A cover letter allows you to sell yourself to a specific job and show you are a good fit for the company’s position. It enables you to speak on behalf of your resume and experiences since the things you’ve done might not speak for themselves or be an exact fit. It shows the employer why your expertise is transferable and relevant to the job you’re applying for.
What are Project Manager Cover Letters?
A cover letter is a critical document submitted while finding a Project Manager. It is a brief letter to the employer that outlines the most relevant and impressive experiences and qualifications. It accompanies your resume, and its content explains why you want to become a valuable asset to the company. It allows showcasing your experience and accomplishments as a project manager and share your professional goals.
They are often the first thing that is reflected in your job application. Although some might argue that cover letters are obsolete, employers still use them to learn about candidates. Additionally, it indicates that you’re serious about the job and gives you another chance to convey who you are.
For a project management position, a cover letter can be an opportunity to expand the skills, motivations, and past successes you have under your belt that didn’t fit into your resume. It oversees all the accomplishments and experience while allowing them to be properly introduced to a prospective employer.
What is the Purpose of the Cover Letter?
The cover letter is the first thing managers see when they look at your resume from the pile of applications. It is crucial to get the job you want, and cover letter tips will make your details shine. It serves the purpose of giving a recruiter or hiring manager a more detailed view of your accomplishments and a sense of what you are bringing to the table if you are hired. Some recruiters might not read these cover documents, but you cannot know which ones will and won’t.
The formal business letter is often the first contact with the prospective employer and serves as an introduction to you and your background experience. Most employers will not look at a resume without a cover letter. It serves as a marketing tool, communicating to the employer that you are interested in their position and company and have something valuable to offer.
Anyone who can write a grammatically correct letter can write a good cover letter. However, there needs to be thinking and planning to create a cover letter that will set the stage for the employer to accept your application as something special.
How to Create an Outline for a Project Manager Cover Letter
The Project Manager’s cover letter should highlight the most relevant accomplishments. Although the content varies depending on the role and company, a few common elements exist.
Step One: Heading
The heading provides your contact information, the date you are writing, and the address of the company to which you are applying. You can also list your website and LinkedIn.
Step Two: Greeting
In the greeting, you should avoid using generic terms such as “To Whom It May Concern.” Look at the job description, company website, or Linkedin to find the Hiring Manager’s name.
Step Three: Introduction
Managers read hundreds of cover letters and so have to write a powerful and engaging opening paragraph to capture their attention. Introduce yourself and indicate why you are contacting the employer, the position you are applying for, and how you became aware of this position.
Step Four: Qualifications and Experience
In one or two paragraphs, let them know that you have known something about their organization, their services or products, and showcase your experience and strengths. You can also include your strengths and weaknesses.
Step Five: Conclusion and Closing
In short, state why you want to join the team and explain why you are interested in having an interview.
How to Write a Project Manager Cover Letter?
Writing a Project Manager cover letter is an essential step in your job search journey, as it is a position that comes with many responsibilities. When writing a cover letter, be sure to reference all the requirements listed in the job description. In the letter, reference the most relevant and exceptional qualifications to help employers see why you are a great fit for the role. The cover letter best highlights your experience and
Step 1: Properly format the Project Manager Header & Headline
The first key step when writing a project manager cover letter is to create a well-formatted header and headline. After all, it is the main body that matters, Mess it up, and it will make your whole application sloppy and unprofessional. Don’t worry; here are the things that cover things to be included in the header of the Project Manager cover letter.
- Your full name and professional title
- Your contact information
- Email address
- LinkedIn profile
- The name and department of the company you are applying to
- Address of the company
- Your job title (optional)
- Residential address (optional)
- Other social media handles like Twitter
Besides, you can write your name in a larger font than the rest of the cover letter contents. Your contact details can be left-aligned, center-aligned, in two columns, or a single line, one next to the other.
Once you have your header, the next step is to write an attention-grabbing cover letter headline. Your headline should always include a keyword related to the position, an eye-catching number, or a powerful adjective or verb for which the letter is specifically written.
Step 2: Personalize the greeting of your project manager’s cover letter
Whenever you write a cover letter, one of the best ways to make your letter stand out from competing applicants is to personalize the greeting and content.
By personalizing a cover letter, you thoroughly research the company you are applying to and look for key pieces of information such as:
What are the company’s current goals and objectives
Projects in which the company is currently involved in
Who is responsible for reviewing applications at the company
Using these details, you can create a personalized greeting that addresses this specific person by name. This immediately reveals that you have taken the time to tailor your cover letter and research the company, which shows attention to detail.
Step 3: Craft a Compelling Introduction
With your greeting, headline, and header in place, your next essential step is to write a compelling project manager cover letter introduction.
In creating an introduction, make sure to include:
A brief overview of your professional history with years of experience, specializations, etc.
A statement about why you wish to join the company.
A mutual acquaintance, including a mutual acquaintance, helps build immediate rapport with an employer. In case you do not have a mutual acquaintance, try using LinkedIn to expand your professional network.
Step 4: Highlight your Best Skills & Accomplishments
Skills and Accomplishments should dive into more in-depth detail about your best professional skills and accomplishments to help employers the value you have to offer. While describing your key skills, ensure that all the information is highly relevant, contextual, and quantifiable.
