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Software Engineer Cover Letter Examples For 2024 (20+ Skills & Templates)

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Looking to score a job as a Software Engineer?

You're going to need an awesome cover letter. This guide is your one-stop-shop for writing a job-winning Software Engineer cover letter  using our proven strategies, skills, templates, and examples.

All of the content in this guide is based on data from coaching thousands of job seekers (just like you!) who went on to land offers at the world's best companies.

If you want to maximize your chances of landing that Software Engineer role, I recommend reading this piece from top to bottom. But if you're just looking for something specific, here's what's included in this guide:

• What To Know About Writing A Job-Winning Software Engineer Cover Letter
• The Best Skills To Include On A Software Engineer Cover Letter

How To Address A Software Engineer Cover Letter

• 3 Software Engineer Cover Letter Examples

The 8 Best Software Engineer Cover Letter Templates

• 3 Tips For Writing A Job-Winning Cover Letter

Here's the step-by-step breakdown:

Software Engineer Cover Letter Overview: What To Know To Write A Cover Letter That Wins More Job Offers

What do companies look for when they're hiring a Software Engineer?

Companies look for Software Engineers who are proficient in languages such as JavaScript, Python, or Java, with expertise in essential tools and frameworks.

Companies also seek candidates who can collaborate, solve problems, communicate well, and align with their values and tech interests.

Your cover letter should show the company that your personality and your experience encompass all of these things.

Additionally, there are a few best practices you want to follow to write a job-winning Software Engineer cover letter:

• Properly address your letter: Begin your letter by addressing the hiring manager or team. Don't forget to state the specific Software Engineer job you are interested in!
• Express your understanding of the company: Clearly articulate that you are well-familiarized with the company's products and the market, and tie this up with your skills, demonstrating how they align with their needs.
• Highlight your proficiency with specific languages and tools: Showcase your most relevant skills for the role, such as proficiency with JavaScript, Python, or Java, with expertise in essential tools and frameworks.
• Tailor your cover letter for the job description: Emphasize your experience to meet the job requirements listed in the description.
• Be concise and clear: Your cover letter should be short, concise, and easy to read. Stick to one page and focus on the most relevant information.
• End with a call to action: Close with a compelling call to action, expressing enthusiasm for the opportunity and inviting further discussion on how you can contribute to the company's success.
• Proofread: Make sure to thoroughly proofread your cover letter for any grammatical errors or typos. A well-written, error-free letter can make a strong first impression. I recommend using Hemingway App or Grammarly to do this.

Let's dive deeper into each of these so you have the exact blueprint you need to see success.

The Best Software Engineer Skills To Include On Your Cover Letter

Keywords are one of the most important factors in your cover letter. They show employers that your skills align with the role and they also help format your cover letter for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

If you're not familiar with ATS systems, they are pieces of software used by employers to manage job applications. They scan cover letters for keywords and qualifications and make it easier for employers to filter and search for candidates whose qualifications match the role.

If you want to win more interviews and job offers, you need to have a keyword-optimized cover letter. There are two ways to find the right keywords:

1. Leverage The 20 Best Software Engineer Keywords

The first is to leverage our list of the best keywords and skills for a Software Engineer cover letter.

These keywords were selected from an analysis of  real Software Engineer job descriptions sourced from actual job boards. Here they are:

• Development
• Engineering
• Computer Science
• Communications
• Communication
• Organization
• Team Member
• Verification
• Time Management
• Problem-Solving

2. Use ResyMatch.io To Find The Best Keywords That Are Specific To Your Cover Letter And Target Role

The second method is the one I recommend because it's personalized to your specific cover letter and target job.

This process lets you find the exact keywords that your cover letter is missing when compared to the individual role you're applying for.

Here's how it works:

• Open a copy of your updated Software Engineer cover letter
• Open a copy of your target Software Engineer job description
• In the widget below, paste the job description and hit scan!

ResyMatch is going to scan the target job description and show you the exact keywords and skills that are relevant to the role and that you should weave into your cover letter.

If you're ready to check it out, grab your target job description and run your first scan here:

To start, paste your target job description (or multiple job descriptions) into the box below:

Scan to help you identify keywords and skills within your target job description.

Scanning...

If you're more of a visual learner, here's a video walking through this whole process so you can follow along:

Personalization is what makes a cover letter stand out. That starts from the very first sentence where you greet the person reading your cover letter! There are two ways to do this well:

1. Use The Hiring Manager's Name

The first, and best, is by including the hiring manager's name. Let's say that you discovered the hiring manager's name from a post on LinkedIn or via an informational interview.

This is the jackpot! All you need to do is use their name in the introduction, like this:

2. Use This Formula: To The [Department] Team at [Company]

If you don't have the hiring manager's name, no problem! You can address your cover letter to the team that you're applying to.

For example, if you're applying for a Product Marketing Manager role at Discovery Education, you might start your cover letter like this:

This shows the reader that this letter has been written specifically for them and the content inside of it will support that.

It's much more relevant and personal than  “To Whom It May Concern!”

For more advice on writing a strong opening to your cover letter, check out this guide.

3 Software Engineer Cover Letter Examples For 2024

Now let's take a look at all of these best practices in action. Here are three cover letter examples for different situations from people with different backgrounds who are all applying for Software Engineer roles:

Software Engineer Cover Letter Example #1: A Traditional Background

Our first example is a cover letter written by a candidate with traditional software engineering experience. Here is what an example of their cover letter might look like:

Software Engineer Cover Letter Example #2: A Non-Traditional Background

Our second cover letter example comes from a candidate looking to transition from sales to software engineering. This cover letter demonstrates how the author identifies and communicates their transferable skills:

Software Engineer Cover Letter Example #3: Senior Software Engineer With a Masters Degree

Our third example highlights a candidate with Software Engineer experience who has a Masters Degree. Here is what their cover letter might look like:

At this point, you know all of the basics you'll need to write a Software Engineer cover letter that wins you more interviews and offers. The only thing left is to take all of that information and apply it to a template that's going to help you get results.

We made that easy with  our CoverBuild tool . It has 8 proven templates that were created with the help of recruiters and hiring managers at the world's best companies. These templates also bake in thousands of data points we have from the job seekers in our audience who have used them to land job offers.

Just click any of the templates below to start building your cover letter using proven, recruiter-approved templates:

Free Job-Winning Cover Letter Templates, Have AI Write Yours in Less Than 2 Minutes .

Choose a cover letter template below to get started:.

Great Choice! Now, how do you want to write your cover letter?

Let AI write your unique cover letter using our proven templates.

Or use our templates to write your own from scratch.

3 Tips For Writing A Job-Winning Software Engineer Cover Letter

You're off to a strong start! But I've got a few more tips to help you take your cover letter to the next level:

1. Use CoverBuild.io To Write Your Cover Letter In <2 Minutes

All of these tips and best practices work, but you still have to implement them. Normally, that'd mean you sitting down and spending hours brainstorming ideas, typing, deleting, and typing again, and then feeling absolutely drained.

Now there's a way to work around all of that so you save your best energy for the writing and edits that matter most. Here's how it works:

• Head to CoverBuild.io
• Select the “2 Minutes” option to have AI write your cover letter
• Select a template for your cover letter, then follow the 3 step process for sharing info about your experience and the target job with CoverBuild's AI
• Click “Generate My Cover Letter” and watch the tool write a unique cover letter that's personalized to your experience and your target job!

To make it even easier, you can select a cover letter template from the widget below to get started:

If you'd like to see the process in action, here's a video walking through all of the steps above:

Note:  I do not recommend or advise that you simply copy and paste any AI-generated content and submit your application. You should always review, revise, and personalize the content yourself before applying.

2. Include Measurable Metrics And Outcomes

Too many job seekers only focus on the actions that they took and not the outcomes that resulted from those actions. As a hiring manager, it's impossible to differentiate between a dozen candidates who were all “Responsible for building applications to help achieve company goals.”

If you want to win, your cover letter should speak to the specific outcomes that you drove in previous roles. That could be:

• The time response you helped reduce
• The development efficiency you helped improve
• The number of uses in a giver platform that you helped support

These numbers will show hiring teams what you're capable of and make your value crystal clear!

3. Match Your Cover Letter And Resume Design

They're the exact same car, down to the year, make, and model. The only difference is the way the product was presented. Like I said, quality impacts perceived value.

One of the best ways to boost the quality of your cover letter is to make it look clean, professional, and have it match your resume. That's why the resume templates in our resume builder tool match the cover letter templates in our cover letter builder:

If you use both tools to create your cover letter and your resume, your entire application is going to be top notch.

Key Takeaways To Wrap Up Your Job-Winning Cover Letter

You made it! We packed a lot of information into this post so I wanted to distill the key points for you and lay out next steps so you know exactly where to from here.

Here are the 5 steps for writing a job-winning Software Engineer cover letter:

• Start with a proven cover letter template from CoverBuild.io
• Use  ResyMatch.io to find the right keywords and optimize your cover letter for each role you apply to
• Start your cover letter with a personalized greeting for the hiring manager or team name
• Emphasize the measurable outcomes and value you drove in previous roles (include metrics!)
• Compare the draft of your cover letter to the examples on this page to make sure you're on the right path
• Use a tool like  Hemingway App to proofread your cover letter before you submit it

If you follow those steps, you're going to be well on your way to landing more Software Engineer interviews and job offers.

Now that your cover letter is taking care of, be sure to check out our guide on writing a job-winning Software Engineer resume (with examples!).

Paula Martins

Paula is Cultivated Culture's amazing Editor and Content Manager. Her background is in journalism and she's transitioned from roles in education, to tech, to finance, and more. She blends her journalism background with her job search experience to share advice aimed at helping people like you land jobs they love without applying online.

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5 Software Engineer Cover Letter Samples & Tips in 2024

• Software Engineer CL
• Software Engineer Intern
• Entry-Level Software Engineer
• Python Software Engineer
• Senior Software Engineer
• Write Your Software Engineer CL

As a software engineer, you analyze users’ needs and develop and test software to meet those needs. With communication and collaboration, you apply engineering principles to software development to make it happen.

Your process includes recommending software upgrades, translating data into action, coordinating with software and programming teams, and documenting improvements to address clients’ concerns. You also do your share of planning, strategizing, and hands-on work with programming and database tools.

You’re ready for your next job, but first, you’ll need to write a cover letter and software engineer resume  that attest to your  job skills . Most dread the thought of writing a cover letter , but we’ll ease the process with our software engineering cover letter examples and pointers.

Software Engineer  Cover Letter Example

USE THIS TEMPLATE

Microsoft Word

Google Docs

Block Format

Why this cover letter works

• Software engineers should be bought into the company’s values—make sure you demonstrate an interest in those values right away in your software engineer cover letter and show previous examples of how you’ve supported them.
• Even if the  software engineer job description  is brief, there are always specific requirements you can build upon, especially if you visit the company’s website to glean more details. 

Level up your cover letter game

Relax! We’ll do the heavy lifting to write your cover letter in seconds.

Software Engineer Intern Cover Letter Example

• For example, Amara’s stint as an intern at Esurgi shows her using PostgreSQL for database management, providing the recruiter with tangible evidence of her competency even as an intern. How you weave in this tale matters, though. Outline your responsibility and impact catalyzed by your contribution. Top it off with the lessons learned.

Entry-Level Software Engineer Cover Letter Example

• Take, for instance, that journey of using HTML, CSS, or JavaScript to build a website from scratch. Let your enthusiasm show as you describe the project’s purpose and wins, such as garnering 142 new users within the first month.

Python Software Engineer Cover Letter Example

• She references her experience as a gamer and a Python software engineer, both of which are focal points in the job description and the company as a whole. 
• Python software engineers must meet specific job requirements, so dive into this stat. Show your interest by citing examples that support it!
• References to the “Twisted Treeline” and her “ultimate ability” show her experience with League of Legends, a Rushdown game, to reinforce her connection with the company.
• The company culture and vision aren’t always as obvious or boldly stated as Rushdown’s, but with some online digging, you can find a company goal, obstacle, or core value to tie to your experience when writing your Python software engineer cover letter.

Senior Software Engineer Cover Letter Example

• Beverly follows up the initial overview of her skills by tying up her senior software engineer cover letter intro with a nod to UCLA Health’s mission statement—a perfect way to connect with the company! 
• UCLA Health emphasizes two major points in its job description: technical skills and the ability to grow and create scalable products. Its website also focuses on cutting-edge technology, so Beverly leverages these points well.
• Remember that researching the company can uncover a gold mine if the job description is sparse.

Senior Software Engineer Resume

Need a resume to pair with your software engineer cover letter?

or download as PDF

Write Your Best Software Engineer Cover Letter

All in all, the best cover letter will demonstrate a strong understanding and connection with the company. A software engineer can do this by using their technical skills to relate to the role in the job description coupled with the company’s overall vision and goals—all with a winning tone and positive message, of course!

Use the following steps to guide your writing process so you can write your best cover letter yet. 

Step 1: Know the company & understand the role

So many cover letters out there are snooze-fests that wind up in the recycling bin. To ensure yours isn’t one of them, pay attention to the details of the specific software engineer position you’re applying for and tailor your cover letter accordingly. 

Read the  software engineer job ad . Keep an eye out for things that set it apart—details like specific programming languages and software strategies, for example.

Research the company, too! Your software engineer cover letter must not only demonstrate a crystal-clear understanding of the role as laid out in the job description but prove that you’re a great fit with the company’s values, goals, and core missions. Just a handful of details showing that you know the company’s vision and software engineer role better than the average applicant will go a long way in setting you apart from other applicants. 

Step 2: Align your successes with the company’s needs

Your  software engineer resume  offers recruiters a quick peek at your skills and professional history. Since it’s less than a page, you don’t have much space within your bullet points to give a more extensive explanation of how your skills and experience make you an ideal candidate for the specific position. That’s the job of your cover letter! 

Touch upon the best points in your software engineer resume but expand upon them with descriptions of how you accomplished said achievements as well as the positive impact they had. Don’t just talk about what you created—talk about what it did to benefit others. 

• Taking this a step further, your resume might list your Python and MySQL skills—but how did you apply them during your last job?
• Did you build an application that boosted profit margins and kept them growing after you departed?
• Did you engineer an analytical or testing application that significantly reduced bug and error reports?
• Maybe you singlehandedly optimized an application to skyrocket customer satisfaction rates: If you did, say so! 

This is your opportunity to show off your greatest accomplishments anecdotally and tie them into what the job description requests. 

Tip 3: Don’t underestimate your tone & message

As you can probably imagine, there’s a lot more that goes into a cover letter for software engineers besides technical information. The overall message of your letter should mirror the qualities that the job listing calls for and demonstrate the values and vision of the company as a whole.  You don’t want to just convey that you’re a software engineer who can work wherever—your message needs to convey that you want to work  there!

As a software engineer with a vast array of technical skills and fascinating professional experiences, it might be tricky—but keep your cover letter to a page. And within that space, consider your tone of voice. 

Your tone should match the role: Senior software engineer candidates should convey confidence and experience, and all applicants (especially entry-level ones) should demonstrate enthusiasm and eagerness to contribute to the company.

Additionally, consider the company culture and vibes. Working for a healthcare company likely means you should take a bit more formal tone while employers at a gaming company will probably appreciate a little pizazz and a more conversational approach.  

Software engineer candidates should convey confidence, experience, and demonstrate eagerness to contribute to the company.

Lastly, set aside time for editing and revising. It may take several tries to get the message and tone of your cover letter just right, but the extra effort is worth it! Ensure you clean up embarrassing typos or copy-paste mishaps in your cover letter, and be deliberate about word choice to refine your tone. 

Start with Our Outline for Your Software Engineer Cover Letter

Outlining your software engineer cover letter is a great way to make sure you don’t forget any key points. And just as  formatting your resume  is important, format matters in your cover letter, too; we’ve got you covered. 

How to start a software engineer cover letter

Your contact info:  List your name, phone number, location, and email (if you’re using a templated cover letter). 

• Formatting:  Leave out your name here if you’re using a business block format for your address.

Date:  Use the exact date that you submit your application materials 

• Formatting:  Write out the full date instead of shortening it, e.g., January 5, 2023.

Inside address:  This is the recipient’s address. Include their name, company and position, and the company’s address.  

Clive Russo, Hiring Manager UCLA Health Human Resources 4562 Larwin Ave Cypress, California 90630

• Formatting:  Each part of the address should be on a new line. Remember to double-space between the inside address and your greeting, too. 

Greeting:  Your greeting/salutation is your crucial first impression! Do your homework and uncover the name of the hiring manager or employer, avoiding generic terms like “To whom it may concern,” and please, at all costs, never start with “Dear Sir or Madam.” Ick!

• Formatting:  Use a colon instead of a comma after your greeting for more formal companies. Companies like Rushdown (see the Python software engineer cover letter sample) are far more casual; a comma will do just fine.

How to write your software engineer cover letter

Body:  The body of your software engineer cover letter should be 3-4 paragraphs that demonstrate your interest, show off your credentials, and exhibit an appropriate level of enthusiasm for future discussion.

• Formatting:  Lines should be single-spaced throughout the body but double-spaced between paragraphs.

Opening paragraph:  Don’t be generic or vague. The last thing you want is for a potential employer to say “Boring!” and toss your cover letter aside.

Bad : I really like gaming, so it’d be great if I could work for your company. I’m familiar with plenty of technical tools that would help your company.

Why It’s Bad : Based on what we just discussed, this cover letter has already been tossed. It’s great that the applicant apparently loves gaming and has technical skills—but exactly how will they help the company . . .? What “technical tools” are they?

Good : As a Python software engineer with 5 years of experience alongside countless more as an avid gamer, I’m confident I would make a skilled and valuable addition to Rushdown’s team. Just as I live for each new gaming challenge in Twisted Treeline, I thrive in environments that challenge my strategic planning and creative use of skills such as PostgreSQL, AWS, and Docker.

Why It’s Good : This introductory paragraph dives into the applicant’s experience and demonstrates a strong personal connection with the company’s passion for gaming—all while exploring technical skills the job description specifically listed in its requirements section. Nice!

Paragraphs 2-3:  These paragraphs are for you to shine the spotlight on your best achievements that align with the job ad and with the company’s goals, values, and mission.

It’s time to put your money where your mouth is—but remember to maintain a clear focus in each paragraph. You don’t have room for all your awesome achievements, so try to stick with one major point per paragraph and include only the most relevant metrics and results.

My talent in engineering and developing large, highly responsive UX-personalization applications that can scale with rapidly growing datasets empowered me to engineer algorithmic software that responded and adapted to customers’ individualized needs based on personal history. This boosted sales by 19 percent, and I’m confident that this experience would translate seamlessly from improving customer experience to streamlining workflow for medical staff to care for patients more effectively.

Why It’s Good : Beverly highlights something from the job description that she’s already done (engineering large-scale algorithmic software) and provides the number as evidence of her claim. She also clarifies exactly how this accomplishment will benefit the place where she’s applying now, even though her past experiences were applied within a very different type of company.

Closing paragraph:  Finish strong with a concise but compelling statement of how your traits and abilities as a software engineer align with what the company or organization needs. And lastly, end with an enthusiastic call to action that encourages future contact with the company.

Bad : As you can see in my letter, I’m well qualified for this position and would do a great job with my skills. Call me anytime for more info and I can tell you more about the other stuff I can do.

Why It’s Bad : Where do we even start with this one? Your cover letter should be specific, adding more tidbits on why you’re an excellent fit whenever possible. This redundant first sentence and boring, informal call to action are inexcusable.

Good : The strong team culture at Chipton-Ross resonates with me as I enjoy thinking analytically to resolve questions of program intent and translating documentation and data into helpful operating instructions for my coworkers. I welcome further discussion, so please contact me for details on how my software engineering experience will benefit your team and maximize client savings.

Why It’s Good : This one works. You can see how the applicant’s traits and experience align with the company’s values, and there are several keywords that came straight from the job description. Additionally, the call to action is welcoming yet professional while reinforcing the candidate’s value to the company. 

How to end a software engineer cover letter

Signature:  Say “thank you” if you didn’t do that in your closing paragraph, and always use a professional close along with your real name.

Thank you for considering me to join your team,

Beverly Hanes

• Formatting:  If you’re handing out hard copies of your software engineer cover letter (anyone out there still doing this?), quadruple-space before your name. This allows space to sign by hand in blue/black ink. 

Enclosure(s):  This part of your cover letter is important since it signals the recruiter to look over any supplemental materials. Pay attention to the job description for requested materials like certifications or letters of recommendation. 

