You're ready to kickstart your career in software engineering, but there's a hitch—you've discovered that a compelling cover letter is a must alongside your resume. Unlike the resume's brief summary, your cover letter is your chance to dive deep into a major professional achievement, highlighting how you shone brightest. It's about striking a balance: maintaining formality while steering clear of overused phrases. Remember, brevity is key—a single page should capture your story and leave them wanting more.
- Including all the must-have paragraphs in your structure for an excellent first impression;
- Learning how to write individual sections from industry-leading cover letter examples;
- Selecting the best accomplishment to tell an interesting and authority-building professional story;
- Introducing your profile with personality, while meeting industry standards.
And, if you want to save some time, drag and drop your software engineering intern resume into Enhancv's AI, which will assess your profile and write your job-winning cover letter for you.
If the software engineering intern 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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Software engineering intern cover letter example
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- Demonstration of relevant experience: The cover letter highlights the candidate's tenure at Google, emphasizing hands-on experience with machine learning and search algorithms — core competencies valuable for the Software Engineer role.
- Quantifiable achievements: Specific metrics, such as a 12% improvement in search relevance and a 34% reduction in deployment time, help quantify the impact made in previous positions, showcasing the candidate's ability to deliver results.
- Team leadership: By mentioning the leadership of a team at Google, the candidate provides evidence of management skills and the ability to work collaboratively, which is essential for a Software Engineer working on large projects within a company.
- Technical proficiency and innovation: Reference to the application of cloud computing and machine learning shows the candidate's expertise in cutting-edge technologies, suggesting an ability to contribute significantly to modern technical challenges.
Structuring and formatting your software engineering intern cover letter
Here's what the structure of your software engineering intern cover letter should include:
- Header (with your name, the position you're applying for, and the date);
- Salutation (or greeting);
- Introductory paragraph (or your opening statement);
- Body paragraph (or further proof of your experience);
- Closing paragraph (with a call to action);
- Signature (that is optional).
Use the same font for your software engineering intern resume and cover letter - modern fonts like Lato and Rubik would help you stand out.
Your software engineering intern cover letter should be single-spaced and have a one-inch margins - this format is automatically set up in our cover letter templates and our cover letter builder.
When submitting your cover letter, always ensure it's in PDF, as this format keeps the information intact (and the quality of your document stays the same).
On one final note - the Applicant Tracker System (ATS or the software that is sometimes used to initially assess your application) won't read your software engineering intern cover letter.
The top sections on a software engineering intern cover letter
- Header: Includes your contact information, the date, and the employer's details; it's essential for ensuring the recruiter knows who you are and how to contact you.
- Greeting: Addresses the hiring manager or the recruitment team directly and professionally, which is crucial for making a personal connection and showing attentiveness to details.
- Introduction: A concise opening that outlines your interest in the software engineering internship and the company, grabbing the recruiter's attention and laying the foundation for your case.
- Body: Highlights relevant projects, coursework, or experiences, demonstrating your skills and enthusiasm for software development, which are of particular interest to a recruiter looking for potential in the tech field.
- Closing: Expresses your eagerness to contribute to the team, thanks the recruiter for considering your application, and includes a call to action, such as the desire to discuss your fit for the role in an interview, setting the stage for the next step in the hiring process.
Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter
- Proficiency in programming languages and frameworks relevant to the job (e.g., Python, Java, C++, React, Node.js), demonstrating technical skills and the ability to contribute to codebases.
- Experience with software development tools and methodologies (e.g., Git, Agile, Scrum), showing an understanding of the collaborative and iterative nature of professional software development.
- Strong problem-solving abilities, signaling the capacity to overcome technical challenges and contribute to the development of effective software solutions.
- Demonstrated history of successfully working on projects or prior internships, which suggests readiness to engage with real-world software engineering tasks and deliver results.
- Familiarity with software testing and debugging, indicating an understanding of the importance of producing reliable, high-quality code.
- Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, as software engineering often requires the ability to work in teams and explain complex technical issues clearly.
Kick off your software engineering intern cover letter: the salutation or greeting
When writing your software engineering intern cover letter, remember that you're not writing for some complex AI or robot, but for actual human beings.
And recruiters, while on the lookout to understand your experience, would enjoy seeing a cover letter that is tailored to the role and addresses them. Personally.
So, if you haven't done so, invest some time in finding out who's the hiring manager for the role you're applying to. A good place to start would be LinkedIn and the corporate website.
Alternatively, you could also get in touch with the company to find out more information about the role and the name of the recruiter.
If you haven't met the hiring manager, yet, your software engineering intern cover letter salutation should be on a last-name basis (e.g. "Dear Mr. Donaldson" or "Dear Ms. Estephan").
A good old, "Dear HR Professional" (or something along those lines) could work as your last resort if you're struggling to find out the recruiter's name.
List of salutations you can use
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear [Company Name] Recruiting Team,
- Dear [Department] Team,
- Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],
- Dear [Recruiter’s Name],
- Dear [Team or Department Head’s Name],
Introducing your profile to catch recruiters' attention in no more than two sentences
The introduction of your software engineering intern cover letter is a whole Catch 22 .
You have an allocated space of no more than just a paragraph (of up to two sentences). With your introduction, you have to stand out and show why you're the best candidate out there.
Set out on a journey with your software engineering intern cover letter by focusing on why you're passionate about the job. Match your personal skills and interests to the role.
Another option for your software engineering intern cover letter introduction is to show you're the ideal candidate. Write about how your achievements and skills are precisely what the company is looking for.
However you decide to start your software engineering intern cover letter, always remember to write about the value you'd bring about. Making it both tangible (with your metrics of success) and highly sought out.
Storytelling in the middle (or body) of your software engineering intern cover letter
You've got your whole resume sorted, detailing your achievements and skills. What else can you write in your software engineering intern cover letter?
For starters, take the time to re-assess the job requirements and re-discover the most crucial skills and requirements (or keywords).
After making a list of these important keywords, look back on your experience to select just one of your past accomplishments.
Choose the achievement that is the most noteworthy, relevant to the role, and matches the required skills.
Use the next between three and six paragraphs to narrate how:
- you've grown your skill set, thanks to your achievement;
- you'd use the know-how you've gained in your new role;
- your accomplishment could help your potential employers grow.
Remember that recruiters don't need a retelling of your whole resume, but want to find out what makes you, you.
A sincere and original way to end your software engineering intern cover letter
When writing their software engineering intern 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).
Software engineering intern cover letter advice for candidates with no experience
If you're worried about writing your Software Engineering Intern cover letter and have no professional experience, we sure have some advice for you.
Turn recruiters' attention to your transferable or relevant skills gained thanks to your life and work experience.
Instead of writing about past jobs, focus on one achievement (whether from your volunteering experience, education, etc.) and the skills it has helped you build.
Alternatively, you could focus your Software Engineering Intern cover letter on your career objectives and goals. Always remember to make those relevant to the job you're applying for by detailing how you see yourself growing as part of the company.
Recruiters would be way more impressed with candidates who fit the job profile and can bring about plenty of skills and vision to the table.
Key takeaways
Turning your software engineering intern cover letter into a success is all about staying authentic to yourself and relevant to the job:
- Be creative with your software engineering intern cover letter introduction by stating something you enjoy about the company (that is genuine) or about your skill set (to get the recruiters' interested);
- Use single spacing and have a one-inch margin wrapping all around the content of your software engineering intern cover letter;
- Select just one past achievement from your career or life to tell a story of how you've obtained job-crucial skills and how they'd be beneficial to the role;
- The finishing paragraph of your software engineering intern cover letter doesn't necessarily have to be a signature but could be a promise of what you plan to achieve in the role;
- Instead of focusing on your lack of experience, spotlight your transferable skills, one relevant achievement, and career dreams.
