Crafting a backend engineer cover letter can be a tricky step as you venture into the job market. You've updated your resume and found the perfect job, only to realize a compelling cover letter is also required. It's your chance to share a unique professional triumph, not just echo your resume. Stay formal, ditch the clichés, and keep it to one page—let's ensure your cover letter stands out for all the right reasons.
- Writing the essential backend engineer cover letter sections: balancing your professionalism and personality;
- Mixing storytelling, your unique skill set, and your greatest achievement;
- Providing relevant (and interesting) information with your backend engineer cover letter, despite your lack of professional experience;
- Finding the perfect format for your[ backend engineer cover letter, using templates from industry experts.
Leverage the power of Enhancv's AI: upload your resume and our platform will map out how your backend engineer cover letter should look, in mere moments.
If the backend engineer isn't exactly the one you're looking for we have a plethora of cover letter examples for jobs like this one:
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- Java Software Developer cover letter example
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Backend Engineer cover letter example
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- Highlighting tangible accomplishments such as "enhanced backend systems" and "implementation of Terraform" showcases specific technical skills and impact, which is crucial for roles demanding technical expertise.
- The specific mention of "Python and C++" and experience with "AWS" addresses key requirements often sought after for backend engineering roles, indicating the applicant’s relevant technical proficiency.
- Emphasizing the result of work, like "30% increase in system responsiveness" and "reduction in downtime by 40%," provides quantifiable achievements, suggesting that the candidate is results-driven—an attractive trait for any role but especially relevant in engineering roles where efficiency is key.
- The focus on industry relevance, i.e., “impactful healthcare technology solutions,” ensures the hiring manager that the applicant understands and is motivated by the unique challenges of the healthcare tech sector.
What are the basics of the design or format of your backend engineer cover letter?
To start, here's a reminder for you: the Applicant Tracker System (or software that is used to assess candidate profiles), won't be reading your backend engineer cover letter.
Recruiters enjoy reading backend engineer cover letters with a standardized format that uses:
- the same font as the resume (e.g. modern ones like Raleway or Volkhov are prefered over the clichéd Times New Roman or Arial);
- single spacing to keep the content concise and organized (this is all ready for you in our cover letter templates);
- a one-inch margin to wrap around the text, like in our cover letter builder;
- PDF as a file format, as it allows your design (and visual element) to stay the same.
Finally, we can't go on without mentioning the key sections of your backend engineer cover letter.
In the top one-third, make sure to include a header (with your contact information, name, role, and date), a salutation, and an introduction.
Next, follows the heart and soul of your backend engineer cover letter or its body.
End your backend engineer cover letter with a closing paragraph and, if you wish, a signature.
The top sections on a backend engineer cover letter
- Header: Include your contact details and the date at the top of your cover letter to make it easy for the recruiter to reach out to you for further discussions or to schedule an interview.
- Greeting: Address the cover letter to a specific person if you can, such as "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear [Company Name] Team," to make a personal connection from the onset.
- Introduction: Introduce yourself, mention the backend engineer position you're applying for, and briefly state why you are enthusiastic about the opportunity, to capture the reader's attention and set the tone for the rest of the letter.
- Professional Experience and Skills: Highlight specific projects and technologies you've worked with that are relevant to the backend engineer role, detailing your problem-solving capabilities and how you've contributed to past projects, to show your suitability for the position.
- Closing and Call to Action: Politely wrap up your cover letter by expressing your desire to discuss your application in further detail and thank the recruiter for considering you for the role, indicating your proactive intent to move to the next step in the hiring process.
Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter
- Proficiency in server-side programming languages (e.g., Python, Java, Ruby, Node.js): Essential for developing the logic and functionality of web applications and services.
- Experience with database management (e.g., SQL, NoSQL): Vital for data storage, retrieval, and management, which are core components of backend development.
- Understanding of API development and integration: Crucial for enabling communication between different software components and systems, often a significant part of backend work.