Enclosures:  Resume  Application Letter of Recommendation

• Formatting:  Make sure you use the correct singular or plural form of “enclosure” depending on how many items you’re enclosing!

Software Engineer Cover Letter Mistakes to Avoid

• If you’re applying to work as a software engineer, you and your reader share a mutual, unspoken understanding that you’re working at a pretty advanced level in your field. All the same, make sure you don’t assume recruiters know exactly what you’re talking about and get vague about software knowledge—especially when you could enrich your software engineer cover letter with specific names like C# and JavaScript.
• We understand: You’re probably laser-focused on the technicalities of what you can build and test to ensure client satisfaction each day. However, it’s still important to be able to communicate your expertise to other team members or other departments. Collaboration is a huge part of the software engineering role since you’ll coordinate with other teams to communicate your engineering vision and ensure optimal results.
• In an engineering role of any kind, recruiters will take this as a bad sign—if you can’t give your cover letter a sound structure, how effective would you really be in their open job role? Organization and lack of precision can render a software engineer’s work buggy or even unusable! Make sure recruiters know you’ll eliminate this problem by organizing your cover letter thoroughly, reading it again for flow and checking for quantifiable examples of past successful creations.
• Again, attention to detail is as crucial as your ability to problem-solve during the software engineering (and troubleshooting!) process. Make sure you demonstrate your ability to conduct relevant research and find solutions efficiently by seeking out the name of the person your cover letter is going to! Writing a strong introductory paragraph afterward will help your case, too: Briefly outline a few personal traits and skills that will help solve the problems presented in the job description.

Before You Land Your Dream Software Engineering Role

We know you’ve probably put a lot of thought into your cover letter as a software engineer—after all, analytical thinking and strategic planning are among your strong suits! However, while your cover letter is important to refine and perfect, you’ll need to  write a winning resume , too.

Even if you already have a resume, chances are it’s gotten a bit dusty. Take the opportunity to  check your resume  over for a quick refresh. Browse through our  software engineer resume examples  or start editing this one here if you’re ready to knock it out. 

Software Engineer Resume

Easing your job hunt and taking your career to the next level is possible with the tools and  resume tips  we offer. Once you nail down the perfect cover letter and resume, recruiters will know why you’re such a great hire. They’ll be hard-pressed to turn you down as a result! 

You’ve already covered coding in your software engineer resume , mentioning languages and frameworks like Python or Angular. Use your cover letter to elaborate on them and show how you leveraged them to make an impact. For example, discuss a project you’re particularly proud of—such as a fully responsive web app—and attach a link to it so the hiring manager can check it out.

Software engineering is a highly dynamic field, so you’re in luck! Emphasize transferable skills and experience in your cover letter to earn brownie points. For instance, express how your background in teaching means you’ll be good at conversing with a non-technical audience or how your previous job in retail taught you attention to detail.

Senior software engineers are no strangers to headhunting, so you may have job offers lined up a lot of the time. However, for a job that you actually care about, you should always attach a cover letter. It shows that you respect the company, and it gives you a chance to express why you want to work there instead of anywhere else.

The Complete Software Engineer Cover Letter Guide + Examples

You’ve completed your certification and are now on the lookout for a well-paying software engineering job at a competitive company, but it’s daunting to get a foot in the door for an interview.

How do you flex your newfound skills and get noticed, standing out from the cascade of application packets that fall on a hiring manager’s desk (or their inbox)?

Here’s an opportunity to breathe life and personality into your job hunt: the software engineer cover letter .

Think of your application as an ecosystem, one that contains a cover letter, resume, and portfolio. Each piece relies on another to further tell different facets of a story, the story of you. Each is symbiotic to the other two, forming the entire narrative of who you are. For an application to flourish, each must individually thrive and support the other.

While we will be covering the cover letter, it’s only one third of your presentation. You can also find a complete software engineer resume guide for some extra CV spice!

If you’d like to skip ahead to a particular section, simply use the the clickable table of contents:

Should I write a software engineering cover letter?

What should you include in a software engineer cover letter, how long should a software engineer cover letter be, introduction.

• Software engineer cover letter examples
• Three tips for writing a great software engineer cover letter

1. Software engineer cover letter FAQs

The short answer is yes, absolutely! You should always write a cover letter when applying to software engineering jobs. A cover letter adds depth, context, and nuance in conjunction with your resume and software engineer portfolio . It allows your tone and voice to be heard, adding a human layer to the process.

The job market for software engineering can be quite competitive, with tons of applications bombarding recruiters. According to ResumeLab , 77% of recruiters said that they give preference to those applicants that submit a cover letter, saying further that it helps demonstrate that you’d be a good fit at a company. A cover letter can make an application packet pop and be the determining factor in getting you in the door.

When it comes to what should be included, think of what your resume and portfolio are unable to say about you. These should be essential details.

The list of necessities is actually quite short:

• Greeting that’s ideally tailored to the hiring manager
• Introduction with an enticing hook that’s also like an elevator pitch
• Body with further information tailored to a business’s pain points
• Conclusion containing a strong call to action

You don’t want a cover letter to be too long, so be sure to write no more than a single page ; aim for a sweet spot of around 4 or 5 short paragraphs or less.

We’re looking to efficiently tell a story about who you are in the context of your experience displayed on your portfolio and resume. Think of how that story would fit into the company that you’re applying to.

2. How to write a software engineer cover letter

This is where we touch on the nitty-gritty of writing the document.

Before you start writing, deeply research the companies that you plan on applying to. This lets you tailor your information to exactly what they’re looking for. Good research shows that you have both enthusiasm as well as the capacity to dig deeply.

Throughout the document, be sure to mention transferable skills that you’ve picked up along the way. They’re looking for an experienced Software Engineer, of course, but there are soft skills that aren’t mentioned in the job description. Specifically lean into those skills that you learned in your last job.

According to Indeed on what are soft skills :  “soft skills … relate to how well you can work with and interact with others.”

Write in the structure and tone of a letter; the document should include an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Be sure to include a greeting that’s targeted toward the hiring manager, preferably by name.

In the introduction, you’ll want an enticing hook to draw the reader in and keep them engaged; get them looking forward to the body and conclusion. Make them want to see the call to action. Remember, in this story, the hiring manager’s your audience.

Think of your intro as an elevator pitch, covering the most important information as succinctly as possible. What’re the essential points that you can get across in that first paragraph? While we’ve made the letter skimmable, be prepared for the reader to only read or remember the introduction.

This is where the bulk of your data is, spanning 2 to 3 short paragraphs. Detail how your experience, especially your soft skills, will be vital to the company that you’re applying to.

Ideally you’ve found a company’s history and pain points; this is where you can insert your experience to meet those needs. Be sure to align your skills with each qualification mentioned in the job posting.

When mentioning work that’s on your resume, it’s always helpful to talk about the last job that you’ve held to display the information that’s still fresh. It may be helpful to include specific, relevant projects that you’ve worked on in the past.

Expound on any major accomplishments that you have, providing quantifiable data where applicable. Data driven points can turn a sentence from, “I saved SoftwareBusiness Inc. a lot of money,” into, “I saved Engineers LLC $7,000 in Q1 2023 by…” Specific metrics highlight the outcomes to hiring you.

This is the story’s resolution! We’ve so far hammered through the introduction and body, but it’s essential that we not go light on this conclusion.

This is a space to reiterate how you would be a perfect fit for the job opening. Briefly thank them for reading. Deliver a strong call to action that encourages them to follow-up with you and hire you for the position.

3. Some software engineer cover letter examples

One of the best ways to compose a cover letter is to look at examples that already exist and apply what you’ve learned. Here are some examples we’ve whipped up:

4. Three tips for writing a great software engineer cover letter

While these aren’t essential components, these three tips will help you compose and polish a strong software engineer cover letter to wow your way into a new job.

• Find patterns in companies in order to expedite the composing process for multiple letters. If applying to a lot of jobs, it may be helpful to find some common threads that exist between them and write to that. When you’re sending one out, you can alter a few details to match that specific company.
• Take some time to iterate with fresh eyes. We tend to have a few hours of good writing in us a day. Seeing your piece anew may help in picking up mistakes that you have looked over or think of new ideas. Think of writing in the way a sculptor would see a piece of marble. The finished sculpture is in there, and each time you visit, it comes more and more into shape.
• Make the document skimmable. As we’ve touched on a few times, hiring managers usually see a lot of applications. Emphasizing and highlighting key points will improve the odds that they see the information that you value the most.

5. Final thoughts

It’s taken a lot of work to get through your coding bootcamp, and the job hunt is still before you! A good cover letter can make or break an application to a hiring manager overwhelmed by packets. After learning how to effectively write a cover letter, you’ll have an edge over your counterparts.

Again, think of your cover letter as a facet of your application ecosystem. What are the things that are important for you to communicate that neither your resume nor portfolio can convey? How can you support your resume and portfolio through communicating your ideas efficiently and with data-driven metrics?

When embarking on the job hunt, having someone to help show you the way can make all the difference. That’s why when students of CareerFoundry’s Full-Stack Web Development Program  reach the end of their studies, they get paired up with a career specialist . You’ll work closely with them to connect the dots between your previous accomplishments with your newfound coding skills.

Together, you’ll create a winning software engineer resume that showcases your talent, and carefully craft your online presence to appeal to tech employers. You’ll also fine-tune your interview skills , learning how to confidently market your experience and to prepare for the recruiter phone screen .

If you are interested in reading further about improving your chances during the hiring process for software engineers, check out some of our other articles:

• 38 of the Best Web Developer Portfolio Examples
• Creating the Best Tech Resume: Guide With Tips and Examples
• 28 Technical Interview Questions Software Engineers Should Expect to Ace

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Software Engineering Cover Letter Samples & Examples That Worked in 2024

Even in a field dominated by coding and algorithms, the power of words shouldn't be underestimated. And a well-crafted software engineering cover letter can be the key to opening the door to your next career opportunity.

In our forthcoming tips , examples , and templates , we'll help you articulate your technical skills and talents in a way that resonates with employers across industries. Let's shift your job search into high gear!

Keep reading to learn how to:

• Navigate useful software engineering cover letter examples
• Format your software engineering cover letter properly
• Craft an effective cover letter header and headline
• Tailor your software engineering cover letter with personalized details
• Write an attention-grabbing cover letter introduction
• Describe your best software engineering qualifications properly
• Include relevant action words throughout your cover letter
• Conclude your software engineering cover letter persuasively
• Avoid common mistakes in a software engineering cover letter
• Pair your cover letter with a relevant software engineering resume
• Explore the average salary and job outlook for software engineers
• Find essential resources for aspiring software engineers

Software automation engineer cover letter example

Why does this cover letter example work? 

• Clear expression of interest: The candidate clearly expresses their interest in the Software Automation Engineer position at PT Technologies, Inc. and mentions where they found the job posting, demonstrating proactive job search efforts.
• Relevant qualifications and experience: The candidate highlights their degree in Software Engineering from Lehigh University, their leadership experience as President of the Engineering Society, and their over 3 years of experience as a Software Automation Engineer at NCLH Corporation, Inc. These qualifications align well with the requirements of the role.

What could be improved?

• Lack of numerical achievements: The cover letter lacks specific numerical achievements or quantifiable results to support the candidate's claims of success and proficiency. Adding metrics such as the percentage of test automation achieved, the number of automated test scripts developed, or the percentage improvement in testing efficiency would strengthen the candidate's credibility.
• Limited mention of company and role: While the candidate mentions their confidence in aligning with the requirements of the role, they could improve by providing more specific details about why they are interested in PT Technologies, Inc. and how their skills and experiences uniquely qualify them for the Software Automation Engineer position. Adding insights into the company's projects, technologies, or culture would demonstrate genuine interest and a deeper understanding of the role.

Software engineering intern cover letter sample

Why does this cover letter example work?  

• Strong self-learning initiative: The candidate showcases their self-taught journey as a Full-Stack Software Engineer, demonstrating initiative, determination, and a passion for problem-solving. This self-learning attitude reflects adaptability and resilience, valuable traits in the fast-paced field of software engineering.
• Relevant skills and axperiences: The candidate highlights their experience working on web-based applications using a variety of technologies such as React, Angular, Symphony, REST API, Redux, and Django. They also mention their recent role as a Junior Software Engineer at a US-based startup, where they showcased their ability to learn new skills quickly and deliver features on time.
• Lack of company-specific information: While the candidate expresses enthusiasm for the Software Engineering internship at CampusLogic, they could improve by including more specific details about why they are interested in the company and how their skills and experiences align with the organization's goals and values.
• Limited quantifiable achievements: Similar to the previous cover letter, this one lacks specific numerical achievements or quantifiable results to support the candidate's claims of success and proficiency. Adding metrics such as the number of features delivered, the percentage improvement in project efficiency, or the impact of their work on user engagement would enhance the candidate's credibility and demonstrate the value they can bring to the internship role.

Junior Java developer cover letter example

 Why does this cover letter example work?

• Relevant experience and achievements: The candidate effectively highlights their three years of experience as a Junior Java Developer at FPSG, Inc. and The App Experts, Ltd., showcasing their involvement in designing, testing, and implementing JSP pages, HTML pages, and Servlets. They also mention their contribution to redesigning the organization's website, which won the 2018 CSS Design Award. These specific examples demonstrate their practical skills and achievements in the field.
• Strong technical skills and certifications: The candidate demonstrates a solid educational background and proficiency in a range of technical skills, including Java, JavaScript, HTML, DHTML, C++, PHP, Eclipse, and JUnit. Additionally, they hold certifications as an Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) and Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer, further validating their expertise and qualifications for the Junior Java Developer role.
• Limited interpersonal skills mention: While the candidate mentions their technical skills and work ethic, they could further emphasize their interpersonal skills, such as communication , collaboration , and problem-solving abilities . Providing examples of successful teamwork or client interactions would enhance their overall candidacy and demonstrate their ability to thrive in a collaborative work environment.

1. Format your cover letter the right way

Formatting your software engineering cover letter correctly is essential. It makes your application look professional and ensures your skills stand out. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Font and size : Choose a clean, professional font like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Stick to a 10-12 point size for readability.
• Margins and spacing : Use 1-inch margins on all sides. Single space within paragraphs and double space between them to make your letter easy to read.
• Alignment : Align your text to the left. This is standard and ensures your cover letter looks organized and professional.
• Length : Keep your cover letter to one page. Hiring managers, especially in software engineering, often skim documents. Being concise is key.
• Professional tone : Maintain a professional tone throughout. Avoid jargon that might be unclear to non-technical readers, but include relevant technical terms to showcase your expertise.
• Consistent formatting : Match the formatting of your cover letter with your resume. This shows attention to detail and consistency, traits valued in software engineering.
• Highlight your skills : Use formatting like bullet points sparingly to draw attention to key skills or accomplishments. This can help make your technical proficiencies stand out.

By following these formatting guidelines, your software engineering cover letter will look professional and polished. This ensures that your technical skills and experiences are the focal point, giving you a better chance to impress hiring managers.

Let your cover letter write itself — with AI!

2. craft an effective software engineering cover letter header and headline.

The header of your software engineering cover letter  is the section at the top that contains essential contact information. And why is it crucial? It sets a professional tone and ensures the hiring manager can easily reach you.

Your header should include:

• Your contact information : Your full name, phone number, email address, and optionally, your LinkedIn profile or GitHub link.
• The date : The date you are sending the cover letter.
• Recipient’s information : The name of the hiring manager (if known), the company name, and the company address.

Let's take a look at two contrasting examples:

Bad cover letter header example

John Doe [email protected] May 20, 2024 

To whom it may concern, Tech Innovators

Why is this example weak?  The greeting "To whom it may concern" is too generic and shows a lack of research and personal touch. It's missing a phone number and additional contact details like a LinkedIn profile or GitHub link —  valuable for a software engineering role.

Good cover letter header example

John Doe , Software Engineer (123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | linkedin.com/in/john-doe May 20, 2024

To:  Ms. Jane Smith, Hiring Manager Tech Innovators Inc. 123 Innovation Drive Tech City, TC 54321

Why is this header effective?  It simply includes comprehensive contact information, making it easy for the hiring manager to reach you. What's more, the header contains the hiring manager's name, showing that you did your research. It further adds relevant professional links (LinkedIn, GitHub) which are particularly useful for showcasing your work in software engineering. The layout is clear and professional, making it easy to read.

By structuring your header correctly, you present yourself as a professional and detail-oriented candidate, setting a positive tone for the rest of your cover letter.

Once your header is in place, the next step is to craft a compelling headline . It should grab the hiring manager's attention and provide a snapshot of what you bring to the table. It's your first chance to make an impression and set the tone for the rest of your letter.

A strong headline should contain:

• Specificity : Clearly state the role you’re applying for and highlight a key strength or achievement.
• Relevance : Mention skills or experiences that are directly related to the job.
• Conciseness : Keep it brief and to the point.
• Engagement : Make it interesting enough to encourage the hiring manager to read further.

Bad cover letter headline example

Application for Software Engineer Position

Whyis it weak?  This headline sample is too generic and doesn’t highlight any specific skills or achievements. It lacks engagement and doesn’t compel the reader to continue. 

Good cover letter headline example

Experienced Software Engineer with 5+ Years in Full-Stack Development Ready to Drive Innovation at Tech Innovators Inc.

Why is it strong?  It specifies the role and includes relevant experience (5+ years in full-stack development), it highlights a key strength, implying the ability to drive innovation. And what's more, it’s engaging and tailored to the company, showing you’ve researched and personalized your application.

A strong headline can make a significant difference in capturing the hiring manager's interest and encouraging them to read your entire cover letter. Make sure it reflects your strengths and aligns with what the company is looking for in a candidate.

3. Tailor your software engineering cover letter with personalized details

All cover letters should be tailored to address the specific needs of each employer — or else they can end up sounding generic, boring, and invaluable to the reader.

Tailoring a cover letter requires you to sprinkle personalized details not just in the headline but throughout the entire letter. This can include references to the company’s values and goals, or explanations of how your skills can assist the company in its current projects or partnerships.

Additionally, you should always include a personalized greeting on your cover letter. This type of greeting addresses a specific person by name and lets them know that your letter is tailored for them.

Here are 3 examples of personalized software engineer cover letter greetings

Dear CEO Matt Smith,

• Dear Mr. Matt Smith,
• Dear Lead Software Engineer Damon Gary,

But what to do when you c an't find the name of the hiring manager ? Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you can’t find the name of the hiring manager. In such cases, it’s still important to keep your greeting professional and relevant.

Here are some accepted examples of generic greetings

• Dear Hiring Manager,
• Dear Software Engineering Team,
• Dear Recruitment Team,

Pro tip: Avoid using the outdated "To whom it may concern." It feels impersonal and can make your cover letter seem like a generic template. A more modern greeting shows you’ve put thought into your application and helps create a connection right from the start.

4. Write an attention-grabbing information cover letter introduction

In software engineering, you impress your clients and employers with well-written code — in a cover letter, you impress employers with a well-written introduction .

A strong introduction on a cover letter should include:

• A brief overview of your professional history (years of experience, specializations, etc.)
• A statement on why you are enthusiastic about applying to this company
• A mutual acquaintance (when possible) that can serve as a professional reference

Bad cover letter introduction example

I am writing to apply for the software engineer position at your company. I have a lot of experience in software engineering and I think I would be a good fit for your team. I found this job posting online and decided to apply.

Why is it so bad? This introduction is weak because it's vague and generic. It doesn't provide specific details about the applicant's experience or why they're enthusiastic about the company. It also lacks a personal touch or reference to a mutual connection.

Good cover letter introduction example

I write to you today with great enthusiasm about the opportunity to join your team of talented software engineers. As a software engineer with more than 10 years of experience in both front-end and back-end development of financial mobile applications, I know I will be the perfect addition to your team. My former coworker, Mr. Damon Gary, now works as one of your lead engineers and strongly recommended I apply.

Why does it hit the mark? This introduction works well because it highlights relevant experience, shows enthusiasm for the company, and includes a mutual connection to establish credibility.

Crafting a strong, attention-grabbing introduction is essential for a successful software engineering cover letter. By providing specific details about your experience, showing genuine enthusiasm for the company, and leveraging any mutual connections, you can make a compelling case for why you're the ideal candidate.

Find out your resume score!

5. Describe your best software engineering qualifications properly

Now that you have hooked the employer’s attention with an impressive introduction, strive to impress them further with concise descriptions of your most relevant qualifications .

