One of the great things about being a manager is that you can be effective in just about any industry. Every business needs people to effectively manage their workers, oversee projects, complete budgets, and resolve conflicts in the office. Overall, a manager is vital to the success of a team because they play a role in guiding and supporting team members as they work to achieve success, perform at company standards, and drive innovation. If you are looking for a job as a manager, you need a stand-out cover letter to help you land a great position.
Your cover letter should be designed to show your top qualities as a manager. It needs to display your experience and your achievements in your past roles.
With our cover letter example and writing guide, you will learn exactly what to add to your manager cover letter. Here are some of the areas we will cover in this guide:
What should your manager cover letter include?
What can you write in the introduction of the cover letter
What information can you give in the body of the cover letter
How to write a cover letter closing
The goal of your manager cover letter is to show a hiring manager you have the skills needed to effectively manage your team. There should be a focus on your leadership and communication qualities as well as your ability to manage projects. You should professionally format this information with a header at the top with your contact information as well as the proper cover letter address of your hiring manager.
The other areas your cover letter needs are an introduction, a body, and a closing paragraph. We’ll learn more about each of these sections in the paragraphs below.
The opening of your cover letter should catch the hiring manager’s attention right from the start. Begin with a sentence that shows both your enthusiasm for the position and your experience. You can also mention some of your top skills in the introductory paragraph of your letter, such as strategic planning, operations management, and partnership building.
You can then include more details about your experience and achievements. The goal here is to show a hiring manager that you have the knowledge and experience they need. You may want to touch on your ability to work with C-suite members, manage diverse teams, or plan transformation initiatives. You want to keep the hiring manager reading your letter, so make this information exciting and valuable for the specific role you are submitting your application.
Dear Mr. Ryan Mitchell,
As a dedicated, results-oriented professional with proven success across business and operations management, I am an ideal candidate for the Operations Manager opening with Cascade Consulting Solutions. Eager to learn more about this exciting opportunity, I have enclosed my resume for your review.
After you’ve gotten the attention of the hiring manager, it’s time to move on to the body of the cover letter where you let your achievements shine.
An effective approach is to break this section into 3 different sections:
Why you. Which of your achievements and skills make you the perfect fit for this role? Take some time to point out your accomplishments that prove you are an effective manager. One way to draw attention to these achievements is by pulling three key accomplishments out into bullet points. This draws attention to them and helps a hiring manager see what you can bring to a team as its manager.
Why here. Don’t forget to tie your experience and accomplishments back to this specific role. Along with knowing you are a good manager, a hiring manager will want to make sure you are the right manager for their position. Using the job description as your guide, include skills in your cover letter that will be beneficial in that particular role. You want to show you can improve the company’s team and company.
Why now. What is it about this specific management job that makes you excited? Why are you interested in switching from your current role to this role? You should be able to describe why now is the right time for a hiring manager to hire you. It’s always possible for them to want to hire you in the future, but your cover letter should leave them feeling as though they can’t wait a second longer to get you on their team.
If you’re worried you might miss something when writing your cover letter, be sure to check out our cover letter checklist.
I am enthusiastic about evaluating current processes and devising solutions to elevate process efficiency and increase profitability. Through my experience in diverse leadership roles, including General Manager, Director of Operations, and Director of Public Relations, I have had the privilege of working with all organizational levels. If given the opportunity, I would be pleased to leverage this experience to partner with your staff, collaborate on your immediate and long-term business goals, and help guide transformation initiatives to realize major results as your new Manager.
Further, please note the following accomplishments and highlights from my resume:
Extensive skills and expertise in international/public relations, budget forecasting, partnership building, regulation compliance, change management, process improvement, and organizational design.
Repeated success as Brand Ambassador; adept at devising marketing processes and strategies, composing press releases, cultivating relationships with media outlets, and spearheading campaigns and promotional events.
Served as key stakeholder in corporate expansion of international firm via acquisition of secondary northeastern regional markets; diligently directed multiple, competing priorities supporting ambitious growth-focused business and financial initiatives.
In the closing paragraph of your cover letter, aim to convince the hiring manager to take action and invite you in for an interview. The last paragraph needs to be short, show your gratitude, and leave the door open for more discussion.
Reiterate your interest. Show that you appreciate the hiring manager’s time and that you are excited about the opportunity: “Due to my past work as a [past role title] and my experience in operations management, I’m excited about the changes I can bring to the [open position title] role.”
Ask for an interview. Adding a call to action to the end of your cover letter encourages a hiring manager to set up an interview: “I welcome the opportunity to discuss [company name’s] goals in further detail during an interview.”
You can learn even more tips and tricks for how to close a cover letter in our blog post.
If you agree that we may have the basis for an excellent match, please contact me at your earliest convenience to schedule an interview. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss your goals and how I may be of assistance in achieving them. Until then, thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Samantha Hayes
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