Project Manager Cover Letter: How to Write [12+ Best Examples]

A Project Manager Cover Letter is written when applying for a project manager role to illustrate that an applicant/candidate is suitable for the position and the value they bring on board in terms of skills, experience, and qualification.

A cover letter is meant to support an applicant’s resume by providing details that would typically not be included in a resume. Applicants use it to illustrate to the potential employer that they have used their skills in project management before and the positive impacts of their contribution to that project. A cover letter is an opportunity to persuade the employer or recruiting committee to review your application.

Writing a project manager cover letter can be at the request of the employer as a requirement of the application, or sometimes it can be an applicant’s initiative. The letter being a professional document, structuring and formatting are essential considerations during the writing process.

Below is a procedural guide on how to write a project manager cover letter while including all the basic components.  

Section 1: Header

First and foremost, craft the header of the cover letter. The header identifies the sender and the recipient of the letter. The following information should be included:

Include your personal information

Start with writing down personal information. Ensure to write down your official full name, job title, and contact information. A mailing address, phone number, email, LinkedIn account, or all can be provided as contact details. 

City and date

Next, indicate your city of residence and then the date when the letter was written. Including a mailing address helps an applicant to insert the city or location of residence. The date follows, indicating the day, month, and year.

Hiring manager’s details

The next item on the letter is the recipient’s details. Write down the full name and position of the recipient (the hiring manager) first, followed by the title of the company. Note that he or she can be addressed simply as “Hiring Manager” if the actual name is not available. Then indicate the mailing address of the company. The mailing address should show the street address, city, and ZIP code. 

Section 2: Introduction

The second section of the letter is the introduction. This is the part where an applicant introduces themselves and states the purpose of writing the letter. The introduction is made of several items as follows.

Salutation

A salutation is essential when writing a formal letter, such as a project manager cover letter. If you know the actual name of the person who will be receiving the letter, address them directly by referring them by appropriate titles such as “Mr/Mrs [last name]” or “Dear Mr/Mrs [last name].”

Briefly introduce yourself

Next, the applicant introduces themselves by stating their name and any professional title they can be referred to with.

Briefly state why you’re interested

After the reader is aware of who sent the letter, in brief, a statement that declares the applicant’s interest in the project manager position should be provided. Add that you are excited about the position and working with the employer. As much as conciseness is a consideration, do not be ambiguous – make sure the reader knows exactly the letter was written.

Section 3: Body

The third item is the body of the letter; this is the meat of the letter. This section should be written in a persuasive matter. It should outline what makes an applicant suitable for the project manager position and information that supports this claim.

Highlight your primary project manager skills

In the first paragraph of the body, an applicant can outline the skills they possess that befit the project managerial role. Try as much as possible to list skills that are linked to the project manager position duties and responsibilities – in most cases; the employer will have specific skills they are looking for. Include relevant skills first before writing down additional skills. Relevant skills are those related to the functions of a manager, that is, planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and control. Examples of skills to consider are;

Hard skills

Risk management, Budget management, performance analysis, and reporting, industry software knowledge like Computer-aided design (CAD), and project management methodologies such as Enterprise resource planning (ERP), project management software (Microsoft Project), software and app development, customer relationship management (CRM) software (salesforce).

Soft skills

Negotiation, communication, team management, leadership, adaptability, conflict resolution, organization, decision-making, etc.

Quantify your achievements

Once an applicant has indicated the skills they can offer, they should provide achievements they have made in their line of work and how they used the said skills to attain quantifiable success. This amounts to achievements or accomplishments. Ensure the achievements given can be quantified using actual statistics such as percentages and growth statistics.

Include examples of your achievements

Next, provide examples that support the claims of achievements mentioned earlier in the letter. If you have worked for re-known companies, mention them and the capacity in which you worked for them. Illustrate how your contribution impacted the success of projects you worked on before. Offer specifics; the employer will appreciate the information rather than leaving them with shreds of doubt.   

Emphasize your problem-solving skills

Problem-solving is very essential in project management. Employers want project managers who are able to be analytical, creative, intuitive, and resourceful when it comes to identifying problems and developing solutions. Therefore, it will go a long way if an applicant can demonstrate instances, they used their problem-solving skills and obtained significantly impressive results. 

Share what you have to offer

Additionally, an applicant can add on how they intend to help the organization if they were given the opportunity.  This section can be done in several ways – list your goals, outline how you can help the company attain its goals, mission, and vision. Express how your passion for the product or service the employer is offering.

Section 4: Letter closing

The last section on a project manager cover letter is the closing. Write the closing by addressing the following points.

End with a strong closing statement

Include a closing statement that reiterates you are a suitable candidate for the project manager position. Also, invite the hiring manager to reach out and state you are available for an in-person interview.

Thank the employer or hiring manager

Then, include a statement thanking the employer or hiring manager for reviewing the project manager cover letter. It is considered courteous to thank the reader for taking their time to read your letter considering there might be numerous to go through.

Sign off

Lastly, close off the letter by providing a complimentary closely followed by a signature and your name.

Tip: Researching about the company or employer is very helpful in creating an exemplary project manager cover letter.

Given below are some samples for you:

Manager Cover Letter (Email Example)

Following are some free downloadable templates for you:

A project manager’s cover letter can sometimes be sent via email depending on the situation or requirements of the application process. The writing process of an email cover letter slightly differs from that of a physical letter, even though the contents and the objective remain the same. Consider the following points as you write your cover letter.

Include your name and job title

An email cover letter should be direct to the point. This way, the hiring manager or company system can identify how to categorize the email and know the subject of the email right away. Include your full name and your job title in the subject line of an email cover letter.

For example:

[subject: first name last name – title (project manager)].

Keep the email short

Keep the email cover letter brief and engaging. At most, compile all the relevant information in three paragraphs.

Provide contact information in the signature section

Remember, an email cover letter will not have the header section; therefore, this is the only opportunity for the applicant to issue their contact information. The employer’s contact information is not needed; the email address you will use is already contact information to identify the recipient.

For example:

The following format can be used.

Yours sincerely,
[Full name]
[Email address]
[Phone Number]
[Any other contact information]

A project manager cover letter is an opportunity to persuade the hiring manager because an applicant deserves an interview or a managerial position. Through the letter, an applicant shows the employer that they understand the job description and can undertake it effectively as they have done so before, and they have information to back this up. When writing the cover letter, ensure to be concise, precise, polite, and professional.