager for their time and explain that you are available to discuss the role further and answer any questions.

6 Tips for Writing a Strong Electrical Engineer Cover Letter

To ease your cover letter writing process, we have compiled a few actionable cover letter tips that will help you grab your potential employer’s attention and give you a competitive advantage. 

• Examine the job description. Before you start writing your cover letter, you should read the job description thoroughly to know the important details that will guide you in writing the perfect cover letter. Look for the skills that the company is looking for and use them as the focus of your cover letter.
• Research the company. Researching the company before writing your cover letter can help you write a better cover letter. This will be especially useful for writing about the impact you can bring to the company.
• Include examples of your work experience. Highlight a past role or two and why it helped you hone the skills necessary to be able to take on this new position. Mention any key achievements you had or contributions you made that had an impact.
• Mention relevant skills. Reading the job description beforehand will give you an idea of the skills that the potential employer expects from candidates. The skills that you include in your cover letter should be relevant to the role.
• Incorporate your personality. Your cover letter should not be a copy of your resume. It should include a bit of your personality to stand out from the competition. The potential employer will likely get hundreds of resumes and cover letters. Showing a bit of your personality will help single you out and convince the hiring manager to interview you.
• Keep it brief. Your cover letter should not be over a page long. Use brief sentences that get straight to the point and avoid including irrelevant information.

Electrical Engineer Cover Letter Example

This section includes a full electrical engineering cover letter sample to serve as a guide for you to follow. It comprises all the components and tips listed earlier in this article to show you what a compelling cover letter should look like. 

Electrical Engineer Cover Letter Sample

Janet Brown
123 Lane Boulevard
City, State
(123) 456-7890
janetbrown@email.com 

[Hiring Manager’s Name]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[Company City, State]

Dear Ms. Smith,

I would like to apply for the role of electrical engineer at [Company Name] as I believe I have the required experience and skills necessary for the role. I hold a Master’s Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with 5+ years of experience working in the field. I am skilled in circuit design and the building of computer systems.

During my years of experience, I have worked to design and develop electrical devices and equipment, performed a wide range of detailed calculations to establish construction specifications, and trained technical staff in PLC troubleshooting and electrical systems. I have also implemented maintenance strategies while also ensuring that installation and operations are up to standard and meet customers’ requirements.

My problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, and communication skills have helped me succeed in carrying out my tasks and providing high-level projects with minimal or no assistance. My professional achievements include developing a solar smart system that cut annual costs by $500,000 as well as acting as the lead for a project that extended the average life of electronic industrial systems and components by up to 35%.

It has always been a dream to work for a reputable company like yours that prioritizes customer satisfaction and world betterment. It would be an honor to work with your company. I have attached my resume for more comprehensive details on my education and work experience. 

Thank you for taking the time to review my cover letter. I look forward to discussing this position further at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Janet Brown

Electrical Engineer Resume Guide

A good resume should include a catchy header, an excellent resume summary, relevant work experience, your academic background, skills, and your proudest achievements. Your resume should highlight your achievements to show the hiring manager what impact you can bring to their company. 

Why Does Your Electrical Engineer Resume Matter?

A resume is the one thing that your potential employer will request during the hiring process. While a cover letter can be optional for some job applications, a resume isn’t. This makes your resume vitally important in your career journey. Your resume should include important information to highlight your exceptional qualifications, skills, and achievements.

There are chances that your resume will be the first thing your hiring manager sees before your cover letter. In this situation, you need to have a resume that will impress them enough to proceed to read your cover letter. If you do it right, you will have convinced the recruiter and you can let your cover letter do the rest of the work for you.

Essential Components of Your Electrical Engineer Resume

The following are essential components that your electrical resume must include to meet industry standards and impress the recruiting team.

• Header. Your resume header should include your name, professional title, and contact info like your email address, LinkedIn profile, and phone number. You can use any of the numerous resume templates available to choose an appealing and standard resume header.
• Professional summary. Your professional or resume summary is a paragraph that introduces you to the hiring manager. As the name suggests, it should be a brief summary of your resume that convinces the hiring manager to proceed reading and also give them a bit of information on what to expect. In this section, you can also mention your career goals as your motive for applying.
• Work experience. This is an essential part of your resume. The hiring manager wants to see the relevant work history you have to see if you can handle the electrical engineering position that you are applying for. This should be arranged in reverse chronological order and mention your key roles and achievements during your time with the company.
• Educational background. This is the section that covers your academic experience. Here, you get to name the schools you have attended and certifications that you have earned, if any. You may also include the relevant courses you took to show the hiring manager that you have the knowledge required for the role. 
• Skills. Your resume should have a skills section where you list any relevant skills you have for the role. Read the job description to see the skills required and list these applicable skills on your resume.
• Accomplishments. Much like your cover letter, accomplishments and career highlights should be mentioned as concrete proof of your value. The hiring manager should be able to tell how much of an impact you can have on their company through your achievements. You may use data or numbers to emphasize these successes.
• Additional information. This section isn’t compulsory but is great if you have any awards, certifications, volunteer work, or training that will further convince the hiring manager that you are the ideal candidate for the role. However, this information should be of relevance to the electrical engineer position.

