Applying for a Project Management position and can’t write the cover letter? We’ve got you covered with this project manager cover letter sample and guide.
Here at Let’s Eat, Grandma, we’ve written over a thousand successful cover letters for job seekers across every industry and experience level. Our professional business writing consultants know a thing or two about cover letters, and we’re happy to share our winning formula with you.
By: Daniel Lorenzo | Content Marketing Manager at Let’s Eat, Grandma
As a project manager, you have a lot of responsibilities. You wear a variety of hats to manage deadlines, respond to feedback, and lead a team through tough development stages, all while keeping the client happy. You have not only technical know-how, but also valuable soft skills to motivate and manage people.
Simply put, you get things done – on-time and under budget. No matter what stage you’re at in your career, that’s impressive!
Now… how are you going to convey that on paper?
Check out this project manager cover letter sample, then read on for helpful tips to make yours just as awesome:
Project Manager Cover Letter Sample
Let’s walk through a few elements of this great cover letter so you can learn how to include them in your own.
#1: Targeted to the Job Description
You may have been thrown off when you saw those bullet points. Aren’t documents like this supposed to be formal?
They are, but while you should never forgo industry-standard formatting conventions, numbered bullet points can be an effective and readable alternative way to structure your cover letter.
It may look slightly less formal, but unless you’re applying to work for the Queen of England, this will be overshadowed by the way these bullet points efficiently illustrate your qualifications and exactly how they apply to the job description.
Numbers or bullets are just two of many valid options for structuring your cover letter. The more important takeaway here is that this cover letter is laser-targeted to the job description. Each of Amir’s bullet points illustrate a specific skill, all of which are directly applicable to a project manager’s job (“client-oriented,” anyone?)
#2: Stories and Stats
Amir doesn’t just use a lot of words to say he’s a qualified project manager – he goes to considerable lengths to prove it.
He goes into detail on specific projects, explaining in his own voice the challenges he faced and the results he achieved. He also includes impressive figures like “$10 million” and “over 150 city planners” to make sure these examples pack a punch.
While your resume provides a broad overview of all the duties, accomplishments and statistics from your career, your cover letter should go into detail on a specific story or two that illustrates a quality or accomplishment you’re particularly proud of.
It’s important to include these in your cover letter not only to show you can express yourself, but also to backup what’s on your resume.
Think of it this way – if your resume is the peanut butter in your job sandwich, your cover letter is the jelly! They should complement each other, not just rephrase the same information!
#3: Professional Philosophy and Personal Touch
Amir also makes great use of the cover letter by explaining his values and motivations and how they align with those of the company.
Again, this is a prime distinction between the resume and cover letter that you need to capitalize on, project managers. Don’t just tell me you “managed effectively” or “delivered projects on-time” at Dell – I can get that from your resume!
Instead, tell me that you have a “deep thirst for knowledge,” that you “pursue lifelong learning,” or that you’re “innovative and impact-oriented” because you know that the company is, too.
Don’t just throw around buzzwords, though. Tell the hiring manager what really motivates you, and they’ll see that there’s an eloquent, communicative human being behind that resume.
You’ve managed teams to deliver great projects. Now get out there and write a great cover letter to deliver on the biggest project of all: landing your dream job.
For even more cover letter help, sign up on our homepage for a FREE phone consultation and/or Career Score to see how our business writing experts can get your materials in shape.
(And, be sure to check out the Career Warrior Podcast for more answers to any and all of your job-search questions!)