The best qualifications to discuss in a cover letter are your relevant skills and accomplishments . These types of qualifications are the easiest to relate back to the employer’s specific needs, as well as to demonstrate your professional value.

Here are 6 skills to describe in a software engineer cover letter

• Programming languages (Python, Ruby, etc.)
• Analyzing software systems
• Front-end development
• Back-end development
• Software testing processes
• Clear verbal and written communication

Finished projects are an excellent way to display your talent. Give a clear description of your position on each project, such as "software development team lead". Include numerical data that give further context and demonstrate the project's success.

Here are a few examples of how to describe an accomplishment in a cover letter

• As a software engineer for [Former Employer], I introduce the concept of DevOps to the development team and created a dedicated in-house DevOps department. After leading this team for just six months, we were able to reduce time-to-completion rates by 65%, resulting in 45% faster deliveries of software products.
• Spearheaded the migration of legacy systems to a modern cloud-based infrastructure, resulting in a 50% reduction in maintenance costs and a 75% improvement in system reliability.
• Led a cross-functional team in the development of a new feature for a high-traffic e-commerce website, increasing conversion rates by 30% and generating an additional $1 million in revenue annually.
• Implemented agile development methodologies, leading to a 40% increase in team productivity and a 20% reduction in time-to-market for software releases.
• Designed and implemented a scalable microservices architecture for a complex enterprise application, resulting in a 60% improvement in system performance and a 70% reduction in infrastructure costs.

All in all, highlighting your achievements with numerical data in your software engineering cover letter can significantly enhance your candidacy. By effectively communicating your contributions to past projects, you demonstrate your value and potential impact to prospective employers.

6. Use powerful action words in your software engineer cover letter

Action words  are the driving force behind impactful and dynamic cover letters. They not only convey your skills and experiences effectively but also grab the attention of hiring managers.

In a software engineer cover letter, powerful action words are crucial as they:

• Demonstrate leadership : Action verbs can illustrate your leadership skills and ability to lead teams or projects effectively.
• Show impact : Strong verbs highlight your contributions and achievements, quantifying your impact on projects and teams.
• Convey confidence : Using assertive action verbs portrays confidence in your abilities and expertise as a software engineer.

Powerful action words for your software engineer cover letter

• Developed : Demonstrates your role in creating and implementing solutions.
• Engineered : Highlights your ability to design and build complex systems or applications.
• Led : Illustrates your leadership skills in guiding teams or projects to success.
• Implemented : Shows your hands-on experience in executing projects or initiatives.
• Optimized : Indicates your focus on improving processes, systems, or performance.
• Collaborated : Illustrates your ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Resolved : Highlights your problem-solving skills in addressing technical challenges.
• Innovated : Demonstrates your creativity and ability to introduce new ideas or solutions.
• Managed : Shows your organizational skills in overseeing projects or teams.
• Streamlined : Indicates your efforts in simplifying processes or workflows for efficiency.

By incorporating these powerful action verbs into your software engineer cover letter, you can effectively communicate your skills, experiences, and achievements, capturing the attention of hiring managers and positioning yourself as a standout candidate in the competitive job market.

7. Conclude your software engineering cover letter persuasively

The last crucial detail to include in your software engineering cover letter is a persuasive conclusion .

In this conclusion, an employer should find:

• How and when they can best contact you
• When you intend to follow up
• A formal sign-off

Bad cover letter conclusion example

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Why is it ineffective? This conclusion is weak because it lacks specific instructions for contact and follow-up. It also lacks enthusiasm and fails to leave a lasting impression on the employer.

Good cover letter conclusion example

It is with great enthusiasm that I submit this letter and application for your consideration. I am eager to hear from you and hope to receive your call regarding this position within the next two weeks, after which I do plan to follow up if I have not heard back. The best time to reach me is between the hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at (123) 456-7890, Monday through Friday.

With Sincerity,

[Applicant Name]

Why does it work?  This conclusion is effective because it expresses enthusiasm for the position, provides clear instructions for contact, and sets expectations for follow-up.

Crafting a persuasive conclusion is essential for leaving a positive impression on potential employers. By providing clear contact information and expressing enthusiasm for the position, you can encourage further communication and increase your chances of securing an interview.

8. Avoid common mistakes in a software engineering cover letter

Before you hit send on your software engineer cover letter, it's crucial to ensure you've sidestepped common pitfalls that could sabotage your chances of landing the job.

From generic templates to lackluster enthusiasm, these missteps can overshadow your qualifications and diminish your appeal to potential employers. By identifying and avoiding these mistakes, you can elevate the impact of your cover letter and position yourself as a top candidate in the competitive field of software engineering.

Let's explore some of these pitfalls and learn how to steer clear of them for a standout application:

• Using generic templates: One common mistake is using generic templates that lack customization for the specific job or company. Instead, tailor your cover letter by researching the company and incorporating specific details about why you're interested in the position.
• Focusing too much on job duties: Another mistake to avoid is focusing too much on job duties rather than highlighting your achievements. Emphasize your accomplishments by quantifying results and showcasing how your contributions benefited previous employers.
• Writing lengthy or dense paragraphs: Avoid writing lengthy or dense paragraphs that may lose the reader's attention. Keep your paragraphs concise and focused, using bullet points or short paragraphs to highlight key points and accomplishments.
• Neglecting to proofread: Neglecting to proofread your cover letter can create a negative impression. To prevent this, proofread your cover letter carefully and consider asking a friend or colleague to review it for errors before submitting.
• Failing to convey enthusiasm: Failing to convey genuine enthusiasm for the position or company can weaken your cover letter. Express your excitement for the opportunity and explain why you're passionate about the work the company does.
• Ignoring specific instructions: Ignoring any specific instructions provided in the job posting, such as including certain information or formatting requirements, can be detrimental. Always read the job posting carefully and follow any instructions provided to ensure your cover letter meets the employer's expectations.

By avoiding these common mistakes and following best practices, you can create a compelling software engineer cover letter that increases your chances of securing an interview.

9. Pair your software engineer cover letter with your resume

When applying for a software engineering position, your cover letter and resume work hand in hand to present a comprehensive picture of your qualifications and experiences.

While your resume outlines your skills and professional history in a concise format, your cover letter provides an opportunity to delve deeper into your motivations, achievements, and compatibility with the role and company.

Your resume typically follows a structured format, listing your education, work experience, skills, and achievements in a clear and concise manner. On the other hand, your cover letter allows you to personalize your application by highlighting specific experiences, accomplishments, and qualities that make you an ideal candidate for the position.

Maintaining consistency in design between your cover letter and resume is essential. Using the same font, formatting style, and color scheme ensures a cohesive and professional presentation. Consistency not only reflects attention to detail but also reinforces your brand and identity as a candidate.

Pairing your cover letter with your resume creates a cohesive application package that provides a comprehensive overview of your qualifications and fit for the role. Employers often review both documents to have a deeper understanding of your background, skills, and motivations.

Try our AI Resume Writer and have your resume ready in minutes!

10. average salary and job outlook for software engineers.

According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average yearly salary for software engineers was $130,160 in May 2023. This figure underscores the lucrative nature of the profession and highlights the earning potential for individuals in this field.

Looking ahead, the employment outlook for software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers is exceptionally promising. The BLS projects a remarkable 25 percent growth rate in employment for these roles from 2022 to 2032, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.

The increased need for software engineers is because more and more companies are going digital, using mobile technologies, and relying heavily on software to run their businesses.

Over the next decade, about 153,900 openings for software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers are projected each year, on average. This robust demand reflects the critical role that software engineers play in driving innovation, enhancing efficiency, and addressing the evolving needs of businesses and consumers in an increasingly technology-driven world.

11. Essential software engineering resources for job seekers

Embarking on your software engineering career journey can seem daunting. But worry not; these specially curated resources will put you on the fast track to success:

• GitHub:   This platform isn't just for storing and sharing your projects. With its numerous open-source projects, you can contribute to real-life applications and grow your skills and portfolio.
• Stack Overflow:  An invaluable resource for any software developer, Stack Overflow lets you find answers to your coding problems and allows you to engage with a vast community of programmers.
• LeetCode:  To ace those technical interview rounds, LeetCode offers an array of coding challenges that simulate actual interview problems.
• Coursera/Udemy:  Coursera and Udemy house a range of courses across different aspects of software development to help sharpen your skills or learn new ones.
• LinkedIn:  Besides professional networking, LinkedIn lists numerous job openings. Remember to optimize your LinkedIn profile with relevant keywords to attract potential employers. You can even turn your LinkedIn profile into a polished resume within a few seconds.

Leveraging these resources can help navigate your software engineering job search more effectively, bolster your skills and ultimately land that dream job. Onwards and upwards!

Software Engineering Cover Letter FAQ

Should i include all programming languages i know on my software engineering resume.

While it's crucial to showcase your technical skills, including every programming language might make your resume look cluttered. Instead, focus on those languages that are most pertinent to the job you're applying for.

Do I need to have a 'Projects' section in my software engineering resume?

A 'Projects' section can be a great addition, especially if you have relevant work that you can showcase. It would give potential employers a sense of your practical skills and creativity.

How important are certifications for a software engineer's resume?

While experience and skills are critical, certifications can demonstrate a commitment to learning and mastering your specialty. If you have relevant certifications, by all means, include them.

Should I include my GPA in my software engineering resume?

If you're a recent graduate or if your GPA is strong, then yes, including it can be advantageous. However, with more experience, your abilities and work history become more important than grades.

Is a resume objective necessary for a software engineer's resume?

While an objective is not always necessary, it can be a powerful tool, especially for those new to the field or making a career switch. A well-written objective can articulate your goals and motivations effectively.

Julia Gergelova

Julia is a professional writer, translator and graphic designer. She holds degrees in translation and interpretation, and has international work experience from a number of different countries in Europe as well as China and Panama. Julia formerly taught academic writing and as a graphic designer contributed to outlets such as  The Business of Business . She has a passion for lifelong learning and good coffee.

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• Front-End Developer / Engineer
• Software Tester
• Web Developer

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Software Engineer Cover Letter Example (w/ Templates & Tips for 2024)

The days you learned how to write "Hello, World!" on a computer screen are long gone.

You've always been captivated by computers and learning how to speak their language, and now you're on the brink of turning your passion for programming into a full-fledged career as a software engineer.

It feels like you've debugged your way to this moment, but there's this one compile error you didn't anticipate: crafting the perfect cover letter.

Staring at a blank page that should be showing off your coding genius and technical know-how feels a lot like encountering an unexpected bug at 3 a.m.— and you just can't seem to find the right lines of "code" to introduce yourself.

But don't worry!

In this article, we're going to help you structure your technical expertise and professional journey, step by step.

Here’s what we’ll cover: 

• Stellar Software Engineer Cover Letter Example
• 5 Steps to Crafting a Memorable Software Engineer Cover Letter
• 3 Must-Know Cover Letter Tips for Aspiring Software Engineers

...and so much more!

Let’s dive in!

Software Engineer Cover Letter Example

5 Steps for the Perfect Software Engineer Cover Letter

Alright, you've just seen what a top-tier cover letter looks like in action. 

Now, follow these five tried-and-tested steps to write your own job-winning cover letter : 

#1. Put Contact Information in the Header

For starters, make sure you've got your contact details front and center. Slotting them into the header, just like you would on your software engineer resume , is the way to go.

Here’s your checklist:

• Full Name: Pop your full name right up there at the top. 
• Professional Title: Make sure the title on your cover letter is aligned with the software engineer role you're going for. Given that hiring managers might be swimming in a sea of applications for all sorts of roles, being precise about the position you’re passionate about really smooths things out.
• Email Address: Opt for an email that’s clean and easy, ideally a mashup of your first and last names. And just a heads up: that funky email from your teen years? Might want to leave that in the past. While "[email protected]" might be memorable, "[email protected]" keeps things professional.
• Phone Number: List a reliable number. And if you're eyeing a gig overseas, don't forget the dialing code.
• Location: Your city and state or country usually hit the mark. But, if you're scouting for remote gigs or pondering a move abroad, be sure to mention that.
• Relevant Links (Optional): Feel free to drop in links to your GitHub, portfolio, or LinkedIn profile if relevant.

Are your details in place? Awesome. Next, list the hiring manager's info.

Here's the rundown:

• Company Name: Note the name of the firm or startup you're reaching out to.
• Hiring Manager’s Name: If you can, jot down the name of the hiring manager or team lead. A quick glance at the job listing, the company's site, or even their LinkedIn might give you the intel.
• Hiring Manager’s Title: If you stumble upon the right contact and notice they're, for instance, the "Lead Software Developer," then jot that down. It adds a personal touch compared to a generic "Hiring Manager."
• Location: Typically, the city and state or country should do, especially if they're a household company. But if you want to get ultra-specific, you can include the street address too.
• Email Address (Optional): If you happen to find the hiring manager’s email, slotting it in can be a neat addition.

#2. Address the Hiring Manager

Once you've typed in your key contact details, think about the best way possible to address your cover letter .

To start with, let's avoid the old-school “To Whom It May Concern." We can do better!

Your cover letter's greeting can set a positive tone for the hiring manager, but only if you hit the right note.

Begin with a bit of homework. Dive into the job posting, scour the company's website, or peek at their LinkedIn. Your mission? Uncover the name of the hiring manager for the software engineering role you've got your sights on.

Now, onto the greeting. A safe bet is to lead with "Ms." or "Mr.", followed by their last name. But if you're drawing blanks on their gender or marital status, simply roll with their full name. Like so:

• Dear Mr. Thompson,
• Dear Alex Thompson,

If your detective skills don't pan out, don't sweat it! Direct your letter to the broader engineering team or the company:

• Dear Software Engineering Team,
• Dear Tech Recruitment Team,
• Dear Head of Engineering,

#3. Write an Eye-Catching Opening Statement

Tech recruiters typically spend just about seven seconds glancing over a software engineer's application before determining its potential for a full review.

That's why nailing that initial impression is essential for an impactful software engineering cover letter.

Begin your letter by stating your name and talking about what draws you to the role. Illustrating your enthusiasm for the tech realm or the particular position can pique the recruiter's interest in you.

It pays dividends to dive into some research on the company . With a deeper understanding of the firm, you can accentuate how you align seamlessly with its ethos and objectives. This not only showcases your dedication but signals to the recruiter that your interest in this role isn't a fleeting whim.

If you've got a rich background in software engineering, consider highlighting a standout project or skill that positions you as the go-to candidate for the job.

Nevertheless, keep the opening statement brief. Your goal is to spark the recruiter's intrigue and get them to read the rest of your cover letter.

Check out these awesome cover letter examples to get inspired for your own opening statement. 

#4. Use the Cover Letter Body for the Details

The core of your software engineer cover letter is where you can expand on what truly sets you apart as a potential asset for the company.

Avoid the pitfall of simply reiterating your resume content. Instead, this is your golden chance to emphasize your coding expertise, project experiences, and technical qualifications. Aim to make the hiring manager believe that among a sea of applicants, you're uniquely suited for the position. Reference any significant achievements or projects that demonstrate your prowess in the domain, and always refer back to the specifics of the job posting.

Here, too, align your cover letter to the specific requirements of the job advert. If the role highlights proficiency in a particular programming language or framework, be sure to delve into your experience with it, rather than perhaps focusing on a general software development approach.

Your awareness of the company's software products, tech stack, or contributions to the tech industry can be a significant advantage. If you've used or are familiar with any of their software or tools, do mention it. This not only illustrates your interest but also how you resonate with their technological vision and company values.

Lastly, let your genuine interest in the role shine. Convey your eagerness and assure them of your potential contributions with your distinct technical talents and experiences.

And remember — avoid these common cover letter mistakes at all costs. 

#5. Wrap It Up and Sign It

Bringing your cover letter to a compelling end is just as vital as an attention-grabbing opening.

Ensure that your closing paragraph highlights the strong image you've projected so far. Use this space to affirmatively recap your suitability for the role, drawing attention to the coding languages, projects, or unique technical skills that differentiate you from the rest.

Then, add a call to action. By prompting the hiring manager to take a step forward, like diving deeper into your portfolio or discussing potential projects, you not only leave a lasting impression but also amplify your prospects of being shortlisted for an interview.

To conclude, it's essential to adopt a professional tone. Opt for a befitting sign-off, and then jot down your full name. For example:

Should you wish to explore my application further or delve into specific projects I've undertaken, please reach out via the given email or phone number. I'm eager to discuss how I can contribute to your team's next groundbreaking software project.

Warm regards,

Alexa Turing

If "Warm regards" seems a tad cliché to you, you might want to consider these alternatives:

• Yours sincerely,
• With thanks,
• Best regards,
• Appreciating your time and review,

3 Essential Software Engineer Cover Letter Tips

Now that you've got a good grasp on cover letter basics, let's crank it up a notch with some cover letter tips :

#1. Match Your Resume

For your application to be perfect, your software engineer resume and cover letter should be uniform.

For a coherent and professional look, format your cover letter similarly to your resume. Otherwise, you may give off the impression of being disordered or unattentive to detail.

Your text, together with your contact details, needs to sit neatly on the page, and the font size and style should be the same in both documents. In addition, remember to adjust the page margins and line spacing equally and make sure that your cover letter neatly fits into a single page.

Last but not least, send out both documents in the same format - preferably, as PDF files. That’ll ensure they look the same regardless of the device or Operating System hiring managers use to open them. 

Or Use A Cover Letter Template Instead

Eager for a shortcut? 

Go with our free resume builder to create the perfect software engineer resume and then pick a matching cover letter template to save time and effort.

Our templates are crafted in collaboration with hiring managers globally, ensuring they hit industry standards right on the mark. You save time and get a matching cover letter for your resume that looks absolutely professional. Sweet deal, Isn’t it?

#2. Mention Skills and Keywords

As a software engineer, being technologically sound isn't enough; you also need to communicate your skills effectively. Here's where the role of mentioning skills and keywords in your cover letter comes into play.

Incorporating relevant skills and keywords from the job advertisement in your cover letter is a powerful strategy. It does more than show you are qualified; it also illustrates your attention to detail and that you have tailored your cover letter for the specific role.

These skills and keywords act like a map for hiring managers, guiding them to the information they're most interested in. As they skim through volumes of cover letters, yours stands out showcasing exactly what they're looking for; making their job easier, and thus improving your chances.

Including job-specific skills and keywords also shows your understanding of the industry and the role. By translating the job requirements into your own experiences and achievements, you're not only showing you're competent but also that you're a good fit for the company's culture and values.

However, do keep an eye on not overstuffing your cover letter with keywords. The idea is to weave them naturally into your skills and experiences narrative. Keep it authentic and reflective of your true professional story.

#3. Save It To The Right File Format

Now that you've written a stellar cover letter as a software engineer, it's time to hit the save button - but wait! Choosing the right file format can make a big difference in how your cover letter appears to the hiring manager.

When it comes to file formats, PDF (Portable Document Format) is your best friend. 

Why? Well, because it ensures that your formatting stays intact, no matter what device the hiring manager uses to open your cover letter. Whether they're viewing it on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, a PDF file ensures that everything looks just as you intended.

PDFs offer a consistent and professional-looking document that is easy to read and won't be distorted or altered. This is crucial because you want to make a positive visual impact that reflects your attention to detail and technical expertise.

However, there might be exceptions to this rule. Sometimes, the job ad explicitly asks for a different file format. In such cases, be sure to follow the instructions provided. C

Key Takeaways

And there you have it, the ideal software engineer cover letter! We hope our guide motivates you to craft one that propels you closer to your desired role in no time.

Before you start writing your letter, here are some main points to remember from our guide:

• Begin your software engineer cover letter by listing your contact details and those of the hiring manager. Ensure all your information is correct so that the hiring manager can easily reach out to you.
• Compose a captivating introductory paragraph in your cover letter to grab the hiring manager's attention, compelling them to continue reading.
• In the main section of your cover letter, delve into your notable accomplishments and skills relevant to the software engineer role you're pursuing.
• Add a call to action at the end, encouraging the hiring manager to get in touch or arrange an interview.
• Finally, make sure your software engineer resume and cover letter have a consistent look and feel. If you're pressed for time, consider using one of our resume templates along with its matching cover letter template.

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12 Software Engineer Cover Letter Examples

Software Engineers are the architects of the digital world, meticulously crafting code that powers our everyday lives, blending creativity with logic. Similarly, your cover letter is the blueprint of your professional journey, detailing your technical skills, innovative solutions, and dedication to problem-solving in a way that captivates recruiters. In this guide, we'll delve into the best cover letter examples for Software Engineers, helping you to construct a compelling narrative that stands out in the tech industry.

