Now that you have your quality engineer resume
ready, it’s time to work on your cover letter. A cover letter will work as an introduction to your
resume, highlight its most important points and show your potential new employer your passion and
motivation for working in software development.
Why should you add a cover letter to your application?
In most applications, adding a cover letter to your resume will work to your benefit. In fact, hiring
managers recommend always pairing your resume with a cover letter, even though it gives them more
material to go through.
According to LinkedIn , adding a cover letter substantially increases your
chances of landing the job — especially if you don’t yet have a lot of work experience.
A cover letter gives your employer a better understanding of who you are, a clearer vision of your
goals and an insight into your professional personality. As a quality control professional, a cover
letter gives you the opportunity to talk about the results of your work and what benefits you can
bring to your potential new employer.
Unfortunately, it’s very hard to let your personality and passion for your work come through on a
one-page resume. Resumes tend to be dry, factual and focused on what you can do. Cover letters, on
the other hand, are a great place to talk about why you want to do what you do, what drives you
creatively and more. Don’t miss out on this powerful opportunity to show your employer who you are
beyond the numbers on your resume.
Quality engineer cover letter sample
First, let’s take a quick look at a sample cover letter sample cover letter for a quality engineering
position. We will then go over the structure of the letter step by step to give you an idea how to
format your application.
What sections should your cover letter include?
A cover letter should be more personal than a resume. So, you will have way more flexibility on how
to structure it. However, it’s still best if it includes the following essentials:
- Header
- Greeting
- Introduction
- Call to action
- Sign-off
Let’s go over each of these sections of your quality engineer cover letter in a bit more detail.
The header of your cover letter is the part with your contact information. You can keep it short and
simple and just include your name, professional credentials (if applicable), phone number and email.
Or, you can use this as an opportunity to add a bit more information about yourself and pique the
hiring manager’s curiosity.
If so, you can add a link to your professional social media: LinkedIn account, Facebook page,
professional website, a space with the projects you’ve audited and more. Before you include the
links, however, ensure that your professional social media pages are updated and present a clear
picture of you that can impress your potential new employer.
David Meacon
Portland, OR
212-807-4563
davemeacon@gmail.com
Cover letter greeting
After your contact details, add a greeting. It’s best to address the hiring manager by name — if you
know it. This will add a personal touch to the application and may help you set off on a good note
with your potential employer.
If you don’t know the name of the person who will be reading your application, there may be a way to
find it out. Try the following:
- Check the web page of the company you are applying to work at and see if you can learn who is in
charge of the hiring process
- Take a look at the company’s social media pages. Sometimes, there may be additional information
there about who works at the company.
- LinkedIn can be a good resource too. You can often see a list of the company’s employees here —
search for the hiring manager, supervisor, quality control department manager, etc.
If none of the above has worked and you still haven’t found the name of the person who will be
looking at your application, you may need to use a general greeting. In this case, we suggest going
with something like “Dear Hiring Manager.” It may be best to avoid the phrases like “
To Whom It May
Concern” as they may come off as old-fashioned and impersonal.
Introduction
The introduction of your cover letter is an elevator pitch to your potential future employer. Don’t
waste any time on abstract information here. Instead, jump right in with your most relevant work
achievements and key talents. The introduction of your cover letter may also touch on the motivation
behind your application, why you want to work for this specific company or on this specific
development project — and so on.
The rest of your cover letter as well as your resume will be backing up your introduction with
factual data — showing the hiring manager how you can be an asset to the team.
I am very excited to apply for the position of Quality Engineer at your company as advertised on
AGQ website. I believe that my five years of employment in quality control and a specialized
engineering degree do match the criteria you have outlined for this position. I am certain that
my attention to detail and experience with optimising manufacturing processes will help make
your business operation more efficient.
Cover letter main body
The middle paragraphs of your cover letter should go into more detail about why you are the best for
the job. This is the time to make your case and be specific about your past experiences and
accomplishments.
You should emphasise the fact that you are well familiar with the job responsibilities of a quality
engineer and are well aware of what will be expected of you.
You can include examples from your previous employment that prove your relevant abilities and
skills.
Avoid vague and general phrasing. On the contrary, you should be as specific as you can. Talk about
your experience in quality control, the biggest projects you’ve worked on, how you developed your
skills and more. It’s also good practice to refer to specific situations from your previous
workplaces to illustrate your professional ability.
This is also a good place to talk about why you want this job and what you hope to accomplish in the
new position. This part of your cover longer will be the longest — but try to keep to two to three
paragraphs tops.
As you will see in my attached resume, I have always worked in the quality control
sector. I have a technical mind and am exceptionally meticulous when it comes to all the details
of the manufacturing process. I get along well with others and have learnt to communicate
effectively with teams from different departments. This has enabled me to take initiative and
lead complex projects in my previous positions.
I have experience working with both outside manufacturers and suppliers and
supporting quality control within a company that does its own manufacturing. Due to my many
years in the industry, I’ve been able to develop a set of key performance indicators for
quality control. I have also had the opportunity to work with new product launches and polish
my approach to quality control within a limited timeline.
Call to action and sign-off in a cover letter
It’s best to end your cover letter with a call to action — mention how you see this going forward.
Phrasing a call to action may be tricky, but there are several proven ways to approach this:
- You can mention when you are ready to start in the new job and ask if this timing works for your employer.
- You can ask about the next step in the application process: should you wait for a response, will there be an interview, is there any additional information you should provide, etc.
- Finally, don’t forget to thank the hiring manager for taking the time to review your application.
I strongly believe that I would make a valuable contribution to your company in the role of a
quality engineer. I am looking forward to an opportunity to discuss our potential cooperation
further. Thank you for taking the time to read my application. Please do not hesitate to reach
out to me for any further information.
Here are a few more things to take into account when writing your quality engineer cover letter:
- Most
hiring managers agree that it’s best to keep your cover letter to about one page. This is
why you shouldn’t include generalities, abstract information or space fillers. In fact, it’s
best if your cover letter is shorter rather than longer — just make sure that it gets the right
message across.
- Try not to make your cover letter into a copy of your quality engineer resume. Use it as an
opportunity to tell the hiring manager more about you and highlight your most important skills.
- Be specific. Make your cover letter vivid with examples from your previous work, numbers,
mention keywords from the job description — and more.
- Recycling the same cover letter for multiple positions may sound like a good way to save time
(in theory) — but it’s very counter-productive (in reality). The main purpose of your cover
letter is to show the employer that you are interested in the job they have to offer and that
you are the best candidate for this specific job. This is why it’s essential that you do your
best that both your resume and cover letter are tailored to the position you are applying for.
Scan the job description and look at it from the employer’s point of view. Try to pinpoint what
exactly they are looking for and tailor your response to bring these qualities forward and
emphasise relevant skills.
HR Specialist
Seun Ibukun
Seun Ibukun has spent several years working in media, comms and HR. He has multiple degrees in linguistics and loves to talk about literature, tech, and offer career advice. He`s currently hanging out in the tropics on the first leg of a world tour.