Project Manager cover letter example & writing guide
- What should your project manager cover letter include?
- What can you write in the introduction of your cover letter?
- What should be mentioned in the cover letter body for a project manager vacancy?
- How to write a cover letter closing
Looking to take the next step in your project management career? The good news is that project managers are in high demand, so there are plenty of opportunities out there. As an organized person, you’ve probably already spruced up your project management resume, but now, it’s time to sit down and create a cover letter that wows recruiters.
Similar to having all your ducks in a row for successful project delivery, a cover letter should convincingly tell the hiring manager that you tick all the boxes for their job opening. This will encourage them to take the time to review your resume.
In this cover letter guide, along with the corresponding project manager cover letter example, we’ll look at how to draft a cover letter that can get you interviews, including:
What should your project 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
What should your project manager cover letter include?
Much like a smoothly running project, your cover letter should be organized, results-focused, and professional. This brief (usually one page) letter should explain what makes you the best project manager for the job with heavy focus on your project wins.
Typically, your cover letter will include your contact information, details of the organization you are applying to, and a greeting. Following this, you’ll need a compelling introduction to hook the reader, one or two paragraphs describing your most relevant experience and achievements, and finally, a strong closing paragraph. We’ll go over these elements in detail in the following paragraphs.
What can you write in the introduction of your cover letter?
Hiring managers are often swamped with job applications. A strong intro can help set you apart from the competition, making it more likely that the recruiter will read on to learn more about your project management skills, experience, and accomplishments.
Highlight your unique blend of experience gained in project management whether that includes areas such as business analysis, process reengineering, or systems development. You also want to provide details of your industry background. Keep the information relevant to the specific job opening. You want to give the hiring manager a sense of the value you can bring to the organization. Hiring managers will be looking for driven and accomplished project managers.
Dear hiring manager:
As a highly driven, results-focused, and widely accomplished project manager, I am confident that my diverse skills and knowledge will be a perfect match for AquaRenew Dynamics's opening for a Project Manager. As you will note in reviewing the enclosed resume, my unique combination of project management, operations management, and business analyst experience—combined with my extensive healthcare background—will provide you with expertise perfectly suited for your need.
What should be mentioned in the cover letter body for a project manager vacancy?
The body of the project manager cover letter is where you expand on your skills and experience as a project manager as well as your project wins.
An effective approach is to break it into three different sections:
Why you. Provide a snapshot of your project management background relevant to the job opening with particular focus on the types of projects you’ve delivered. Cement this with a commitment to delivering the same results if you’re selected. Your cover letter should have a heavy focus on project wins. Leading major transformation projects, steering multidisciplinary teams, and slashing project costs will pique the hiring manager's interest (along with the all-important metrics). If you’ve completed any specific degrees or certifications in the project management field (MBA, Six Sigma, Project Management Professional, etc.), then include this information, too.
Why here. Addressing why you’re passionate about working for a specific company will really resonate with the hiring manager. Conduct background research so you can find out more about the organization’s vision, mission, and values. Maybe the organization has a strong reputation for innovative marketing or is a trail-blazer in sustainable technology. If these factors spark your enthusiasm for the job, then communicate this via your cover letter.
Why now. What has prompted you to make this move in your project management career? You may be an assistant project manager looking to move up the career ladder, or a seasoned PMP looking for a new challenge. Either way, communicating your career objectives and backstory via your cover letter will allow your personality to shine through.
Get more in-depth advice in our blog: The ultimate guide to writing short cover letters
- Use the job description as a guide when creating your project manager cover letter. Tick the boxes of essential requirements.
- Carefully proofread your cover letter. As a project manager, it’s vital to display strong attention to detail.
- Forget to sprinkle your soft skills across your project manager cover letter, centering on communication, problem-solving, and leadership.
- Copy and paste information from your project manager resume to your project manager cover letter. Keep it fresh.
In recent Project Manager roles at Conduent, Sysazzle, Molina Healthcare, and Alignment Healthcare, I have excelled in directing complex, high-visibility projects requiring critical thinking, mental agility, risk management, skillful problem solving, and superior team and project leadership. Focused on delivering organization-wide improvements, I am eager to apply the same caliber of work in your employ.
Please note a few brief highlights of my qualifications:
Recent success in leading transformative business process reengineering projects as Project Management Consultant at Conduent.
Solid history of leading Development Teams through all phases of critical system development, testing, integration, and implementation projects.
Proven ability to direct multiple competing, overlapping, and widely divergent projects—consistently meeting tight budgets and timelines.
Created successful, widely used process flows to support multiple subprojects in the Medicare-Medicaid Plan (MMP) program.
Slashed by 50% the time required to plan, develop, and deploy a new Medicare Part D project for a key client.
MBA degree, certificate in Business Analyst, and certificate in Advanced Project Management, as well as active involvement in several professional associations, including the Project Management Institute.
How to write a cover letter closing
Wrap up your project manager cover letter with a strong closing section. Be confident and enthusiastic and include a call to action to encourage the hiring manager to get in touch. A closing composed of 1-2 sentences is fine. Here’s some inspiration:
Reinforce the value you will bring to the organization. This should demonstrate your outstanding contributions. “My performance has consistently led to recognition from my senior leadership team. It is my goal to make immediate, positive contributions to (Company Name)'s goals.”
Include a Call to Action. Encourage them to take your application to the next level. “Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.”
Looking to create a cover letter for an internal position? Learn more here: Cover letter for an internal position
My work ethic and ability to move easily among diverse personnel and all organizational levels are hallmarks of my career. My performance has consistently led to recognition from my senior leadership team. It is my goal to make immediate, positive contributions to AquaRenew Dynamics's goals. With that in mind, I look forward to a personal interview to discuss my candidacy with you.
Sincerely,
Nancy Ortiz
If you’re looking to progress in your project management career, check out Career.io’s pathway to promotion. Build a clear roadmap to promotion, access tools and strategies, and secure the salary you deserve.