Cover Letter Examples

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The best way to start a Software Engineer cover letter is by grabbing the reader's attention with a strong opening line. This could be a brief introduction about yourself, your passion for technology, or a notable achievement in your career. Then, mention the specific job role you're applying for and how you came across it. It's also beneficial to show enthusiasm about the company you're applying to, demonstrating that you've done your research and understand their values and mission. This approach not only showcases your skills and experience but also your interest and dedication to the company.

Software Engineers should end a cover letter by summarizing their interest in the role and their confidence in bringing value to the company. It's important to express enthusiasm for the opportunity and to reiterate how their skills and experiences align with the job requirements. They should also include a call to action, such as looking forward to the possibility of discussing their qualifications further in an interview. Here's an example: "I am excited about the opportunity to bring my unique blend of skills and experience to your team and am confident that I can contribute significantly to your projects. I look forward to the possibility of discussing my application with you further." Always remember to end with a professional closing like "Sincerely" or "Best regards," followed by your name.

A Software Engineer's cover letter should ideally be about one page long, or around 300-500 words. This length is enough to succinctly present your skills, experience, and passion for the role without overwhelming the reader. Remember, hiring managers often have to go through hundreds of applications, so keeping your cover letter concise and to the point is crucial. It's important to focus on quality over quantity, highlighting your most relevant experiences and skills that make you a strong fit for the specific role you're applying for. Also, ensure to personalize your cover letter for each job application, as this demonstrates your interest in the particular role and company.

Writing a cover letter with no experience as a Software Engineer can seem challenging, but it's definitely possible. Here's how you can approach it: 1. **Start with a strong introduction**: Begin by introducing yourself and stating the position you're applying for. Mention where you found the job posting and if you have any mutual connections with the company. 2. **Highlight your education**: If you're a recent graduate, emphasize your degree and any relevant coursework. Discuss any projects or assignments you completed that are relevant to the job. This can show your understanding of key concepts and your ability to apply them. 3. **Showcase transferable skills**: Even without direct experience, you likely have skills that can be applied to a software engineering role. This could be problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, or communication skills. Provide examples of how you've used these skills in the past. 4. **Discuss relevant experiences**: You might not have professional experience, but perhaps you've done internships, volunteer work, or personal projects related to software engineering. Discuss these experiences and how they've prepared you for a role in software engineering. 5. **Express your passion for software engineering**: Employers want to hire people who are passionate about their work. Discuss why you're interested in software engineering and how you stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends. 6. **Show your willingness to learn**: As an entry-level candidate, employers will expect you to learn on the job. Express your eagerness to learn and grow in the role. 7. **End with a strong conclusion**: Reiterate your interest in the role and the company, and express your desire to contribute to their success. Thank them for considering your application and express your hope to discuss your qualifications further in an interview. Remember, your cover letter should not just repeat your resume. It should provide context and examples for your skills and experiences, and express your enthusiasm for the role and the company. Be sure to proofread carefully before sending it.

Related Cover Letters for Software Engineers

Software developer cover letter.

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Java Developer Cover Letter

Mobile Developer Cover Letter

Entry Level Software Engineer Cover Letter

Experienced Software Engineer Cover Letter

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4 Software Engineer Cover Letter Examples

Use these templates to craft the perfect cover letter for your situation.

Whether you’re a junior developer fresh out of college or a senior software engineer leading multimillion-dollar projects, landing your next software development job could hinge on writing a great, professional cover letter. Winning cover letters are personalized; they paraphrase requirements listed in the job description, express enthusiasm for the company culture and make a clear case for why your technical and soft skills make you uniquely suited to the role.

The cover letter is your chance to elaborate on which programming languages you’re proficient in, whether you’re a front-end, back-end, or full-stack programmer, what technology stacks you’ve encountered before, and any domain expertise you’ve acquired. If you’re a fresh grad with limited professional experience, use your cover letter to explain passion projects you started, JavaScript libraries you taught yourself to use and open-source contributions you made on GitHub. 

👉 Read next: 5 essential steps to a perfect GitHub portfolio

A template to get you started

The job search process can be stressful and, when it comes to cover letters, you might not know where to begin. Stand out to recruiters by following this simple template for a software engineer cover letter.

• Introduce yourself and your background : Craft an elevator pitch to establish why the hiring manager should pay attention. For example, “I’m a front-end developer with three   years of experience   building responsive, visually appealing websites for property management firms.”
• Explain why you’re the best candidate for the role:  Choose three or four bullet points from the job description and talk about how they relate to your background. Provide examples of projects, skills, or other past accomplishments that prove you have relevant experience. If the job description calls for the “ability to deal with ambiguous, undefined problems,” mention that time you worked for a pre-seed startup and created several iterations of a mobile app in response to user feedback. 
• Provide detail on why you would fit in with the company: Express enthusiasm for the company. Perhaps you’re a longtime customer/user, you admire the CEO or you’ve read positive reviews of the organization’s professional development opportunities. Personalize your reasoning to suit the company's culture and discuss how your soft skills align with their values. 
• Frame your closing statement as a   call to action:  Inspire the reader to move forward with your application. Reiterate in one line how you plan to add value to the team and close with an invitation to schedule a call/video chat or meet in person. ( Example: “I believe my five   years of experience   in web design, specifically working in the finance industry, will be an excellent match for this job. I would love the chance to further discuss the position and what skills I’d bring to the role.” )

However, this template isn't one-size-fits-all. Cover letter formats vary based on years of experience, skill set and technical expertise. Next, we'll discuss different cover letter templates, writing tips, and points to emphasize based on your experience level. We'll also include software engineer cover letter examples for each career stage. 

If you have little to no experience...

This may apply to college freshmen or sophomores seeking their first internship, or anyone with limited exposure to the industry.

Show the hiring manager you’re dedicated to obtaining practical experience outside of an academic setting. Perhaps you practice coding 10 hours a week (you should!), recently taught yourself a new programming language or have contributed suggestions or bug fixes to several open-source projects. 

Other attributes to emphasize in your cover letter:

• You know 1-2 programming languages well 
• You have hands-on experience with HTML/CSS/Javascript in your coursework, with sample projects to prove it
• You know someone at the company/you have a referral ( Eg: “A former classmate, John Smith, suggested I reach out to you about the software developer intern position at Company X.” )
• Show that you understand the company culture and mission (Eg: “I’m deeply passionate about working with a company that puts their customers first, which is why I was so excited to learn about the internship opening at Company X.” )

👉 Next: learn about one of the most prestigious software engineering internships in the world

Sample cover letter: Software engineer/developer intern

Cover Letter Dear Mr/Ms. [Insert name], I am a third-year computer science student at XYZ and I’m highly interested in your software engineer intern position. A fellow XYZ alum, John Smith, who holds a senior software engineer position at your company, suggested I get in touch with you. Your firm’s dedication to providing a superior user experience and innovative product design is the reason I’m an avid user of Product X, and explains my excitement for this role.  As a junior, I’ve completed 75% of the requirements for my major and am fully proficient in front-end web development. My most noteworthy class project involved building a fully functional prototype of a desktop music app, which I created using Python and SQL. My course focuses mostly on HTML/CSS/Javascript, so in my spare time I taught myself Python because I knew it would prepare me for a variety of software development roles -- including this one.  To prepare myself for this internship, I started contributing to a number of open-source projects on GitHub that are related to the music industry, and I’ve become proficient at spotting and fixing minor bugs in the source code, as well as understanding and annotating ReadMe files. I believe my dedication, work ethic and passion for software development will make me a valuable addition to the development team. I would love the chance to speak with you further about the role and how I can make a positive contribution to your organization.  Yours Sincerely, [First name, Last name]

If you’re seeking an entry-level job...

This may apply to recent graduates, from undergraduate, masters, or potentially PhD programs.

While you probably possess the baseline skills a junior developer needs, you may lack experience with production. Writing production-ready code is very different from coding for coursework or a portfolio project. In a production environment, you must deploy the code, test it, monitor its performance and fix the code when it breaks (and it will), while satisfying nonfunctional requirements like scalability and reliability.

When explaining past projects you’ve worked on, show that you’re aware of real-world constraints. For example, say you prototype a vacation planning app for your capstone project. Briefly discuss how you would handle a spike in user traffic during holiday periods.

• You know 1-2 all-purpose programming languages very well, such as Python or Java, in addition to the standard front-end languages HTML/CSS/JS. 
• If you have experience with production, mention that, even if it was part of a volunteer project. Otherwise, show you understand the software development life cycle and where non-functional requirements come in.
• Mention your credentials. Software engineering is a field with a high technical barrier to entry, so you need to prove you have baseline coding skills. 
• Demonstrate your soft skills, such as the ability to explain technical concepts to non-engineers and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Explain your thought process when giving examples of coursework or passion projects. Engineering is about tradeoffs; hiring managers want to know how you solve problems. 

Sample cover letter: Entry-level software engineer/developer

Cover Letter Dear Mr/Ms. [Insert name], I am thrilled to apply for the entry-level software engineering position at Company X. I am a recent graduate of the computer science program at X University, having completed courses in software testing, database administration, computer architecture and Java programming with a 3.7 GPA. With my experience contributing to open-source projects, I have a strong aptitude for troubleshooting and finding and fixing bugs that can cause the code to break.  During my final years at X University, I interned for two summers at JP Morgan, where I engineered an automated recovery solution to help reduce identity theft and fraud. My ability to understand business requirements and communicate technical solutions in layman’s terms would make me an ideal addition to Company X’s software development team, as I can act as an efficient communicator between the software engineering team and other departments, such as sales and marketing.  I am fluent in the primary languages used at Company X, including C++ and Python. I have eagerly followed the release of your new proprietary mobile payment software, which I believe has the potential to help millions of startups offer ecommerce channels at low cost. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss your needs and how I might best fulfill them. Best regards, [First name, Last name]

If you’re a low or mid-level software engineer...

This applies to job seekers with 1-4 years of experience in the field.

Focus on establishing trust in your cover letter. As a junior developer, you’ve probably spent most of your time following instructions from a senior developer and might not have achievements to brag about just yet. Instead, show that you’ve satisfied the baseline requirements for your role -- projects are done on time, you’ve written production-ready code, and your responsibilities have slowly increased over the years (with or without a formal promotion).

• You have a passion for learning new programming languages and being involved in different phases of the software development life cycle
• You’re proficient in at least one or two stages of the software development life cycle
• You have experience fixing bugs (even minor ones), working on internal or “admin-side” tools or features and assisting in initial project planning
• You demonstrate initiative and can offer several ways for solving a problem
• You know how to compose testing plans and schedules
• You’re proficient in programming languages such as HTML, Javascript, CSS and Python

Sample cover letter: Software engineer/developer

Cover Letter Dear Mr/Ms. [Insert name], I enthusiastically read your recent advertisement for the junior web developer position and am writing to express my interest. My aptitude for learning new programming languages combined with my extensive knowledge of HTML, CSS, SQL/PLSQL and jQuery make me uniquely suited to this position.  In my current role as a front-end web developer at XYZ, I have developed web-based applications from design to coding and user testing under the direction of the senior developer. By relying on solid programming knowledge as well as excellent verbal and written communications skills, I have consistently written terrific code within customer-set time frames.  I have three years of front-end web development experience and am committed to staying up-to-date with all technological advancements. Consequently, I have obtained recent certifications in Amazon Web Services and Google Analytics, giving me the skills required to exceed in the junior web developer role at Company X.  I would be honored to be considered for a position on the team and would love the chance to speak with you to discuss how I can make a positive impact at Company X. Kind regards, [First name, Last name]

If you’re a senior software engineer...

This applies to job seekers with 5-8 years years of experience in the field.

As a seasoned professional, you no longer need to qualify your baseline technical skills in your cover letter. Instead, focus on the positive impact you’ve made to the teams on which you’ve served. Mentoring junior developers, clarifying business requirements, and ensuring a smooth collaboration between the development team and the rest of the organization are just a few examples. Create a sense of upward trajectory in your cover letter: mention promotions (and what you did to deserve them), times where you took the lead on projects and how your contributions impact the bottom line. 

• Experience reviewing code written by junior developers, leading projects and mentoring others
• Deep domain expertise -- In addition to your programming skills, you have deep knowledge of a specific industry or field
• You understand the full scope of the project and can delegate tasks to team members
• You know how to conduct experiments/tests, validate assumptions and connect the dots to reach a conclusion
• Your contribution to the bottom line (Eg: mitigating risk, consistently meeting project budgets/timelines)

Sample cover letter: Senior software engineer/developer

Cover Letter Dear Mr/Ms. [Insert name], Throughout my 10-year career as a software engineer, I have always kept my eye on openings at Company X. Your company is often in the news thanks to its innovative products and employee-first culture. When I saw the senior position open up, I knew I had to apply right away. Based on the job description, I believe I am a highly suitable candidate. Your job listing indicates you are looking for someone who can design new customer-facing software with a user-friendly interface. Throughout my career, not only have I designed new programs, but I’ve worked closely with UX designers to test and iterate software upgrades for SaaS companies. I know teamwork is a major tenet of Company X’s culture, and I would be grateful for the opportunity to contribute my experience of working closely with product managers, marketers and UX designers to meet and exceed project targets. Having started as a junior developer at XZY before being promoted three times in the course of six years, I know how to lead, collaborate and follow as needed. Because of my experience designing client-side web applications for SaaS companies, I am confident that I would excel in your senior software engineer role. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, [First name, Last name]

👉 To ace the application process, you also need a stellar software engineer resume. Formatting and content play an important role, but like cover letters, the right resume template will vary based on your experience level. For resume examples at every skill level, visit this link.

The information provided herein is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to provide tax, legal, or investment advice and should not be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security by Candor, its employees and affiliates, or any third-party. Any expressions of opinion or assumptions are for illustrative purposes only and are subject to change without notice. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results and the opinions presented herein should not be viewed as an indicator of future performance. Investing in securities involves risk. Loss of principal is possible.

Third-party data has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable; however, its accuracy, completeness, or reliability cannot be guaranteed. Candor does not receive compensation to promote or discuss any particular Company; however, Candor, its employees and affiliates, and/or its clients may hold positions in securities of the Companies discussed.

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• Career Advice
• Cover Letters

Software Engineer Cover Letter

If you are applying for a position in software engineering, a cover letter is a good way to showcase your skills and experience in a single page document that can be easily skimmed by the hiring manager. A cover letter should address specific job requirements and convey enthusiasm for the role. It typically also includes a brief overview of your education and top achievements.

A cover letter should highlight key skills such as an in-depth understanding of the entire software engineering life-cycle. Adding your most recent software engineering achievements would make you stand out from the crowd.

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Software Engineer — Free Cover Letter Template

Download our free software engineer cover letter template in MS Word format.

Software Engineer Cover Letter Example:

[ Full name ]

[ Physical address ]

[ Contact number ]

[ Email address ]

[ LinkedIn profile/website link ]

Re: Application for the position of software engineer at [ company name ].

Dear [recipient’s title and last name] ,

After recently discovering your job posting [ in/on ] [ source ] for a qualified software engineer to join your IT department, I was excited to apply for the position as I believe I meet all the requirements to excel in this role. I am an experienced, qualified, and motivated software engineer who will be a great addition to your team.

I graduated from [ university/college name ] in [ year ] with a [ qualification type ] in [ computer science/related fields ] and currently hold a certificate in [ specify ]. With over [ number of years ] years of software engineering and full-stack web development experience, I have been able to master my [ skill 1 ], [ skill 2 ], and [ skill 3 ] skills.

In my [ current/previous ] position at [ specify ], I was responsible for modifying software, identifying and correcting errors, directing software programming, and preparing reports on programming blueprints. This experience exposed me to the entire software engineering process, earning me recognition in [ year ] when I [ add a career achievement ].

As an experienced software engineer, I am impressed with [ mention notable characteristics or milestones you appreciate about the company ] and feel that my [ summarize core competencies, for example, extensive knowledge of the software engineering life-cycle, paired with excellent technical skills ], will make me the ideal candidate. Please find my resume attached.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions you would like to discuss. I look forward to hearing from you.

[ Your full name ]

How to Write a Software Engineer Cover Letter:

A step-by-step guide to writing the perfect software engineer cover letter.

Address your letter.

Address the hiring manager directly..

Address your letter directly to the hiring manager, recruiter, employee, or whoever the person is that put out the job posting.

Avoid generic greetings.

If a contact name is supplied or if it is possible to find out a name, avoid using a general greeting such as "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Sir/Madam." Use the relevant title before the person's last name — for example, "Ms. Miller" or "Mr. Jones."

Write an introduction paragraph.

Keep your introduction brief..

In no more than three sentences , tell the person why you are writing and what position you are applying for.

Highlight that you meet the stated job requirements.

Your writing should reflect the exact job title and you should briefly mention key job advertisement requirements that you meet, for example, that you have five years' experience as a software engineer.

Indicate that feel you are the best fit for the job.

Use one sentence to point out that you feel you are a great candidate for the software engineer position.

Showcase your qualifications and competencies.

Briefly outline your qualifications..

Back your introduction up with tangible evidence. Scrutinize the job advertisement and directly address the stated requirements. Write a few sentences on your qualifications and training as a software engineer and where you studied.

For a software engineer position, employers usually look for at least a Bachelor's degree in software engineering, computer science, or similar. Related coursework or qualifications in, for example, business or project management will be beneficial, so don't neglect to mention it, if relevant.

Align your core skills to those mentioned in the job ad.

Lead into your list of skills by matching prominently featured duties and responsibilities mentioned in the job ad with core competencies from your resume. For example, if the job ad mentions full-stack web development, point out the extent of your proficiency in that regard.

Offer some insight into other relevant skills to give the hiring manager or recruiter a better idea of your abilities. This might include skills related to developing software system validation and testing methods, leading software engineering projects, and more.

Discuss your work experience.

Highlight your years of experience..

Mention how many years you've worked as a software engineer. Briefly go through your work history, naming only the most relevant roles. Keep this to a single sentence as you will be discussing your exact duties and work experience next.

Outline your most recent job.

In a few sentences , talk about your most recent role. Revisit the job description to ensure that you align your responsibilities with the key competencies they require.

Showcase major achievements in your previous role.

Highlight your biggest accomplishments in your previous job, for example, successfully integrating software systems for a merger and acquisition company, developing a call center application to track calls and capture metadata, etc. Don't neglect to name the websites or apps you designed or contributed to.

Add metrics to your job achievement descriptions.

If possible, include metrics to emphasize the impact of your contributions on the projects assigned to you, for example, creating a prediction model that resulted in an increase of 37 percent in website traffic, driving a 15 percent reduction in downtime, etc. The more specific you are, the better.

Celebrate the organization and add a call to action.

Point out a few things you know about the company..

Highlight two or three specific things that show your enthusiasm and admiration for the organization, for example, their accomplishments, corporate culture, reputation, community involvement, or positive employee feedback.

Reinforce that you would be a perfect fit for the job by adding desirable character traits, such as being a detail-oriented problem-solver with exceptional collaboration skills. Mention that you are eager to join their team.

Discuss the reasons why you want to work there.

Explain why being a software engineer at their organization appeals to you. This would typically include referring to their line of business and how you envisage adding value to their products or services.

End with a call to action.

Refer the reader to your attached resume and any additional documents that may have been requested. Encourage them to look at an online portfolio, your LinkedIn profile, websites, or apps that showcase your software engineering projects.

Invite them to contact you via email or phone should they need additional information. Let them know that you look forward to hearing from them and thank them for their time and consideration. End your letter by adding "sincerely" or an acceptable synonym and sign off with your full name.

Similar Jobs:

• Front-end Developer .
• Java Developer .
• Web Developer .
• Software Developer .
• UX Designer .

Common Cover Letter Mistakes

How do I write a software engineer cover letter?

• Address your letter .
• Write an introduction paragraph .
• Showcase your qualifications and competencies .
• Discuss your work experience .
• Celebrate the organization and add a call to action .

What skills do I need to become a software engineer?

• Exceptional analytical, technical, and creative skills.
• Extensive knowledge of the software engineering life-cycle.
• Solid understanding of programming languages.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.

What is the format of a software engineer cover letter?

• Contact information.
• Opening paragraph.
• Call to action.

How long should a software engineer cover letter be?

Your cover letter should preferably not exceed one page. It should detail your qualifications, experience, accomplishments, and the reasons why you would be ideal for the role.