6 Tips for Writing a Strong Electrical Engineer Resume

Below are tips to help you craft the perfect resume and help you land electrical engineering roles with ease. They are things that every hiring manager will look out for when going through your resume. 

1. Make it short and sweet. Your resume shouldn’t go over two pages. If you do not have extensive experience and achievements to include, your resume shouldn’t be more than a page long. Hiring managers often have to read numerous resumes, and you don’t want them to eliminate your chances because your resume was too long and tedious to read.
2. Write in reverse-chronological format. This is a tip for your work experience and education sections. They should be arranged in reverse order, starting from the most recent to the oldest job or institution. 
3. Focus on your achievements. Your resume should highlight your achievements more than any other information on your resume. This is because they show that you can handle the prospective job efficiently based on previous successes. They should be quantified.
4. Include relevant skills. In the section for skills, you should only include skills that are relevant to the role and focus on technical skills. After you have listed important technical skills then you can list relevant soft skills. 
5. Personalize your resume. The most common mistake that job seekers make is sending out the same resume for every job they apply for. Any hiring manager will know instantly if your resume isn’t fit for the role. It is recommended that you customize each resume to suit the job you are applying for.
6. Include keywords. Many companies now make use of an applicant tracking system, (ATS) to single out resumes that are worth viewing. This means that if your resume does not include certain keywords listed in the description, you won’t get the chance to proceed to the interview stage. Research these keywords and ensure they’re on your resume.

Electrical Engineer Resume Examples

To display these resume writing tips, below are two different resume samples to help you see what a great resume should look like. The first example is the section that most electrical engineer job seekers have difficulty with and is also one of the most important sections of your resume. The other sample is a full template that includes all sections of a good resume.

Electrical Engineer Resume Sample: The Work Experience Section

Senior Electrical Engineer
TIM Company            June 2012 – Present
Bellevue, Washington

Key Duties and Tasks

• Designing, testing, and maintaining electrical systems and equipment for commercial purposes
• Training and supervising of project team members
• Preparation of specifications for purchasing of electrical equipment and materials for projects based on customer requirements
• Record keeping of all electrical design changes in projects

Key Achievements

• Increased customer satisfaction by 60%
• Improved skills of project team members by 80%
• Customer satisfaction increased company revenue by 40%

Sample Electrical Engineer Resume Template

[Name]

[City, State]

[Phone Number]

[Email Address]

Professional Summary

[Include detailed professional summary introducing yourself, your skills, experience, and education.]

Work Experience

[Job Title]
[Company Name] [Period of Employment]
[Company Location]

Key Duties and Tasks

• [Relevant duties and tasks – use action words]

• [Relevant duties and tasks – use action words]
• [Relevant duties and tasks – use action words]
• [Relevant duties and tasks – use action words]

Key Achievements

• [Relevant achievements – use action words]

• [Relevant achievements – use action words]
• [Relevant achievements – use action words]

[Job Title]
[Company Name] [Period of Employment]
[Company Address]

Key Duties and Tasks

• [Relevant duties and tasks] [Use action words]
• [Relevant duties and tasks] [Use action words]
• [Relevant duties and tasks] [Use action words]
• [Relevant duties and tasks] [Use action words]

Key Achievements

• [Relevant achievements] [Use action words]
• [Relevant achievements] [Use action words]
• [Relevant achievements] [Use action words]

Education

[Degree] [Graduation Date]
[Institution]
[Relevant courses and projects]

Skills

[List soft and hard skills relevant to the job position]

Additional Information

[Include certifications, awards, volunteer work, or interests]

Electrical Engineer Resume Template Resources

• ResumeGenius. This template resource makes it easy to create a professional-looking resume with simple text and visual-based guides.
• LiveCareer. This text-based template includes a full resume that can be customized to fit your job application.
• Indeed Electrical Engineer Fresher Template. This template helps recent graduates craft an excellent resume.

Importance of an Electrical Engineer Cover Letter and Resume

A resume is important because it is the first thing that your potential employer will request when you apply for a role. A cover letter is an important but voluntary document that will help you stand out among the pool of applicants. It is your opportunity to convince the hiring manager that you are the ideal candidate for the job. Without a cover letter, you’ll only be one of the many equally qualified candidates with a resume.

Electrical Engineer Cover Letter and Resume FAQ