A software engineer cover letter that opens with something you built, covers your stack and explains why their product interests you.
[Date]
Re: Application for the software engineer position
Dear [Hiring manager's name],
The schedule view in our product took 4.2 seconds to load, and customers told us so. After two sprints of rewritten queries and the right indexes, it loaded in 1.3 seconds. That kind of work, where users feel the difference right away, is what I want to do at [Company].
I am a full-stack software engineer with five years of experience in TypeScript, React and Node.js. At my current company I built the shift-planning module that about 400 customer organizations rely on, set up a CI pipeline with GitHub Actions and Playwright, and mentor two junior engineers.
Your product helps care teams keep their schedules together, and your stack lines up closely with what I use every day. What stands out most is that engineers on your team talk directly with customers. In my current role I have seen features get better when you hear firsthand where people get stuck.
My GitHub has a few projects that show how I write and document code. I would be glad to talk through them in a technical interview.
Best regards,
[Your name]
A concrete problem you solved, with the result, says more to an engineering lead than a list of technologies.
Try the product if you can. One specific observation shows you are looking beyond the stack.
Engineers would rather read your code than a long letter. Three short paragraphs and a link to your work are enough.
Code review, pairing, talking to users: teams hire people who collaborate well, not just people who code well.
Not always, but when one is requested or you apply to a smaller product company, a short and specific letter can make the difference. Keep it brief and concrete.
Under a separate Projects heading, with a link, the tech you used and what the project does. Choose projects that relate to the role.
One page for most engineers, two at most for senior roles. A hiring manager wants to see your stack and your key work quickly; details come up in the interview.
List the bootcamp under education and let projects show what you can do. Mention what you bring from your previous career, like domain knowledge or customer experience.
See the software engineer resume example
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