Related Articles:

Software engineer job description, how to write a cover letter, the 12 best cover letter tips for 2024, how to address a cover letter, how to ask for a letter of recommendation.

Interrogations of Nikolai Ezhov, former People's Commissar for Internal Affairs.

Russian (original) text

Introduction

We do not know how many interrogations of Ezhov are in existence. All the prosecution materials concerning virtually all the important matters of the later 1930s in the USSR are still top-secret, kept in the Presidential Archives of the Russian Federation. I have simply translated those texts that have been published as of this date (July 2010).

I have compiled and translated these confessions from the following "semi-official" sources:

Briukhanov, Boris Borisovich, and Shoshkov, Evgenii Nikolaevich. Opravdaniiu ne podlezhit. Ezhov i Ezhovshchina 1936-1938 gg. Sankt-Peterburg: OOO "Petrovskii Fond" 1998. Polianskii, Aleksei. Ezhov. Istoriia «zheleznogo» stalinskogo narkoma. Moscow: «Veche», «Aria-AiF», 2001. Pavliukov, Aleksei. Ezhov. Biografiia . Moscow: Zakharov, 2007.

I term these sources "semi-official" since they are quoted unproblematically by all the anticommunist scholars. These scholars ignore them almost completely, and ignore their implications completely, but they do not consider the documents false.

In addition I have used these sources, which are more or less "official":

Lubianka. Stalin i NKVD – NKGB – GUKR «SMERSH». 1939 – mart 1946. Moscow: «Materik», 2006. Petrov, Nikita, and Iansen [Jansen], Mark. «Stalinskii pitomets» -- Nikolai Ezhov . Moscow: ROSSPEN, 2008.

A few remarks have been taken from other sources, mainly Vassilii Soima, Zapreshchennyi Stalin , Chast' 1. Moscow: OLMA-PRESS, 2001. Where possible I have checked the text with the versions online at http://perpetrator2004.narod.ru/ , "Documents of Soviet Power and of Soviet-Communist Terror", which has used the sources above.

Here I only present them in English translation for interested students. Naturally they must be studied. I’m doing that but I do not present my results here.

NOTE: We have one very important confession by Mikhail Frinovskii, Ezhov's Assistant Commissar -- that of April 11, 1939. Also published in the Lubianka volume cited above, I have put a translation of it online here.

It should be read in connection with Ezhov's confessions.

Grover Furr July 31 2010

____________________

Ezhov interrogation 04.18 – 04.20.39

According to Pavliukov, this is the 1st Ezhov confession in his file. QQ 519-520 & n. 481 p. 564. Summarized 520-521.

"Question: You have been arrested as a traitor to the party and an enemy of the people. The investigation possesses sufficient facts to expose you completely at the first attempt to conceal your crimes. We propose that you not wait to be exposed but proceed to confessions of your black traitorous work against the party and Soviet power. Answer: It is hard for one such as I, who only lately enjoyed the party’s trust, to confess to betrayal and treason. But now that I am faced with answering before the investigation for my crimes, I wish to be thoroughly frank and truthful. I am not the person the party took me for. Hiding behind a mask of party loyalty, for many years I have deceived and been two-faced while conducting a ferocious hidden struggle against the party and the Soviet State."

Summary of other parts of Ezhov’s statement.

"Ezhov started the history of his ‘fall into sin’ in 1921, when he worked in Tartaria and under the influence of anarcho-syndicalist ideas supposedly joined the local group of the ‘Workers’ Opposition.’ In the following years, the period of inner-party discussions of the 1930s, he also supposedly expressed differences in his political views with the general line of the party. However, the investigators showed no interest in digging so deeply into the garbage-heap of history, and they did not permit Ezhov to deviate long from the basic theme."

"Question: What is the point of this expansive story about these or those ‘political waverings’ of yours? As a long-time agent of foreign intelligence services you must confess about your direct espionage work. Talk about that! Answer: All right, I will go directly to the moment when my espionage ties were formed."

Summary continues:

"Ezhov related that he was drawn into espionage work by his friend F.M. Konar*, who had long been a Polish agent. Konar learned political news from Ezhov and gave them to his bosses in Poland and on one occasion told Ezhov about this and proposed that he volunteer to begin working for the Poles. Since Ezhov had in fact already become an informant of Polish intelligence, since he had transmitted to them via Konar many significant party and state secrets, he supposedly had no other choice than to agree with this proposal.

* F.M. Konar – An assistant Commissar of Agriculture, he was among those convicted and executed in March 1933 for sabotage in agriculture at the height of the serious famine. Konar had also been a friend of the poet Osip Mandel’shtam, according to his daughter Nadezhda (Memoirs).

___________

The Poles supposedly shared a part of the intelligence received from Ezhov with their allies the Germans, and so after a time an offer of collaboration from the latter was also made.

According to Ezhov Marshal A.I. Egorov, first assistant Commissar for Defense, acted as the middleman [between Ezhov and the Germans]. He met with Ezhov in the summer of 1937 and told him that he knew about the latter’s ties with the Poles, that he himself was a German spy who on orders from the German authorities had organized a group of conspirators in the Red Army, and that he had been given a directive to establish close working contact between his group and Ezhov.

Ezhov agreed with this proposal and promised to protect Egorov’s men from arrest."

______________________________

Ezhov interrogation 04.23.39 (04.24.39)

Quotes are same as beginning and end of Ezhov conf. dated April 24, 1939 in Petrov & Iansen, 365-6 and Pavliukov, 522-523.

Pavliukov says 10 pages in length. P&Ia cite same archive, different location, 4 pages in length.

Pavliukov – no sign this confession was forced, or even asked about this (522).

Petrov & Iansen, 365-6:

"I think it essential that I inform the investigation of a series of new facts concerning my moral-personal dissoluteness. I mean my longtime vice of homosexuality. This began in my early youth when I lived as an apprentice to a tailor. At about the age of 15 or 16 years I had a few instances of perverse sexual acts with other apprentices of my own age of the same tailor shop. This vice renewed itself in the old Tsarist army in frontline conditions. Aside from one chance contact with one of the solders of our company I had relations with a certain Filatov, my friend from Leningrad with whom we served in the same regiment. Our relations were "mutual", that is the "female" part was played first by one side, then by the other. Afterwards Filatov was killed at the front. In 1919 I was appointed commissar of the 2 nd base of radio-telegraph formations. My secretary was a certain Antoshin. I know that in 1937 he was still in Moscow and was working somewhere as chief of a radio station. He is an engineer radio technician. In 1919 I had mutual homosexual relations with this same Antoshin. In 1924 I was working in Semiplatinsk [now the city of Semei, Kazakhstan – GF]. My old friend Dement’ev went there with me. On several occasions in 1924 I had homosexual relations with him in which only I played the active role. [Ezhov apparently means Dement’ev played the "female" role. – GF] In 1925 in Orenburg I established homosexual relations with a certain Boiarskii, at that time the chairman of the Kazakh oblast’ trade union council. As far as I know he is now working as the director of an artistic theater in Moscow. Our relations were mutual. At that time he and I had just arrived in Orenburg and were living in the same hotel. Our relations were shot-lived, until the arrival of his wife, who arrived quickly. In the same year 1925 the capital of Kazakhstan was transferred from Orenburg to Kzyl-Orda, whence I also went to work. Soon F.I. Goloshchekin arrived there as the secretary of the regional [Party] committee (he is now employed as a chief arbiter). He arrived as a bachelor, without a wife, and I was also living as a bachelor. Before my departure for Moscow (for about 2 months) I had de facto moved into his apartment and often spent the night there. I quickly established homosexual relations with him as well, and they continued off and on until my departure. As with the others, our relations were mutual. In 1938 I had two instances of homosexual activity with Dement’ev, with whom I had also had relations in 1924, as I stated above. These relations were in Moscow in the autumn of 1938 in my apartment, after I had already been dismissed from the post of Commissar of Internal Affairs. Dement’ev lived with me at that time about two months. A little later, also in 1938, there occurred two instances of homosexual activity between myself and Konstantinov. I have known Konstantinov since 1918 in the army. He worked with me before 1921. Since 1921 we hardly saw each other at all. In 1938 on my invitation he began to visit me often at my apartment and two or three times he was at my dacha. He came twice with his wife; the other visits were without wives. He often stayed the night with me. As I have said above, at that time he and I had two instances of homosexual relations. Our relations were mutual. I should also say that during one of his visits to my apartment with his wife I also had sexual relations with her. All of this was accompanied, as a rule, with heavy drinking. I give this information to the investigation as an additional detail characterizing my moral dissolution. April 24, 1939. N. Ezhov.

_________________________

Ezhov interrogation of 04.26.1939 (published separately)

Ezhov’s April 26 1939 confession belongs here (from Lubianka )

_______________________________

Ezhov interrogation 04.30.39

Ezhov interrogation, Pavliukov 525-6 & n. 489 p. 564. Short Q from interrogation on 525-6.

Acc. to Pavliukov 526, Ezhov named 66 names of fellow conspirators in this one interrogation.

"The first stage of the investigation was completed on April 30, 1939. In the course of the interrogation that took place on that day Ezhov told about the method of recruiting his subordinates in the Cheka into the anti-Soviet conspiracy and about the basic direction of the sabotage work in the NKVD. This sabotage consisted in massive arrests without any basis, falsification of investigative materials, forgeries, and reprisals against undesirable elements."

Quotation (Pavliukov 525-6)

"All this was done in order to cause widespread dissatisfaction in the population with the leadership of the Party and the Soviet government and in that way to create the most favorable base for carrying out our conspiratorial plans."

Ezhov interrogation 05.05.1939

Pavliukov summarizes it 526. No QQ, no note.

"…at his interrogation of May 5 1939 Ezhov recounted the work of the ‘conspirators’ in the Commissariat of Foreign Affairs. Here at that same time took place the beginning of the large-scale purge (after the removal of M.M. Litvinov, the director of the division of foreign political affairs). Therefore the theme of subversive activity in the Commissariat of Foreign Affairs was especially timely in those days.

Ezhov stated that the goal of this activity was the creation of conditions for the victory of Germany and Japan in the inevitable war with the USSR. Specifically, they undertook attempts to create disagreements between the Chinese government of Chiang Kai-shek and the Soviet authorities, for the purpose, in the last analysis, of facilitating Japanese seizure of the Soviet Far East.

At the beginning of May 1939 confessions were obtained from several arrested NKVD employees concerning the fabrication, at Ezhov’s instruction, of the so-called mercury poisoning. Interrogated on this point Ezhov confirmed the fact of the falsification and explained that this initiative was undertaken with the goal of raising his authority even higher in the eyes of the country’s leadership."

________________________

Ezhov interrogation May 11 1939 by Kobulov

Long quotes in Polianskii 222-226. Acc to Polianskii, this is where Kuz’min’s report of Dec. 12 1938 about Sholokhov and Ezhova is located.

"It is not altogether clear why the closeness of these persons to Ezhova [Ezhov’s wife – GF] appeared suspicious to you. Ezhova’s closeness to these people was suspicious insofar as Babel, for example, as I knew, had written almost nothing during the past few years, circulating all the time in a suspicious Trotskyist milieu and, besides that, had close ties to a series of French writers who could by no means be considered among those who were sympathetic to the Soviet Union. Not to mention the fact that Babel demonstratively refused to write off his wife, who had been living in Paris for many years, but preferred to go to see her. Ezhova had a special friendship with Babel. I suspect – in truth, just on the basis of my personal observations – that there must have been ties of espionage between my wife and Babel. On what factual basis do you make this statement? I know from my wife’s own words that she had been acquainted with Babel since 1925. She always insisted that she had never had intimate relations with him. Their ties were limited to her desire to maintain an acquaintance with a talented, singular writer. Babel visited us at home a few times at her invitation, where, of course, I also made his acquaintance. I observed that in his relationship with my wife Babel was demanding and rude. I saw that my wife was simply afraid of him. I understood that this was not a question of my wife’s literary interests, but of something more serious. I excluded any intimate relations because I thought that Babel would hardly treat my wife with such rudeness when he knew what social position I occupied. To my questions to my wife whether she had the same kind of relations with Babel as she had with Kol’tsov she either remained silent or weakly denied it. I always supposed that with this indefinite answer she simply wished to hide from me her espionage ties with Babel, evidently not wishing to confide the numerous channels of this kind of relationship with me… What you have said about Babel is not a sufficient basis for suspecting him of taking part in espionage for England. Aren’t you just slandering Babel? I am not slandering him. Ezhova definitely never said that she was linked with Babel in her work for English intelligence. In this case I am only expressing that supposition, based upon my observation of the nature of the mutual relations between my wife and the writer Babel. What do you think in general about, shall we say, Ezhova’s friendship with cultural figures? This whole specific milieu of people who were tied with the interests of the Soviet people with very thin threads, could not fail to arouse my suspicions. What can you tell us about her relations with the writer Sholokhov? I seem to recall that, I think last spring, my wife told me that she had meet Sholokhov, who had come to Moscow and dropped in at the journal "SSSR na stroike". There was nothing surprising in this, Ezhova always tried to meet writers and never missed an opportunity to do so. I was very well informed about this. Good. And what did you do when you found out about the intimate relations between Ezhova and Sholokhov? I did not know anything about such relations; this is the first time I have heard about them. Don’t lie, Ezhov. In June and August of last year upon your instructions Alekhin arranged to monitor the letter "N" at the phone number of the Hotel "Nationale", where Sholokhov was staying. ____________ For Alekhin see http://www.memo.ru/history/NKVD/kto/biogr/gb13.htm ____________ I issued no such instructions. Ezhova may have showed up under the letter "N" solely by chance. But you did know that the intimate relations of Sholokhov with your wife were recorded. Here, take a look at this. [Here reads Kuz’min report of Dec. 12 1938, acc. to Polianskii 224-5] Do you admit that a few days after you received the transcript you brought it home and showed the document to your wife, and then berated her for betraying you? No such event happened. No one ever gave me this transcript of the intimate relations between Ezhov and Sholokhov, and in general I never showed my wife documents from my work and never told her what they contained. Of course you can deny this, Ezhov. But we have the confessions of Glikina, Ezhova’s close friend and a German spy, who is now arrested and is under investigation. Glikina confesses that Ezhova was beaten by you and complained to her and told her about everything. Therefore let me remind you that lying will not help you!" _____________

The following short extract from Ezhov's interrogation-confession of May 11, 1939 is printed in Viktor Fradkin, Delo Kol'tsova . Moscow: Vagrius / Mezhdunarodnyi Fond "Demokratiia", 2002. Published under the auspices of the "Memorial" society, there is every reason to believe that the documents reproduced in this volume are genuine.

Question: Besides Zinaida Glikina, whom you have already named, was anyone else connected with your wife Ezhova E.S. [Evgeniia Solomonovna - GF] in espionage work? Answer: I can only reply with more or less precise suppositions. After the journalist M. Kol'tsov arrived from Spain his friendship with my wife grew much stronger. This friendship was so close that my wife even visited him in the hospital when he was ill. Kol'tsov also worked in the commission -- or committee -- on foreign literature, that is, where Glikina also worked and, as far as I know, Kol'tsov obtained this job for Glikina upon Ezhova's recommendation. I became interested in the reasons for my wife's closeness with Kol'tsov and once asked her about this. My wife at first put me off with general phrases, but then said that this closeness was connected with her work. I asked her, with which work, the literary or the other, and she answered: "With both the first and the second." I understood that Ezhova was connected with Kol'tsov in her espionage work for England.

_____________________

Ezhov interrogation 05.17.39

Interrogation re: murder of Slutsky, organized by Ezhov. Pavliukov 527. No QQ, no note. See Pavliukov 531-2 on Frinovskii’s testimony at Ezhov’s trial on February 3, 1940, where Frinovskii discussed Slutsky’s murder.

"The interrogation of May 17 1939 was devoted to the circumstances surrounding the death of the former head of the Foreign division of the GUGB of the NKVD M. M. Slutsky. Ezhov informed us that the murder of Slutskii was organized according to his instructions, and was done because of the feat that Slutsky, whose arrest had become inevitable, might reveal during his interrogation the facts he knew about the criminal activity of the conspirators. "

_______________________

Ezhov interrogation 06.16.39 by Rodos, selections – Polianskii 230-233

"Do you confirm Kosior’s confessions about your collaboration in working for Polish intelligence? Where, when and what secret information did you transmit to Kosior, and whom else did you recruit for this work?" … Perhaps you did not know Radek and Piatakov well and did not receive any instructions from Trotsky through them? I never received any instructions from Trotsky from anybody. I knew Radek very poorly, I met him at Piatakov’s apartment a few times, but that was about ten years ago! Were you friends with Piatakov? Never. Mar'iasin, the president of the Gosbank, introduced us. We would get together for a drinking bout sometimes at his place, sometimes at Piatakov’s. And then I always got angry with Piatakov. All right, then. When was this? In 1930 or 1931, I can’t remember now. And what did you do with him? When he was drunk Piatakov often played the hooligan, made fun of those present. Once I was sitting next to him at the table. Piatakov quietly stuck me with a pin and then pretended that it was not he who had done it. A little while later he did it again even harder. I did not hold back and hit Piatakov in the face and split his lip. That evening I went away angry with him and never made it up with him and never had any doings with him at all. … You lie well, you bastard. Only I am not Piatakov, I won’t stick you with a pin, but I will force you to tell the truth. … I’ll tell you everything, don’t beat me. My guilt before the party and the people is so great that it’s senseless to justify myself."

Ezhov interrogation June 19 1939

No QQ. Re: nephews Viktor and Anatolii, and Mikhail Blinov, husband of his niece.

Pavliukov 528; 537.

Pavliukov 528:

"In particular, during the course of the interrogation of June 19 1939 Ezhov told about his conversations of a counterrevolutionary nature, which he supposedly had with his nephews Viktor and Anatolii, and also with the husband of his niece Mikhail Blinov. They supposedly agreed completely with his anti-Soviet views, and Viktor also shared, in Ezhov’s words, even his terrorist intentions, although he [Ezhov] never gave him any assignments of that nature."

Pavliukov, 537:

"As has already been mentioned earlier, during the course of the interrogation of June 19 1939 confessions were beaten out of Ezhov according to which Anatolii and Viktor shared his anti-Soviet views and even sympathized with his terrorist orientation. After that they went after his nephews in a serious way. They succeeded in breaking Anatolii first. He not only ‘confessed’ that he knew about Ezhov’s terrorist orientations but also stated that together with his brother Viktor he was read to do anything to help bring about these criminal plans."

[There is NO evidence that Ezhov beaten or tortured to get these confessions – only "supposed" by Pavliukov, 527 bot. - GF]

"As concerns confessions of a personal nature, to obtain some of them the investigators, probably, had to have recourse to the practice of interrogation "with partiality" [i.e. to beat Ezhov – GF]. Otherwise it is hard to understand now, for example, they were able to obtain from Ezhov confessions compromising his nearest relations."

Ezhov interrogation 06.21.39 by Rodos, fm Polianskii 235-238

- summarized by Pavliukov 527 bot.

"If you intend to lie again and make fun of the investigation, then we will not waste our time. I’d prefer to send you back to prison for a week or so to think it over."

Ezhov had already thought about the beginning of his dialog with the investigator and began to talk quickly:

"I admit that I was connected with Zhukovskii in espionage work for Germany since 1932. The fact that I tried to conceal that circumstance from the investigation can be explained only by my cowardice, which I showed at the beginning of the investigation when I tried to minimize my personal guilt, and since my espionage link with Zhukovskii concealed my even earlier ties with German intelligence, it was hard for me to speak [about them] at the first interrogation."