- Knowledge of cloud platforms and services (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud): Important for deploying and scaling applications, as well as utilizing various cloud-based services and infrastructures.
- Familiarity with containerization and orchestration tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes): Key for managing application deployment, scaling, and operation in a consistent and efficient manner.
- Strong grasp of system design and architecture principles: Enables the creation of scalable, maintainable, and secure back-end systems that meet business requirements.
How to address hiring managers in your backend engineer cover letter greeting
Goodbye, "Dear Sir/Madam" or "To whom it may concern!"
The salutation of your backend engineer cover letter is how you kick off your professional communication with the hiring managers.
And you want it to start off a bit more personalized and tailored, to catch the recruiters' attention.
Take the time to find out who's recruiting for the role (via LinkedIn or the company page).
If you have previously chatted or emailed the hiring managers, address them on a first or last name basis.
The alternative is a "Dear HR team" or "Dear Hiring Manger", but remember that a "Dear Ms. Simmons" or "Dear Simon," could get you farther ahead than an impersonal greeting.
List of salutations you can use
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear [Employer's Name],
- Dear [Recruitment Team/Committee],
- Dear [Company Name] Team,
- Dear [Job Title] Search Committee,
- Dear [Department Name] Team,
Get creative with your backend engineer cover letter introduction
Recruiters are going to assess plenty of candidate profiles for the role. Thus, anything you do to stand out will win you brownie points.
Use your backend engineer cover letter introduction to share something memorable about your experience.
But before you go down the rabbit hole of creativity and humor, align your message with the company culture.
For example, if you are applying for a role in some startup, use those first two sentences to tell a funny story (about your experience) to quickly connect with the recruiter.
How to write an achievement-focused backend engineer cover letter body
We've got the intro and greeting covered. Now, comes the most definitive part of your backend engineer cover letter - the body.
In the next three to six paragraphs, you'd have to answer why should recruiters hire you.
What better way to do this than by storytelling?
And, no, you don't need a "Once upon a time" or "I started from the bottom and made it to the top" career-climbing format to tell a compelling narrative.
Instead, select up to three most relevant skills for the job and look back on your resume.
Find an achievement, that you're proud of, which has taught you these three job-crucial skills.
Quantify your accomplishment, using metrics, and be succinct in the way you describe it.
The ultimate aim would be to show recruiters how this particular success has built up your experience to become an invaluable candidate.
A sincere and original way to end your backend engineer cover letter
When writing their backend engineer cover letter, candidates tend to use one of these phrases, "Sincerely yours" or "I look forward to hearing from you".
Both statements show good manners, but your cover letter should end in a more actionable manner.
Write about:
- how you see yourself growing in the role/organization;
- the benefits you would bring about (you'd impress even more with tangible metrics);
- the next steps in the process (provide your availability for interviews).
Addressing limited to no experience in the backend engineer cover letter
There's nothing to worry about if you lack professional experience.
Your backend engineer cover letter could bridge the gaps in your professional history by focusing on what matters most to recruiters, that's either:
- skills - focusing on transferable ones you've gained, thanks to your life experience (e.g. volunteering, certificates, etc.);
- achievements - select the most relevant and noteworthy one from your history (e.g. education, projects, etc.);
- motivation - describe how you envision your professional growth in the next up to five years, thanks to this opportunity.
Key takeaways
We hope this backend engineer cover letter writing guide has shown you how to:
- Format your backend engineer cover letter with the mandatory sections (e.g. header, greeting, intro, body, and closing) and select the right font (P.S. It should be the same as the one you've used for your resume);
- Substitute your lack of professional experience with your most noteworthy achievement, outside of work, or your dreams and passions;
- Ensure recruiters have a more personalized experience by tailoring your cover letter not just to the role, but to them (e.g. writing their first/last name in the salutation, etc.);
- Introducing your biggest achievement and the skills it has taught you in your backend engineer cover letter body;
- Write no more than two sentences in your backend engineer cover letter introduction to set the right tone from the get-go.
