Engineer cover letter: example and tips

A complete cover letter for engineer jobs in Switzerland, what recruiters in the field look for, and the openings available right now.

What the recruiter wants to read

Your degree (university of applied sciences, ETH/EPFL) and your field: mechanical, electrical, process, automation.
A project you led, with its budget, deadline or technical result.
Your tools (CAD, simulation, standards) and languages, often German or French and English.

A complete example

Names and facts are made up: replace each one with your own. A copied letter shows, an adapted one gets read.

Example

Subject: Application for the automation engineer position

Dear Ms Gaillard,

Your listing for an automation engineer stood out: Systèmes Industriels Léman upgrades production lines for pharmaceutical clients, a field I have worked in for five years.

As an electrical engineer, I design Siemens PLC control systems at Automates Romands SA. I led the migration of a filling line to TIA Portal, from functional specification to on-site acceptance, keeping the production stop to ten days.

Your turnkey projects and close work with your clients’ production teams match the way I like to work.

I speak fluent English and German at B2 level. My notice period is three months, and I would be glad to meet you.

Kind regards,
Antoine Bugnon

Enclosures: CV, work references, diplomas