_____________

For Zhukovskii see http://www.memo.ru/history/NKVD/kto/biogr/gb169.htm

______________

"When did you become a German spy? I was recruited in 1930. In Germany, in Königsberg. How did you happen to be there? I was sent to Germany by the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture. In Germany I was well treated and shown every attention. The most assiduous attention I received from the prominent official of the Economic Ministry of Germany Artnau. Having been invited to his estate near Königsberg I spent the time happily enough, partaking excessively of alcoholic drinks. In Königsberg Artnau often paid the restaurant bills for me. I did not protest. All these circumstances made me feel close to Artnau and often without holding back I blurted out to him all kinds of secrets about the situation in the Soviet Union. Sometimes, when I was drunk, I was even more frank with Artnau and gave him to understand that I personally was not wholly in agreement with the Party’s line and with the existing Party leadership. Things got to the point that during one of the conversations I directly promised Artnau to discuss a series of questions in the government of the USSR concerning the purchase of livestock and agricultural machinery, in which Germany and Artnau were very much interested. And how did German intelligence recruit Zhukovsky? Did his recruitment take place through you? I established espionage ties with Zhukovskii in 1932 under the following circumstances. Zhukovskii was then working as assistant trade representative of the USSR in Germany. At that time I was the chairman of the Raspredotdel of the Central Committee of the Party. When he somehow found himself in Moscow Zhukovskii applied to me with the request to take him along to the negotiations. Before this I had not been acquainted with Zhukovskii and saw him for the first time in my office at the CC. I was astonished that Zhukovskii began to report to me about the situation in the Berlin trade representative office of the USSR concerning questions which had nothing to do with my position. I understood that the basic reason for Zhukovsky’s visiting me was, obviously, not to initiate me into the situation of the affairs of the office of the Soviet trade representative in Berlin but in something else entirely, about which he preferred to remain silent for the time being, awaiting my initiative. Not long before Zhukovsky’s arrival there arrived at the office of foreign groups, which at that time was also a part of the Raspredotdel of the CC of the Party and was under my supervision, there had arrived materials that characterized Zhukovskii in an extremely negative way. From these materials it was obvious that Zhukovskii had carried out a number of trade operations that had been unprofitable for the Commissariat of Foreign Trade. From these materials it was also obvious that in Berlin Zhukovskii was involved with the Trotskyists and spoke in their defense even at official Party gatherings of the Soviet colony. On that basis the Party organization of the Soviet colony insisted that Zhukovskii be recalled from Berlin. Knowing that these materials would have to come before me Zhukovskii obviously expected that I would be first to begin a talk with him concerning his further work abroad. After Zhukovskii had finished his report I reminded him about the failures in his work. Zhukovskii gave me his explanations and at the end of the conversation asked me my opinion as to whether he might continue his work in the office of the Soviet trade representative or be recalled to Moscow. I avoided any answer and promised to deal with the materials and report the results. At the same time I decided to transmit all the compromising materials on Zhukovskii to Berlin so that Artnau might be able to use them and to recruit Zhukovskii to collaboration with German intelligence. I considered Zhukovskii my man, and he unhesitatingly fulfilled all my assignments concerning espionage for Germany. Zhukovskii had the essential conditions of free access to all materials of the Commission of Party Control, and he made use of them whenever German intelligence demanded from him materials on this or that question. I also created for him in the NKVD such conditions that he was able to use for espionage work information through the secretariat of the NKVD on any questions.*

* Senior major of State Security Semion Borisovich Zhukovskii was shot on January 24, 1940. He has been rehabilitated (Polianskii, p. 393).

Ezhov confession 06.25.39 Rodos re poisons

- fm perpetrator2004 Yezhov1.doc; Soima; Polianskii 241-245.

FROM THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERROGATION OF N.I. EZHOV BY INVESTIGATOR RODOS ON JUNE 25 1939: "How did you use this NKVD laboratory in your espionage and conspiratorial activities?" asked Rodos, glancing at Kobulov who was sitting beside him. "ANSWER: I knew that such a laboratory existed and that Iagoda made use of it in his conspiratorial activities. But when I came to the NKVD Frinovskii explained to me that we could not do without the activities of this laboratory, and that it was necessary for our intelligence activities in the Foreign Division abroad. But I did not know anything about what they were doing. I did not even hear about all these experiments about which Zhukovskii spoke, probably Frinovskii allowed him all this. True, once – I don’t remember when – Frinovskii told me that Alekhin had in the laboratory some substance which, if a person ingested it, would cause death like that from a heart attack. Such a substance is essential when it’s necessary to eliminate enemies abroad. But it had to be tested to see whether it would leave traces on the organism that could be discovered by experts upon autopsy. Frinovskii said that they had a doctor who for this purpose needed to carry out research on the corps of a person who had died from this substance. The doctor needed to carry out experiments on three or four persons. What’s the difference how they die, poison is even easier than a bullet in the back of the head. Therefore I agreed, but I never heard anything more about this laboratory and about what they were doing there. QUESTION: Once again your answer is not to the point. Name the persons whom you liquidated in your espionage and conspiratorial activities by the use of the poisons which you received from this laboratory. ANSWER: I have no idea about these poisons, I have never seen them. KOBULOV: Ezhov is lying again, he thinks that somebody will believe him. We remind him that he gave the directive to poison Slutsky. Both Frinovskii and Alekhin have given testimony about this. Did you hear what we are asking you about? How did you organize the poisoning of Slutsky? – asked Rodos. Frinovskii actively spoke against Slutsky. He said that this was Iagoda’s man and that we could never trust him under any circumstances. But here Frinovskii does not view Slutskii at all in the way you do – Kobulov suddenly said. Slutskii head the INO (International section) and could have had access to information from abroad about your espionage links. You feared that and poisoned Slutskii after putting your own agent Shpigel’glas in his place. But you didn’t manage to cover your tracks. Shpigel’glas figured everything out, uncovered your whole band of spies. You had to take care of your agents in the INO and abroad in the most meticulous manner. Tell us in detail how you organized the murder of your wife Evgeniia Solomonovna Ezhova by means of poisoning. I did not organize such a poisoning. She died from a sedative, she drank a large dose. And here your chauffer confessed in the investigation that a day before Ezhova’s death you asked him to take chocolate candies and fruit to her in the hospital. You poisoned these products. Who gave you the poison? Zhukovsky? Alekhin? My wife died November 21. At that time both of them had already been arrested. And then, I don’t’ remember that I sent my chauffer to her with a present. KOBULOV: Don’t play the fool, Ezhov, we are not children here, and we will not believe that such a hardened bandit and spy as you are did not keep poison and did not know how to use it. I do not recall the exact date when I saw my wife in the hospital for the last time. Probably it was the 17 th or 18 th . She told me that she did not want to live, that in any case they would soon arrest her, that she felt there were serious crimes on her account. She asked me that I bring her some kind of poison the next time… Did you arrange your wife’s suicide? Yes. She knew a lot about my subversive activities, my accomplices, and my criminal plans. But I decided not to give her poison. I did not have any special poison. Normal poison I could of course obtain, but such a poisoning could have brought suspicion upon me, that I had put her to death myself or through accomplices, or simply had given her poison for suicide. I knew that a large dose of sedative could cause death. I told her that I did not have any poison, but I did have a very great deal of sedative. She understood everything. On the 20 th I took a box of chocolate candies and put a packet of Luminal in it. Then I put the box into a basket with grapes and apples and told my chauffer to take all this to the hospital. Of course I committed a serious crime, but she herself asked me about this. She wanted to end her life."

[Soima: "Earlier he had confirmed to Rodos that with the aid of poison Ezhov had put his wife to death.]

__________________________

Ezhov interrogation 06.29.39 by Rodos re Kedrov’s report

- fm Polianskii 250-252

Tell us about your espionage connections with the agent of German intelligence Mnatsakanov. I never had such connections with him. And if you think about it the right way. When did you become acquainted with him? That was, it seems, in 1935. I was going to Vienna for treatment together with my wife. Then I was already a secretary of the Central Committee and Slutskii had the task of security for our trip abroad. He, so to speak, attached this Mnatsakanov to me. He had been a consul or a vice-consul, had an automobile, and drove us around the town. Yee-es. And he drove you around so well that once you were Commissar you immediately dragged this villain to a leading post in the INO knowing that he was a German spy, that his wife was linked to Polish intelligence, and that his brother was an experienced Trotskyist provocateur! I didn’t know any of this. Slutskii had simply worked with him in Vienna, had a high opinion of him, and decided to take him into the INO apparatus. I supported Slutsky, not because I knew Mnatsakanov a bit. I did not spend much time on INO matters and completely relied on Slutskii in matters of cadre. So it turns out that it was Slutskii who is to blame. He foisted a German agent onto you, and you knew nothing about him. Is that the way things were? I do not wish to blame Slutskii for anything. He did not foist Mnatsakanov onto me. In my opinion I did not see this Mnatsakanov in the NKVD even once. In the INO at that time I only met with Slutskii about the work, sometimes with Shpigel’glas, and with Boris Berman. Why then did Mnatsakanov call you and ask you to intercede for him when they unmasked him and began to expel him from the Party? He could not have called me. I had a direct connection only with the heads of departments and their assistants. Who among them would even let Mnatsakanov near such a telephone, much less since they wanted to expel him from the Party. That is impossible. I remind you that he called at that time from Kedrov’s office. About Kedrov I know that he was just a simple worker in the INO. From his telephone it was also impossible to reach me.

That’s all, we are finished with lying. You have two days to think hard about your espionage work with Mnatsakanov, to remember all the details. And especially how you warned him in Duilov’s office not to give any confessions. If you continue to lie and mock me, I’ll have your head.

______________________

Ezhov interrogation 07.02.39 by Rodos re Mnatsakanov

- fm Polianskii 252-260

When and how did Mnatsakanov enter into espionage relations with you? This was in 1935 when I went to Vienna for the second time to get treatment for my lung disease. You had been there before, when? In 1934, I was alone then, and the next time I went with my wife. I was treated the whole time by the famous Professor Norden. German intelligence summoned you to him, he was an agent of theirs? Not. The Kremlin medical directorate sent me to him. Many important workers and their wives were treated by him. He had been in Moscow several times, already in the 1920s. And Norden could hardly have been connected with German intelligence. I was told while still in Moscow that this professor was a monarchist and supporter of Franz-Josef and no lover of Hitler, that’s why he moved from Berlin to Vienna, so the fascists could not persecute him. And also, he is very old. Tell us about your first trip to Vienna, with whom did you meet there? In Vienna Slutskii met me. He had received a special directive about this from Iagoda. From Iagoda? That is interesting. Did you yourself ask Iagoda to do this? No. I did not talk with Iagoda about this. At that time I was an assistant department head in the CC and traveled to Austria under a false name. Therefore the CC gave a directive to Iagoda that he should take care of guaranteeing my security. Well, and who was it who took care of your security then, Mnatsakanov? No, then Mnatsakanov was not yet working in Vienna, I think. It was Slutskii himself who brought me to Norden at first, and then, twice, some collaborator of his. To be honest I do not remember his name and never met him again. And when did Mnatsakanov approach you? In 1935. He met Evgeniia Solomonovna and myself at the station and drove us to the plenipotentiary’s office to Slutsky. Then he took us to Norden and showed us the city. He was very polite and kind to us. I’ll bet. Did he connect with you by some code word in the name of German intelligence? No. He gave me a greeting from Artnau and I understood everything. Thereupon I communicated secret political information to him. What kind of information? I don’t remember exactly now, but in my opinion Mnatsakanov was interested in information about industry and about the weaponry of the Red Army. Not long before this I headed the industrial division of the CC, and I was very familiar with this information. Probably that’s why the Germans asked me such questions. He gave you tasks of a subversive and sabotage character? Yes, he did. But in general. What do you mean "in general"? At that time I had already become a secretary of the CC, head of the department of leading Party organs, chairman of the Party Control Commission, and chairman of the Commission on Foreign Assignments. German intelligence knew this very well, and I received from Mnatsakanov the task of performing sabotage while in these positions, of subverting Party work. Be more concrete. Well, how shall I say it? In my hands at that time was in fact all the work of reassigning of leading cadres. Choosing their activities, punishments, directing them for work abroad. So I did everything that a saboteur could do in such positionis. I directed to leading positions people who were weak in professional, political, and moral sense, people who could ruin production, undermine the fulfillment of the Five-Year Plan. To compromise the Party. In the Party Control Commission I managed things so as to cover-up and not disclose elements hostile to the Party, and to deprive of Party membership and shut out in every way those who were loyal to the Party. Abroad I tried to send those who would probably become spies or non-returnees. What a scoundrel you were anyway, Ezhov – hissed Rodos with pleasure through his teeth. Why, after that there is no place for you on this earth. I understand that I caused enormous harm to the Party and the country, I repent fully of my crimes and am ready to bear the punishment I deserve for them, -- said Ezhov, as if by rote, glancing in fear at the investigator. Were you familiar with Mnatsakanov’s wife, Erna Boshkovich? Yes, he introduced us to her in Vienna. Did you know that her first husband was a Polish spy and that she herself works for Polish intelligence? No. I did not even know that she had been married before Mnatsakanov. Did your wife meet with her alone? I seem to remember that not long before our departure Mnatsakanov and Boshkovich took her shopping, and at that time I was in the office of the trade representative. What do you think? Could Ezhova have established espionage connections with Boshkovich in Vienna? What information do you have about that? I have no information about that. Evgeniia and I never spoke about Boshkovich. She never told me anything about espionage connections either with her or with Mnatsakanov. That doesn’t mean that there were no such connections. It is already proven now that Ezhova was an English spy and you even confirmed this to the investigation. Tell us honestly, do you know about any meetings with Boshkovich after her arrival in Moscow? My wife told me almost nothing about her espionage work. But I concede that she might have had espionage connections with Boshkovich in Moscow, since the English and Polish intelligence services often work together. You called Mnatsakanov to Moscow specially in order through him to get into contact with the Gestapo. Did he ask you about this? Yes. Before my own departure from Vienna he expressed such a wish and I ordered Slutskii to have him recalled for work in the NKVD as soon as I became the Commissar. Did you conduct your conspiratorial contact with him in the NKVD building? Yes, we had that kind of contact right up until his exposure and arrest. ... What tasks did Mnatsakanov give you? Did you hand over to him secret NKVD information? He was not interested in secret NKVD information. In the leadership of the Commissariat on the level of heads of departments and their assistants were Gestapo agents. Then many of them were exposed, as was Mnatsakanov himself. These agents knew more detailed information than I did. So I told him about Politburo sessions, CC plenums, conversations with Stalin, Molotov, Kaganovich and other leaders, related to him the contents of secret letters and telegrams of the Central Committee and the Council of People’s Commissars. You did good work. And why didn’t you rescue him when he fell? For he asked you to help him. There was nothing I could do because he was completely exposed and confessed his espionage work. Were you afraid that he would give you up? No. No one would have believed him. You are lying, Ezhov! We have evidence against you. When investigator Dulov was interrogating Mnatsakanov you went specially to his office and told your collaborator: "You are writing? Well, write, write." This meant you were warning him in this way that he should keep silent about you, and then arranged it so that he would be shot as quickly as possible. Wasn’t it like that? Yes, I remember what happened. I was afraid that Mnatsakanov would expose me as a German spy. I wanted him to be shot as quickly as possible, and I achieved that. On this occasion Rodos was satisfied with his suspect. His confessions fit into the plan that had been thought out in advance and covered many unclear points. He nodded to Ezhov, who had deserved a cigarette, to the packet lying on the table. While the former Commissar lit up Rodos took a copy of a typewritten text from a file. This was some kind of unrelated and unidentified communication from either a suspect or an interrogator, and perhaps just an excerpt from an anonymous denunciation. In the NKVD it was considered impermissible to take an interest in the source of operational information and, having received this paper from Kobulov, Rodos did not add any details to it. Someone had informed about an amorous contact between Ezhov and a certain Stefforn, a Czech and German female spy, that had taken place in 1934. Before this Rodos had read the text about three times but still did not understand who this Stefforn was – an NKVD collaborator, the wife of a colleague in the INO in Berlin, or both at the same time. Supposedly Ezhov had asked her to marry him but she had refused, and then regretted it. But soon she found herself a new husband, one Petrushev. When Stefforn was imprisoned for espionage Petrushev had asked Evgeniia Ezhova to intercede for her with her husband, but that did not help. That was all the information. Rodos thought. Ezhov had already named about ten German spies with whom he was working in Moscow, therefore the Czech woman Stefforn was hardly essential here. But she might have played a role in Ezhov’s moral dissolution, which was now very important. Did you know a woman named Stefforn? Perhaps. Remind me who she is. I will. She was your lover, a Czech whom you even wanted to marry, but she preferred somebody named Petrushev to you. Maybe that’s Elena Petrusheva, a friend of Evgeniia, they had met in Germany at the end of the 1930s. But… Tell me about her in detail. My wife told me that Lena’s father was a German Jew from Prague and her mother was either a Czech or a Pole. She was married to a Soviet citizen working abroad and lived with him for some time in Germany. Was this husband an employee of the INO of the OGPU? I don’t know, that wasn’t mentioned in the conversation. Sometime in 1930 she left him and went to Moscow. I don’t know the husband’s last name. Then she married Petrushev. I met them a couple of times, a respectable-looking man. He said that his father had been a well-known pre-Revolutionary photographer, the best one in Russia, and very rich. And Petrushev himself worked in some publishing house or other either as a photographer or, maybe, as an artist. The wife told me that he could draw very well, his pictures were hanging in their home. Don’t go off on me about pictures, stay with the main point of the question. Petrushev asked your wife to get you to help his wife Stefforn when she was arrested for espionage on behalf of Germany. Evgeniia Solomonovna never said anything about that to me. In general she and I agreed that she would not ask me about government employees and saboteurs who were under arrest. Once she did ask me to help the husband of a friend, who had been seized for sabotage in a factory, and I told her that I could not do that because my real activities might be uncovered and then we would both burn. Since that time she did not trouble me with such questions. Be that as it may, Ezhov. But you are avoiding the question about your amorous relations with this Stefforn, or Petrusheva. Tell me now about that. Elena was an interesting woman and she pleased me. She came to our apartment a few times – that was, it seems, at the end of 1934. With her there was another woman. We drank. When she and I were smoking together in another room I began to embrace her and wanted to arrange to meet at her apartment since she had said that her husband Petrushev was resting at a spa in Kislovodsk. I asked for her telephone number so I could call her the next day. But she said that they had no telephone. I remembered that my wife had called her at home. That meant that she did not want to get together with me. What, she didn’t work and sat at home all the time? As I remember she was a typist at home, but I might be mistaken. And what, you didn’t meet with her again. Was it really that hard to get her to go to bed? I didn’t try to do that again. After 1934 I didn’t see her again. Zhenia [= Evgeniia] did not invite her to our place any more. How so? Elena had unpleasant conversations with her, anti-Party, politically harmful. About the hunger in the Ukraine, where some of her relatives lived. No doubt she was trying to see how my wife would react to that. In addition Evgeniia heard from one of her friends that Petrusheva had gotten a little drunk and hinted to her that she was collaborating with the NKVD. Ezhov, there is no point in lying. We have information and evidence that you lived for a long time with this woman, wanted to leave your wife for her, gave her expensive gifts and told her state secrets when you were drunk. I don’t have the time to drag every word out of you. Today in this room you’ll be given a pencil and paper, and you write in detail about your grimy ties with this slut. And don’t forget to tell had your complete moral degeneration led to your becoming a spy and traitor. OK. And something else. For a long time you have been hiding your attraction to men, what’s called homosexuality. But this became known after you agreed to the shameful affair of citizen V. from the Commissariat of Water Transport in your apartment, and before that in V’s presence you amused yourself with his wife in bed. Do you understand how far you have fallen? You are simply a monster, Ezhov, a filthy person and a pervert. I’m disgusted to look at you. At that time I was very drunk… What’s that, justification? No, but I don’t remember anything, I woke up in the morning and they were no longer there. The chauffer then told me that he took them away at 3 a.m. I could have done anything at all then… I’m not interested in that. But we know that you told V. about your passion for homosexuality since childhood and that men could completely replace women for you. You should write in detailed when you became a homosexual and with whom you then became involved in this filthy business…