For example, do not say that you have strong communication skills, instead, describe how your communication skills have helped your project management capabilities. Also, ensure that your experience matches what is listed on the job description, addresses their hiring needs, and how you specifically meet their qualifications. For this, include examples of the results or impact of your work, and show the employer how you’ve met or exceeded expectations.
Here are six examples of project management skills to include in your cover letter:
- Thriving Project Ideas
- Setting Deadlines and Key Performance Indicators
- Coordinating and Communicating with shareholders
- Budget Development
- Performance Evaluations
- Ingenious Problem-Solving
Step 5: Finish your Cover Letter with a Strong Conclusion
To complete your cover letter constructively, you need a strong conclusion that says:
An enthusiastic sentence saying that you are looking forward to hearing from them
An additional sentence that states how and when you can be contacted,
Express your passion for the product/service, be proactive by telling the employer exactly when you will initiate your follow-up telephone call or email, and stick to this date! Lastly, reiterate the value you can bring and invite the employer to contact you for an interview.
What skills as a PM do you include in your cover letter?
Project managers need various skills to do their jobs effectively and ultimately benefit their respective organizations and project stakeholders. These skills can be gained from experience that offers great benefits that could significantly contribute to a project manager’s career development. The following are some of the best skills a project manager should include in a cover letter.
- Leadership: Being able to lead a team working on a project in a way that motivates the team has always been a focal point among businesses. That is why it is undoubtedly a big part of a project manager’s important skill. This skill enables project managers to develop corporate visions, and they should consider continuously brushing on their leadership skills.
- Communication: When you’re working on a project, it is important to be able to get the right information to the right person at the right time, convey deadlines and expectations, and make sure that everyone is on the same page. Therefore communication and leadership skills go hand-in-hand. To be an effective leader, communication applies to all stakeholders, vendors, contractors, and customers. It is one of the most important project management skills, and the most in-demand soft skill employers look for in employees.
- Prioritization: A project manager knows the importance of project timelines and has to set priorities accordingly. These are just a few skills to help you navigate the business area successfully. However, suppose you’re interested in diving deeper into a certificate in project management or a business degree that includes project management coursework. In that case, this will help you master this in-demand skill set.
- Resource Management: It is an essential piece of project management and refers to effectively assessing and allocating funds, time and energy, and other resources. You don’t want to run out of money halfway into a project; what if you are halfway into a project and get hit with an unexpected expense with a week to go? Having a clear sense of budget and resources available and understanding the plan to work around them is the key.
Task Management: An effective project manager should also be proficient at task management. This skill involves coming up with a task list and keeping them in view with complete control over the project. To be able to harness this skill, one must learn the process of creating lists, and strategies for ensuring that one is constantly on top of such a list should also be developed. This ensures that the project is always completed on time.
Project Manager Cover Letter Examples
Writing a Project Manager cover letter is an important step in your journey as a project manager. While writing a cover letter, be sure to mention the requirements listed in the job description. In your cover letter, reference your most relevant job qualification to help employers see why you’re a good fit for the role. Here is the desired example for you:
Dear (Mr./Mrs/Ms.) (Hiring Manager Name),
I am writing to apply for the IT Project Manager position at River Tech. As someone with an eye for detail, I thrive on keeping projects running smoothly from kickoff through launch. I’m eager for the opportunity to use my 12 years of solid experience and diverse capabilities in project management to make me an ideal candidate to successfully fulfill this position.
During my time working as a Project Manager at Cloud Clearwater, I worked on many of the company’s critical projects, including the redesign of the CRM system. I was responsible for ensuring other projects’ sprints could continue moving forward.
My manager acclaimed me for demonstrating solid skills in:
- Proactively managing time-sensitive projects
- Developing Innovative Solutions to Problems
- Balancing stakeholder expectations
- Working collaboratively with other team members
Furthermore, with my strong academic background, I can bring River Tech real-world experience in developing successful project plans, communicating expectations clearly, and encouraging team enthusiasm.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I believe that the above qualities and experiences would make me a valuable addition to your company. I am committed to continuing to grow as a leader, and if there is any more information you would like me to provide, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Matthew Arnold
Project Manager Cover Letter Template
[Full Name][Phone number]
[Email]
[Website]
[Date]
[Hiring Manager’s Name]
[Hiring Manager’s Job Title]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
Dear [Hiring Manager Name]
I am excited to see an opening for [job title] with [company]. With my expertise in [mention skills] and experience, I believe I can help [company] achieve its upcoming goals.
Currently, I work as a [current/previous job title] at [current company]. In my role, I [mention responsibilities]. During my time in this role, I successfully [list achievements]. I have gained valuable skills in [skills] that I look forward to bringing to [company].
I am impressed by [list company qualities]. As a part of your team, I am excited to [list ways you can help the company].
You can contact me at [email] or [phone]. Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
[Full Name]Conclusion
Lastly, it is important to use the right words at the end of your cover letter. It is always good to end the cover letter with gratitude for the reader’s time and consideration. If you want to create a good cover letter then simply get down to writing one with the above things mentioned.
Be optimistic about the whole process. Keep it simple, yet powerful.
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