Ezhov interrogation 07.08.39 by Rodos

- fm Polianskii 262-268

"Tell us how and when you recruited Uspenskii in the espionage-sabotage organization in the NKVD that you had created. I turned my attention to Uspenskii already at the beginning of 1936. That was when he was still the assistant commandant of the Moscow Kremlin for internal security? Yes. Where did you find out about Uspenskii’s hostile anti-Soviet views. Did he express them to you himself? No. Veinshtok and Frinovskii told me about that. They knew him well and believed that he’d be very suitable for espionage work. Did you recruit Uspenskii personally? Yes. That was right after my arrival in the Commissariat. He quickly agreed and I told him that we needed our own men in the provinces. That was why I sent him to Western Siberia. What kinds of assignments did you given him then? He was supposed to recruit agents into our organization from among the Chekist cadre and to promote them to leading positionis so that they could seize power in the event of war or a coup. In November 1937 you sent Uspenskii a coded message with the following content: "If you think you are going to sit in Orenburg for five years, you are mistaken. Very soon, it seems, I will have to promote you to a more responsible post. What is the meaning of this message? At that time the leadership of our organization decided to move to active measures. There was a lot of evidence against Leplevskii and Zakovskii showing that they were spies and enemies of the people. It was impossible to hide such matters, and we had to get rid of these people, we couldn’t use them, they could cause everything to fail. We decided to replace them with Uspenskii and Litvin. I gave Uspenskii a coded message so that he would find out about his forthcoming departure from Orenburg and would switch all the sabotage-espionage work over to other people whom he had been able to recruit there. OK. And now tell us how you warned Uspenskii about the fact that they wanted to arrest him. Did Dagin tell you about the fact of Uspenskii's forthcoming arrest? Yes, I think it was he. He came to my office and told me about that. And didn’t he tell you that he had listened in on the telephone conversation between comrades Stalin and Khrushchev about Uspenskii? Yes, I remember that he told me about the telephone conversation about Uspenskii which he had listened in on, but he did not say that that was Stalin’s conversation. Dagin, on my instructions, listened in on all telephone conversations of the Politburo and immediately told me about them so that I would be up to date. After that you called Kiev and warned Uspenskii. What did you tell him? I said: ‘You are being recalled, your situation is bad.’ Something like that. I was afraid to send him a coded message, they could intercept it, since I had already lost trust and was under suspicion among the Party [leaders] as a hostile element. Did Dagin also tell you about the recall of Litvin from Leningrad? I did not know anything about the recall of Litvin to Moscow and did not warn him. There was no need to do so. Why was that? I had an agreement with him that in the event he was exposed he would commit suicide. Was that your order? No. In September of that year Litvin was in Moscow and used to come to my dacha. He told me that the arrival of Beria at the NKVD was the beginning of the end and soon we would all be arrested, since the Party was most likely aware about our plot. And he also said that he would not give himself up alive and that if they unexpectedly recalled him to Moscow he would shoot himself. That’s what happened. Did you support him in this intention? No. But I didn’t try to dissuade him either. That means that you admit that you de-facto gave your accomplice an order to commit suicide in the event of failure? Yes, that was de-facto the case. When did you include Litvin in your espionage work? That was in 1931, when I transferred him to Moscow. Why did he agree to become a spy? Already in the 1920s when I was getting together with Litvin I noticed his inexplicable relationship to Trotskyism. Openly he was not a supporter of Trotsky, but in his circle at that time there were many exposed Trotskyists and I think that in his inner being he had always been a Trotskyist. You wish to say that even then Litvin was a double-dealer? Yes. He was a double-dealer and, as later turned out, was a supporter of the Trotskyist-Zinovievist line. Therefore he willingly agreed to my proposal to become a German spy. I think because at that time the Left opposition had already suffered its final failure and Trotsky had been driven out of the USSR altogether. In 1933 Litvin upon your recommendation was named the chief of the cadre section of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Ukraine. Was that done on the instruction of German intelligence? Yes, I received that instruction from Artnau. What directives about espionage did Litvin receive from you? These directives were of a subversive and sabotage nature. I asked him to appoint to leading positions people who could by their actions cause arouse the dissatisfaction of the population of the Ukraine, people who would carry out sabotage, ruin foodstuff and livestock, disrupt the fulfillment of industrial plans. These were hidden Right and Left Oppositionist, who also carried out assignments for Zinoviev, Bukharin, Rykov and other enemies. Litvin was included by you in the basic plan for sabotage that German intelligence gave you? Did you also take him into the NKVD upon the assignment of the fascists in order to organize there the espionage-conspiratorial organization? Yes, that’s how it was. When you came to work in the NKVD you also brought with you there another of your collaborators, Isaac Shapiro. * When was he recruited by you?

_______________

* For Shapiro see http://www.memo.ru/history/NKVD/kto/biogr/gb537.htm

I had known Shapiro since 1930. He worked in the cadre section of the Commissariat of Agriculture in which I was a chief. He and I had a good friendship and I valued his zeal and literacy. And when Artnau recruited me and asked me to find people for espionage work I thought right away about Shapiro, who was personally devoted to me and it had always seemed to me that he did not like Soviet power very much and disapproved of the political line of the Party. Did Shapiro carry out sabotage activity in the Commissariat of Agriculture on your instruction? Yes, he did. But for a short time only. I decided to take him into the Central Committee, since there I needed people for subversive work. He knew that you were a German spy? Yes, I told him that together we would work for German intelligence, so as later to overthrow the government and come to power if there were a war with Germany. What assignments of yours did Shapiro carry out in the NKVD? He was de-facto my main assistant. Indeed I first appointed him the chief of the secretariat, and then made him also chief of the first special section. He had a lot of possibilities for sabotage in the NKVD and he carried out all my assignments of an espionage-subversive nature, both mine and Frinovskii's. And when Beria arrived at the NKVD he immediately found out that Shapiro was an enemy and arrested him in November of ’38. I know that. It would be better for you to tell me how you recruited Liushkov and how you helped him escape to Japan. I recruited Liushkov right after his return from Leningrad from the investigation of Kirov’s murder. At that time I was already secretary of the Central Committee and Liushkov knew that I was beginning to oversee the NKVD. Therefore, when I called him to my office and hinted that I had information about his ties with the Petliurovists during the civil war in the Ukraine and other incriminating facts, he was frightened and immediately agreed to work for me as a German-Japanese intelligence man. Did you really have that kind of information? No, I did not have. I made it all up in order to recruit Liushkov. But I guessed that he was a hostile element with a foul past, and turned out to be correct. Liushkov agreed to become a spy. How did you order Liushkov to flee to the Japanese? Ezhov thought for a few seconds. He could not think of a reason why Frinovskii, one of the leaders of the conspiratorial group in the NKVD, had suggested arresting his colleague Liushkov. But then he found a solution. Frinovskii often told me that he did not like Liushkov. He was cowardly and could betray us all at any moment. Upon our orders he was carrying out important espionage tasks for Japanese intelligence and knew a great deal about our subversive and sabotage work. Frinovskii said that we had to get rid of him, that means, kill him. And he told me that he would take care of that himself. I decided not to hinder him. Did Frinovskii say how he wanted to kill Liushkov? No. But I think that he wanted to arrest him first, and then in the inner prison to poison him or put him to death somehow. What a gang! And who warned Liushkov anyway about the danger? I don’t know. But Frinovskii wanted to appoint Gorbach from Novosibirsk to Liushkov’s place and recall the latter to Moscow, supposedly for a new job, but in reality to arrest him. Liushkov, most likely, found out that Gorbach was already on route to Khabarovsk, and fled across the border.

Ezhov ochnaia stavka w. Zhukovskii 07.21.39 – Rodos & Esaulov present

["ochnaia stavka" = "face-to-face confrontation"]

- Polianskii 269-272; B&S 138-139.

Do you know this man? Yes. Who is it? Nikolai Ivanovich Ezhov. And you? Rodos asked Ezhov. Yes, that is Semion Borisovich Zhukovsky. Suspect Ezhov. Confirm your confessions concerning the conspiratorial, sabotage, and terrorist activities of the former assistant Commissar of the NKVD Zhukovsky, that you gave at the interrogation of July 17 of this year. Investigator: When did you become a German spy? Ezhov: I was recruited in 1930 in Germany, in Königsberg.

[Here Ezhov repeats word for word the confession included above in the section "Ezhov interrogation 06.21.39 by Rodos, fm Polianskii 235-238" ]

In Germany I was well treated and shown every attention. The most assiduous attention I received from the prominent official of the Economic Ministry of Germany Artnau. Having been invited to his estate near Königsberg I spent the time happily enough, partaking excessively of alcoholic drinks… (In Königsberg Artnau) often paid the restaurant bills for me… I did not protest… All these circumstances made me feel close to Artnau and often without holding back I blurted out to him all kinds of secrets about the situation in the Soviet Union… Sometimes, when I was drunk, I was even more frank with Artnau and gave him to understand that I personally was not wholly in agreement with the Party’s line and with the existing Party leadership. Things got to the point that during one of the conversations I directly promised Artnau to discuss a series of questions in the government of the USSR concerning the purchase of livestock and agricultural machinery, in which Germany and Artnau were very much interested….

[Here the source continues with new material, not printed earlier as a part of this confession.]

Since I knew about Zhukovsky’s cowardice and stubbornness I did not consider it necessary to keep him up to date about conspiratorial matters. I only introduced him fully to these matters in the Spring of 1938. Then he was appointed my assistant and headed the whole accounting of the NKVD and the GULAG. We conspirators had special plans about the GULAG about which I have given detailed confessions, and I decided to bring Zhukovskii up to date. By this time the people who could have exposed Zhukovskii along the lines of his Trotskyist and espionage connections were already condemned and the danger of Zhukovsky’s arrest had passed. I told Zhukovskii about the existence of the conspiracy in the NKVD, that the conspiratorial organization is connected with governmental circles of Germany, Poland, and Japan. I don’t remember exactly now, but I think that I told him about our desire to get into contact with the English. Then I told him about the leading members of the conspiratorial organization and about our plans, specifically about our terrorist plans… What assignments did you give Zhukovskii concerning the GULAG? The conspiratorial assignments concerning the GULAG that I gave to Zhukovskii consisted in this: we sent to work the GULAG a very great quantity of compromised people. We could not leave them in the operational work, but we kept them in the GULAG for the purpose of forming a sort of reserve for conspiracies in the case of a coup in the country. I assigned Zhukovskii to maintain these people, but not to connect himself with them along conspiratorial lines, but to carry out all conspiratorial assignments that came to the GULAG through these people… Investigator: Did you give these terrorist assignments to Zhukovskii at the time of his work in the section of operational technology? Did you talk with him about the terrorist tasks of the conspiracy. Ezhov: Yes, I talked to him. There were two variants of our plans. The first variant: in the case of war, when we proposed to carry out the arrests of the members of the government and their physical removal. And the second variant: if there were no war in the immediate future, then to get rid of the leadership of the Party and the government, especially Stalin and Molotov, by carrying out terrorist acts against them. I firmly remember that I told Zhukovskii about this after I had entrusted him with the existence of the conspiracy. Investigator: Suspect Zhukovsky, did you receive from Ezhov the criminal assignments about which he has just spoken? Zhukovsky: I did not receive any such criminal assignments and am hearing about terrorist tasks for the first time at this face-to-face confrontation. You have nothing else that you want to tell the investigation? [ asked Rodos to Zhukovskii and, having received a negative answer, pushed the button to call the guards to take them away.]

Ezhov interrogation 07.24.39 by Rodos, including a quotation from a Frinovskii interrogation

- Polianskii 272-275

Recently Frinovskii gave confessions about your terrorist activity. Now I shall read them to you: "When Zhukovskii was chief of the 12 th section, Ezhov gave him an assignment to develop poisons with the aim of using them in carrying out terrorist acts. Ezhov, speaking with Zhukovskii in my presence, said that it was necessary to work on the question of poisons that would work instantaneously, which could be used on people but without [leaving] visible traces of poisoning. Ezhov also clearly said that we needed these poisons for use within the country." Do you confirm his confession, Ezhov? I cannot confirm that. At one of the interrogations I said that I had no relation to this laboratory. Frinovskii and Zhukovskii took care of it. I did not give them any tasks concerning poisons and did not have any conversations about these poisons. Stop lying! You are incriminated not only by Frinovskii but by Zhukovsky, Alekhin and Dagin. You stood at the head of the conspiracy and gave directions to prepare poisons for the villainous murder of leaders of the Party and government. Here is some more of what Frinovskii confessed about this: "I must say that the open use of servants for a terrorist act was not essential, servants could be used secretly, because the laboratory and the preparation of products were in the hands of Barkan and Dagin, they could poison the products in advance, and the servant, not knowing the products were poisoned, could give them to the members of the Politburo. Ezhov gave Zhukovskii directives about the preparation of poisons, after he left the 12 th department Zhukovskii transmitted these directives to Alekhin, and I and Ezhov confirmed these directives more than once. In 1937 and 1938 there were several joint conversations in Ezhov’s office between myself, Ezhov, and Alekhin. We were constantly concerned with how to carry out this work in the laboratory. The point is that those poisons that were being developed in the laboratory had had some kind of taste or left traces of their use in the human organism. We set the task of developing in the laboratory poisons that would be without any taste, so that they could be used in wine, drink and food, without changing the taste and color of the food and the drink. We proposed to invent separately poisons of instantaneous and of delayed action, and also whose use would not cause any visible destruction in the human organizing so that it could not be determined by autopsy of the body of the person killed by poison that poisons had been used to murder him. What do you say to this? I seem to remember a few conversations with Frinovskii about poisons. But I do not remember that I gave him any directives about their preparation and use. But you will remember, think about it. I am convinced that the memory of traitors and scoundrels such as yourself is quickly restored in punitive cells and isolation cells. Everybody remembers after a few days. The use of poisons for the purpose of terror against the government was discussed by use, when our original plan of a coup d’état and seizure of power fell apart. Tell us about this in more detail. Already in the summer of last year [1938 – GF] our organization took the decision to organize a military coup on the 7 th of November. Who was present at this assembly and where did it take place? It took place at my dacha. Present were Frinovskii, Evdokimov, Dagin, Zhurbenko, Zhukovsky, and Nikolaev-Zhurid. That was, so to speak, the general staff of our subversive organization. Oh, I forgot, Litvin was also there, he was coming to Moscow at that time on official business. Did you call together this meeting specially so that your general staff of bandits could take part? Yes. The staff’s presence was essential, as the coup was to take place also in Leningrad and the staff was supposed to guarantee everything. It was for this purpose that you also moved Zhurbenko to be the head of the UNKVD for Moscow and Moscow oblast’, so that he could be there to guarantee your treasonous conspiracy? Yes, that is so. I specially appointed Zhurbenko to this position before Beria’s arrival in the NKVD. Continue. What did you discuss there at the dacha? We decided that the interior troops [of the NKVD – GF] that were in Moscow and were under the command of Frinovskii as first assistant to the Commissar would carry out the coup. As for him, he should prepare a fighting group that would annihilate the members of the government in attendance at the parade. Then we decided to confirm a final plan for the coup in September or October and to send around directive to our people in the republics and oblasts’ about what they should do on the seventh of November. And this meeting took place, who was present at it? There were only three of us: Frinovskii, Zhukovsky, and I. Either the end of September or the beginning of October we met in my office. And what did you discuss? At that time the possibilities of our organization had been seriously disrupted by the arrival of Beria in the NKVD. He replaced Frinovskii, and we could no longer use the internal troops. But why, he must have had his agents there? Yes, he did have his agents, but obviously Beria already had information about our conspiracy and arrested almost all of them in September. I could not prevent these arrests or I would have exposed myself. Then Frinovskii proposed that we put off the coup and take power by means of poisoning the members of the government and in the first place Stalin, Molotov and Voroshilov. Their deaths would have immediately caused confusion in the country and we would have taken advantage of this and seized power. We calculated that we could then arrest all the people in the government and the NKVD who were unsuitable for us, and to claim that they were conspirators guilty in the deaths of the leaders. What low-lifes! What could have stopped you hoodlums? Frinovskii then said that Dagin would carry out the poisoning, and that Alekhin and Zhukovskii would give him the poisons. But it would be necessary to prepare the poisons, and we decided to carry out this terrorist act when the requisite poisons were collected. We agreed to meet when Dagin had the poisons and to put together a detailed plan for the coup. But Zhukovskii was unexpectedly arrested, a few days after this meeting, and after him Alekhin and Dagin, and I do not know whether or not Dagin received the poisons.

Ezhov interrogation 08.02.39 by Rodos

- Polianskii 275-280 (plain text); Briukhanov & Shoshkov 139-142 ( italics) ; in both of them ( underlined).

Tell us in detail about the sabotage activities that were carried out by you and your colleagues on the economic properties of the NKVD – said Rodos, preparing to write down the confessions. In addition to the large quantity of economic properties that had been under the direction of the NKVD under Iagoda and which had developed greatly during the years 1937-1938, that is Kolyma, Indigirka, Norilstroi and others, I succeeded in significantly increasing the economic activity of the NKVD by means of new properties. During these years I succeeded in carrying forth in the government the question about the transfer to the direction of the NKVD of many forest regions of the Commissariat of Forests, in connection with which the production program of the forest camps of the NKVD in the preparation and export of wood products in 1938 comprised almost half of the whole program of the Commissariat of Forests. Into the direction of the NKVD were transferred the construction of railroad lines that had the most important defense significance, such as the Baikal-Amur railway, the line from Ulan-Ude to Naushi, the Soroka-Pliasetskaia, the Ukhto-Pecherskaia line, and others. Among the purely defense-oriented properties I achieved the transfer under the direction of the NKVD of the construction of the Archangel shipbuilding factory and almost all the powder cellulose factories in Archangel, Solikamsk and other places, at the same time having organized the construction of ten smaller cellulose factories. On the initiative of the NKVD, on top of the programs confirmed by the government, the NKVD was given the construction of the world’s largest hydroelectric station – the Kuibyshev hydro network.

Sabotage and mismanagement in the construction sites flourished with complete impunity. We managed to go over completely to questions of defense construction, achieving practical control over a significant part of it. This gave us the possibility in case of need in our conspiratorial goals to vary and carry out different subversive measures which could help accomplish the defeat of the USSR in wartime and our coming to power. …The greatest population of prisoners was the border regions of the far Eastern borders. Here it was very easy for us to take over different economic tasks of a defense nature because of the lack of workers. However the camps of the Far Eastern Region were situated not only near to the borders but we sent there mostly prisoners sentenced for espionage, diversion, terror and other more serious crimes, and we sent almost no so-called "ordinary" prisoners. In this way along the borders of the FER, in the direct rear of the Red Army was prepared the most active and embittered counterrevolutionary force, which we planned to use in the widest possible manner in case of complication or of war with the Japanese… A significant quantity of prisoners were concentrated on our western borders of Ukraine, Belorussia, the Leningrad oblast’, and the Karelian ASSR, especially in road construction. … The whole conspiratorial plan of the regime we created for the prisoners consisted in that the most privileged conditions were created for the prisoners sentenced for the most serious crimes (espionage and terrorism), since that was the qualified force that would often be used for directing the administrative and economic work in the camps. In their hands was concentrated also all the cultural and educational work of the prisoners. It is clear in what spirit they were educated. Finally the regime created in the camps often permitted the counterrevolutionary activity of the prisoners to continue with complete impunity. In the camps the work of the so-called 3 rd sections was so badly organized and the camps were guarded so poorly, that the prisoners had the possibility of creating their own counterrevolutionary groups in the camps and to associate with each other at will. Facts like this were many. The guard of the camps was extremely small, made up of unreliable people, the material situation of the soldiers and the command staff was very poor, and, finally, the prisoners themselves were used in many cases in the capacity of guards. As a result of a security organized like this there were many cases of mass escapes from the camps. We fought against this evil poorly and did so consciously, in the hopes that the escapees from the camps would continue their counterrevolutionary activity and would become a force that would spread all kinds of anti-Soviet agitation and rumors.

I achieved the transfer under the direction of the NKVD a series of working factors of the defense industry. The reason for that could not have been the use of the labor of prisoners, since among them were the Pavshinskii factory, the Tushinskii factory of aviation motor construction, and others. Besides that, the NKVD organized a series of new factories on its own initiative, which carried out defense production… What, do you think we called you here to report on behalf of the NKVD about the successful fulfillment of the Five-Year Plan! You are a bandit, a conspirator, a saboteur, a terrorist, and a traitor. Answer the question asked you to the point. Sabotage and mismanagement in the construction sites flourished with complete impunity. I’ll bet, with a Commissar like that. – said Rodos with a grimace, not stopping his note-taking. We managed to go over completely to questions of defense construction, achieving practical control over a significant part of it… Who is this "we"? Well, our conspiratorial organization. Myself, Zhukovsky, Frinovskii, and others. I have already named them all earlier. This gave our organization the possibility in case of need in our conspiratorial goals to vary and carry out different subversive measures which could help accomplish the defeat of the USSR in wartime and our coming to power. In which areas was the subversive activity of your organization mainly distributed? The greatest population of prisoners was the border regions of the far Eastern borders. Here it was very easy for us to take over different economic tasks of a defense nature because of the lack of workers. However the camps of the Far Eastern Region were situated not only near to the borders but we sent there mostly prisoners sentenced for espionage, diversion, terror and other more serious crimes, and we sent almost no so-called "ordinary" prisoners. In this way along the borders of the FER, in the direct rear of the Red Army was prepared the most active and embittered counterrevolutionary force, which we planned to use in the widest possible manner in case of complication or of war with the Japanese. Did you send Liushkov there specially. What assignments did you give him? At the beginning of 1937 Frinovskii and I conferred with each other and decided that we had to have our own man in the Far East, through whom we could maintain contact with Japanese intelligence. In the event of an attack by the Japanese he was to let the counterrevolutionaries out of the camps, seize with their help the stores of arms and military supplies, and then head terrorist-diversionist work in the rear of the Red Army. We thought about this and chose Liushkov for these purposes, whom I had already recruited to our organization in 1936. Then I transferred him from the Azovo-Chernomorskii region and made him the head of the NKVD in the Far Eastern Region. In which other areas did you create the same kind of espionage-diversionist centers? We also did this in the western borders of the USSR. A significant quantity of prisoners were concentrated on our western borders of Ukraine, Belorussia, the Leningrad oblast’, and the Karelian ASSR. In Leningrad oblast and Karelia Litvin was in charge for you, of course? Yes. I sent him there specially at the beginning of 1938 instead of Zakovskii, whom I could not fully trust. And in the Ukraine? There Uspenskii all the assignments, including contact with Polish and German intelligence. That is why I made him Commissar of Internal Affairs of the Ukraine. When was he recruited by you? At the beginning of 1937. He came to Moscow from Novosibirsk before he was appointed to the position of chief of the UNKVD for the Orenburg oblast. I knew that Uspenskii was anti-Soviet, anti-party, and for that reason he immediately agreed to work in our organization. In Belorussia you sent Boris Berman? Did you know that he was an old German agent? Yes. Artnau told me that Berman was working for German intelligence as soon as I became Commissar of Internal Affairs. He had been recruited at the beginning of the ‘thirties, when he was

[Soviet] resident in Germany. I immediately established espionage contact with him, then he was the assistant chief of the INO. In 1937 I specially sent him from our organization to Belorussia and made him Commissar of Internal Affairs. There he met with German agents and received assignments and instructions. That means your widespread espionage organization in the case of an attack on the USSR by Japan and Germany could seize power not only in Moscow but in border areas, opening the road to the invaders. Do I understand this correctly from your confessions? Yes. That was exactly what we had planned. It’s useless to deny such things. Tell me, was counterrevolutionary work carried on by your confederates in the camps for the purpose of establishing there bases for sabotage and anti-Soviet activity? In the camps the work of the so-called 3rd sections was so badly organized and the camps were guarded so poorly, that the prisoners had the possibility of creating their own counterrevolutionary groups in the camps and to associate with each other at will. Facts like this were many. The guard of the camps was extremely small, made up of unreliable people, the material situation of the soldiers and the command staff was very poor, and, finally, the prisoners themselves were used in many cases in the capacity of guards. As a result of a security organized like this there were many cases of mass escapes from the camps. We fought against this evil poorly and did so consciously, in the hopes that the escapees from the camps would continue their counterrevolutionary activity and would become a force that would spread all kinds of anti-Soviet agitation and rumors… [At that moment the telephone on Rodos’s table started to ring.]

I am leaving right away, I will be back at four o’clock for sure. We shall continue the interrogation tomorrow, and you remember what concretely sabotage work you carried out with your confederates in the economic properties of the NKVD.

Ezhov interrogation 08.03.39 by Rodos

Polianskii 280-284

"The overwhelming majority of the prisoners were so-called vicious "refusers", as a rule people who had not fulfilled the assigned norm of work, in connection with which these latter were deliberately extremely poorly provided, something we also did for sabotage purposes. This circumstance, and a series of other subversive measures of the conspiratorial organization caused the necessity of more and more prisoners being brought to Kolyma. The government every year devoted enormous expenses to the development of Kolyma, spending hundreds of millions of rubles. If these means had been rationally spent, the mining at the rich Kolyma sites could have been significantly mechanized. Mechanization would not only have reduced the necessity of holding a large quantity of prisoners in Kolyma and of bringing to them a huge amount of foodstuffs and other supplies, but would have increased the yield of metal and sharply lowered its cost. Meanwhile mechanization was slowed down by sabotage and all the extraction was based on muscle power alone. As a result already in 1938 more than 100,000 prisoners were brought to Kolyma. The whole area of Kolyma is rich not only in gold, but in many other ores. Specifically, in Kolyma there are huge supplies of coal and other forms of fuel. With any kind of careful economic approach to the matter it would have been possible without any difficulty to satisfy the demands of Kolyma with coal and even with oil without the costly transporting of them from the European part of the USSR. However the coal deposits of Kolyma are not exploited at all. In Kolyma it would unquestionably be possible to wholly cease the importation even of explosive materials and of the simplest equipment, which also is brought in every year in great quantities. For this purposes it would be necessary to build in Kolyma a very simple mechanical factory of modest size or, even better, workshops that could manufacture the simplest equipment and spare parts. Just as easily and quickly could and should be built in Kolyma an explosives factory of modest size, since almost all raw materials necessary for this exist there. Finally, in Kolyma the importation of foodstuffs could be significantly reduced. Such a possibility is completely obtainable for Kolyma, where meat, fish and even vegetable production could be developed. All this was deliberately ignored by us, and the supply of Kolyma was wholly laid upon the shoulders of the state. I have already said that the region of Kolyma together with the gold-bearing regions are rich also in a whole series of other rare ores. So, for example, there are rich industrial supplies of tin, antimony, copper, micas, and other ores. These extremely valuable ores that have enormous economic and defense significance are not worked at all or are extracted in tiny quantities, like tin, while in Kolyma there are all the possibilities of setting up the extraction of these ores at the same time as that of gold, the more so since the regions with these ores are nearby. It is clear that the parallel extraction of gold and of other valuable ores that are so territorially adjacent where, consequently, it would be possible to set up a unified, energetic, mechanical economic unit, and to reduce to a significant extent the cost of gold and of other rare metals. These questions we deliberately and as an act of sabotage ignored, and did not even present to the government. What role in this was played by the foreign intelligence services with which you were collaborating? They, of course, knew what we were doing and encouraged and supported our subversive work in every way. But as far as I know they did not specially give any assignments either to me or to their other agents, since, no doubt, they were certain that we ourselves knew where we should best carry out the sabotage. Name the concrete properties where sabotage was carried out according to your instructions. The construction of the Ukhto-Pechersk road has a decisive meaning for the development of the extraction of coal, oil, and other valuable products, without which the economic development of the Northern region as a whole is impossible. Meanwhile the construction of this road was retarded by us deliberately and in every way, under various pretexts and the resources allotted to it were spread over a large area of work and did not have any effect. The retardation in the construction of the Ukhto-Pechersk railroad is explained in the main by the lack of a satisfactory plan, which the Commissariat of Roads and Rails should present. The saboteurs in the GULAG and in the Commissariat of Roads and Rails with our support organized a never-ending dispute about the choice of the direction of the roads, which has been going on for a long time now, and the planning and even the exploratory works in many sectors have not been begun to this day. Finally, it was essential not to spread out our resources over a broad front of works, but to concentrate on the decisive sections for the export of production. And precisely the construction of the Ukhto-Pechersk line should have been strictly divided into several stages. In the first part should have been concentrated all the forces and resources to finish the construction of the Vorkuta-Abez’ section, for the purpose of exporting coal. But we hindered that, insofar as all decisions were mine. Further, the construction of the section from the oil-bearing areas of Ukhta to Kotel’nich should have been organized, and these works could have been fully developed from two directions, both from Kotel’nich and from Ukhta. Only in the final stage could have been finished those sections that unite the coal-rich Vorkuta areas with the oil-bearing Ukhta areas and that give in this way an outlet for coal and oil in two directions. But nothing of this was done because of our sabotage. What subversive, espionage and sabotage activity did you carry out in the GULAG itself? * We understood, that the expansion of the economic functions of the NKVD must express themselves in the worsening of our basic operative work. We proposed to widely use the system of camps so as to send there the compromised part of NKVD workers. There are not only drunkards, idlers and wastrels. Among them were people with a Trotskyist past, Rights who sympathized with Bukharin, and Iagoda’s people. De-facto they were all recruited by us since, in sending them to the GULAG, we were hinting to them that we had evidence against them that could be investigated at any moment. In this manner we created a special reserve of people read to carry out any conspiratorial task. But there were many anti-Soviet elements in the GULAG even without this. The conspiratorial leadership of the GULAG remained, for all practical purposes, unreplaced. At the time of my arrival in the NKVD the GULAG was headed by the conspirator of Iagoda’s group Matvei Berman, Boris Berman’s older brother. He had put together a large anti-Soviet group of people who occupied more or less responsible posts in the GULAG. Among these people were a great many Trotskyists, Zinovievists, Rights, and it was easy to attract them to our side after Berman left when the GULAG was headed by Ryzhov, a participant of the conspiracy recruited by men, who was sent to this work on my initiative in order to carry out sabotage assignments. And after his departure for the Commissariat of Forests, the GULAG was headed by the conspirator and spy Zhukovsky, who was connected with me and who was at the same time my assistant. In the summer of 1938 the Central Committee of the Party more than once pointed my attention to the fact that I was surrounded by suspicious people who had come with me to work in the NKVD. In the Central Committee the question of removing Tsesarskii was raised, it was proposed to me that I remove Shapiro, Zhukovsky, and Litvin from the work. That put me on my guard, inasmuch as all these men were my confederates, and that meant that something might be known to the Party about the conspiracy. In order to somehow conceal my anti-government activity I had to agree with the demands of the Central Committee and I decided to send Zhukovskii packing without any fuss, away to the countryside. I carried out this attempt but it did not succeed, since about that time Beria began to work and Zhukovsky, instead of going to the place I had assigned him as director of the Ridder polymetallic combine, was arrested."

__________________

* From this point on the text given in Polianskii here is given in B&S but attributed to Ezhov’s August 2 1939 interrogation.

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Ezhov August 4 1939 Confession (published separately)

Ezhov August 4 1939 Confession belongs here.

Ezhov ochnaia stavka with Bulatov 09.20.39

Pavliukov 528 – very brief discussion plus the two sentences quoted below.

Discussion: "There were also those who continued to offer resistance [to the investigation – GF]. For example, in the course of the face-to-face confrontation held on September 20 1939 with his former associate in the Central Committee apparatus D.A. Bulatov, the latter rejected all accusations directed against him and left the interrogation unbroken."

Ezhov interrogation 10.25.39 by Esaulov

Polianskii 285; 286-289.

"Listen", implored Ezhov, "What kind of spy am I? I have a ‘tail’ behind me at all times, my chauffer or a guard. What kind of a resident could I meet with? And no one recruited me in Germany in 1930. I have been lying a lot. And I lied about Slutsky. I did not give Frinovskii the assignment to poison him, and Alekhin and Zakovskii have nothing to do with it. Slutskii died by himself, from his heart. And lied about everything. You should not lie… … In various documents you stated contradictory and untrue information about yourself. The verification has proven this. Did you do this out of espionage and sabotage motives? Yes. I deliberately distorted my biography. I did this for careerist purposes, to be promoted in the Party. You thought up another biography for yourself not out of careerist, but out of provocateurist motives, in order to deceive the Party, to insinuate yourself into its leadership, and corrupt it from within by means of sabotage and espionage. Was that so? Yes. I did this out of sabotage and prevocational motives in order to struggle against the Party. Now let us move on to an explanation of those facts that you have deliberately distorted. In official documents you lied that you were born in Petrograd. No information about your birth in that city have been found. Where were you born in reality? ... I only know about the place I was born from my mother’s words, from memories of my early childhood. Mother said that I was born in the city of Mariampol, in the former Suval’sk guberniia of Lithuania. Afterwards I went to Petrograd. By means of the facts about my birth in Petrograd I wanted to portray myself in the guise of a deeply-rooted proletarian and old revolutionary. Did you also lie when you said your father was a worker? Yes, I also lied about this for the same reason. Who was your father in reality? My father, Ivan Ezhov, from near Tula by birth, was from a peasant family. Were they well-off? Yes. He served in the army, in a musical unit, as a senior musician in Mariampol. There he also married the servant girl of a choirmaster. What did your father do after demobilization? He was a forester and a switchman on the railroad. In a prerevolutionary Peterburg handbook an Ivan Ezhov is mentioned who was owner of a saloon. Was that your father? For a time my father owned a tea house. We have information that this tea house also served as a front for criminal activities. Is that so? Yes. It was in reality a house of assignation… A bordello. It was a bordello, and my father lived on the proceeds. When they shut down the tea house, he became a painter. Did he hire other workers? I don’t deny that in later years father had one or two hired workers and was something like a contractor. Did you also lie deliberately about working as a mechanic in Petrograd factories? I did this to pretty up my background. I worked very little as a mechanic, my main work was always the trade of tailor. And now tell us what your real nationality is. I have always considered myself a Russian and identify myself as such on official documents. I was born into a Russian peasant family. Aren’t you concealing your real nationality? After all, your mother was from Lithuania. In official documents my nationality is recorded more or less correctly. What does "more or less" mean? That means that my mother was born in Lithuania and therefore was a Lithuanian by nationality. In one of your [biographical] forms you wrote that you know both the Lithuanian and the Polish languages. Did your mother teach them to you? No. My mother and father knew Lithuanian, but never spoke it at home. I served in Vitebsk in the Tsarist army, and there were many Poles and Lithuanians. That’s where I learned a few words and sentences. But I do not know how to speak these languages and wrote on the form that I know them for prevocational purposes. The investigation possesses information that you know Yiddish. Why do you conceal this? I do not know Yiddish, if you do not count a few words and expressions that I learned from my acquaintances who were Jews. And here we have information that you often spoke Yiddish with your wife. That is some kind of mistake. I cannot speak Yiddish. Even my wife, in my opinion, knew Yiddish poorly and never spoke it with any Jewish people.

Ezhov protocol of end of investigation 02.01.40

Pavliukov, 529, Polianskii 290, say this was presented by Esaulov.

B&S 144-145, and Soima says it was Sergienko.

Text identical in Polianskii & Soima; very close to this in B&S.

No text in Pavliukov.

1. Was the leader of an anti-Soviet conspiratorial organization in the armed forces and the organs of the NKVD. 2. Betrayed his fatherland by carrying out espionage work in the service of Polish, German, Japanese, and English intelligence services. 3. Toward the goal of seizing power in the USSR prepared an armed uprising and the commission of terrorist acts against leaders of the Party and the government. 4. Undertook subversive, sabotage work in Soviet and Party apparatuses. 5. For adventurist and careerist goals created a case about an imaginary "mercury" poisoning of himself, organized the murder of a series of persons who were inconvenient to him and who could have exposed his treasonous work, and had sexual relations with men (homosexuality).

Pavliukov 529:

"The last interrogation took place on January 31 [1940], and on the very next day the assistant chief of the investigative section of the NKVD of the USSR A.A. Esaulov composed a protocol of the conclusion of the investigation. Ezhov was given for his perusal 12 volumes of his criminal case. He read through it and declared that he confirmed all the confessions given by him at the preliminary investigation, and that he had no additions to make."

____________________________

Ezhov’s Concluding Statement at Trial (published separately)

A transcript obviously exists, but it is still secret.

Transcript of Ezhov’s final words at trial belongs here.

The following is from Pavliukov, 531-532:

"Then the protocol concerning the conclusion of the investigation was announced, in which Ezhov had confirmed the truth of his confessions with his own signature. Ezhov stated that at that moment he had not retracted these confessions, but that he was retracting them now. He had no connections with any intelligence services, had not planned any terrorist act on Red Square on November 7 1938, and had never taken part in any conspiratorial activity.

It was necessary for the court, setting aside its preliminary intention to do without witnesses, to call into the courtroom one of them, Ezhov’s former assistant M. P. Frinovskii. That same day he too was supposed to appear in court and probably was somewhere nearby.

Frinovskii stated that soon after his appointment as Commissar of Internal Affairs Ezhov had recruited him into the conspiratorial organization in the NKVD organized by himself. At first they prevented the exposure of the participants of the Right-Trotskyite bloc as much as possible, and at the end of 1937 they set to the creation of a terrorist group within the NKVD.

Besides that Frinovskii discussed the falsification, in accordance with Ezhov’s directives, of the so-called mercury poisoning, the murder on Ezhov’s order of the chief of the Foreign Division of the GUGB of the NKVD A. A. Slutsky, and of the poisoning by Ezhov of his own wife.

In answer to the questions of the chairman V.V. Ul’rikh Ezhov called everything Frinovskii said to be vicious slander. He did not poison his wife and did not send her luminal, and in relation to Slutskii had had a directive from "directive organs" not to arrest him but to get rid of him by another means, "as otherwise our whole foreign intelligence service would have fled". The need to get rid of Slutskii was dictated, in Ezhov’s words, by the fact that there were very weighty confessions of the former assistant commissar for internal affairs Ia. S. Agranov.

Ezhov continued that he did not take part in the anti-Soviet conspiracy together with Frinovskii. Evdokimov, Dagin, and the other persons whom he had named in his confessions as participants in the conspiracy were in fact not such, or in any case he did not know anything about that."

Comments on Ezhov’s last words from Briukhanov & Shoshkov, 153:

"Reading ‘the Last word’ it is impossible not to notice that Ezhov said nothing about the essence of the accusations leveled against him. He rejected them all, but spoke mainly about his services in exposing "enemies and spies of various types and intelligence services" while stating at the same time he had "such crimes for which I could be shot", promising to discuss them, but admitted guilt only in that he "did not purge enough" enemies.

Ezhov denied his participation in a secret organization directed against the Party and the government, saying that, on the contrary, he had taken all measures to expose the conspirators who had murdered S.M. Kirov. But was there a conspiracy in the organs of the NKVD? Or did those 14 thousand NKVD men whom Ezhov purged act individually – each one on his own?

Judging from the transcript [of Ezhov’s trial] such a question was not raised at the trial: Everything was clear to the court as it was. The "sincere confessions" in his "Last word" did not ring true. Ezhov was careful to avoid any sharp corners. He even distorted the episode that had already figured in the trial of Bukharin, Rykov and the others, concerning the falsification of a terrorist act against himself. As it turned out the "terrorist act" was planned and executed – if we can even use that word in this case – by Ezhov and by the former chief of the counter-revolutionary section Nikolaev in order to increase the authority of the "iron commissar." Having consulted with specialists about the conditions for mercury poisoning Nikolaev had rubbed mercury into the upholstery of the soft furniture in Ezhov’s office and submitted a piece of cloth for laboratory analysis. In the "terrorist act" they blamed NKVD man Savolainen, on whom a vial of mercury was planted. After the necessary "working over" Savolainen confessed to everything.

And Ezhov’s attempt to deny the accusation about dissolution in his morals and private life, to convince the court that he was supposedly loved for his modesty and honesty.

As a whole the ‘Last word’ creates an impression of something not thought through, rambling, incomplete, and dishonest. And yet Ezhov, in essence, had nothing to lose. He could have spoken more frankly."

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Out of the Centre

Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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1993 how the construction company remstroy was created   the year 1993 was a period when a lot of construction companies, which had been working successfully during the soviet times and had rich staff capacity, were forced to cease their activity for various reasons. a lot of capable specialists either had to look for another job or change their field. but there were also those who were willing to realise their potential in the field of construction in accordance with the received degree and the experience they had accumulated. thus, in 1993 in elektrostal (moscow oblast) a group of specialists and people sharing each other’s ideas, who had enormous educational background and the highest degree in architecture, organized and registered ooo firm erg which began its rapid development and successful work, offering its service both on the construction market and other areas. 2000 industrial construction is the main area   seven years of successful work have shown that combining different types of activities in the same company is not always convenient. and in the year 2000 the founders of ooo firm erg decided to create and register a monoprofile construction company ooo remstroy construction company. industrial construction was chosen as the priority area. it was in this area that the directors of ooo sk remstroy began their working life and grew as specialists. in order to achieve the set goal, they selected a mobile team of professionals in the field of industrial construction, which allows us to cope with the tasks assigned to ooo sk remstroy throughout russia and the near abroad. 2010 manufacturing of metal structures   we possess modern equipment that allows us to carry out the entire cycle of works on the manufacture of metal structures of any complexity without assistance. designing – production – installation of metal structures. a staff of professionals and well-coordinated interaction of the departments let us carry out the work as soon as possible and in accordance with all customer’s requirements.” extract from the list of members of self-regulatory organizations, construction.

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