A project manager plans, organizes, and directs the execution of company projects while ensuring they satisfy set requirements. If you are looking to get a job in project management, you’ll need a strong cover letter to go along with your resume.
Your project manager cover letter is your first opportunity to impress any hiring manager. It gives you the chance to show your enthusiasm for the role and highlight accomplishments from previous roles that demonstrate you are the best fit for the job. In this article, you will find a guide to writing the perfect cover letter to help you land your dream role.
Project Management Cover Letter Guide
A project management cover letter plays a vital role in a job application. It complements your resume, which lists your education and work experience, and gives you a chance to introduce yourself without being physically present. An effective cover letter conveys your personality and helps convince recruiters you are the ideal candidate for the job.
Why Does Your Project Manager Cover Letter Matter?
Project Management is a competitive field. The Project Management Institute expects to have at least 22 million new project management job openings by 2027. The role is versatile because it can serve in a wide variety of industries both within and outside tech.
Your project management cover letter is not just any formal letter but an opportunity to impress the hiring manager. It is your chance to advertise your achievements and tell your employer that you have the technical expertise and experience that will make you a valuable addition to their team.
A compelling cover letter shows your hiring manager that you took the time to understand the team’s needs and job requirements. It allows you to establish a clear link between your knowledge and skills and the team’s needs. It is your opportunity to show how enthusiastic you are about the new role and give the hiring manager a glimpse into your personality and work ethic.
Essential Components of Your Project Manager Cover Letter
By now, you already know that your cover letter is an avenue to highlight your relevant experience and qualifications. Though the details of the letter depend on the company and the job role, there are some standard elements you should include.
- Heading. The heading of the cover letter contains your name and contact information. You can also share your website and LinkedIn details.
- Greetings. If you want your cover letter to hit the right notes, you have to avoid generic terms like “to whom it may concern” or “dear hiring manager.” Instead, look for the hiring manager’s name and use it instead. This gives your letter a personal touch and shows your interest and resourcefulness.
- Introduction. Your introduction should be engaging, show enthusiasm, and give the reader a glimpse of your personality and interest in the role. Make sure you capture the attention of the reader and convince them to keep going.
- Qualifications and skills. Your next paragraph should delve into your qualifications and relevant skills. Don’t list your previous work experiences or education here, as that will be included in your resume. Instead, focus on your strengths and speak of the ways you had a positive impact in a previous role or two.
- Your reasons for applying. At this point, you want to describe why you want to join the team. Be sure to do your homework and research the company culture and the role, so you can allude to them directly and highlight the reasons why you’d be a good fit.
- Closing. Use this part to reiterate your passion and the value you bring, then add a call to action that would prompt the interviewer to invite you for the next stage of the job selection process. Share appreciation for their time spent reading your letter.
5 Tips for Writing a Strong Project Manager Cover Letter
As you write your cover letter for project manager roles, your intention should be to convince the hiring manager that you are the best candidate for the job. Here are some expert tips to help you write an effective cover letter.
- Highlight your top project manager skills. Your cover letter should highlight your strengths. Make sure you understand the primary project management skills, such as strong leadership skills and communication skills, and choose the ones that fit your profile best. For instance, highlight your cost management and organizational skills by showing scenarios where you prepared budgets and expenditures that had a positive impact on your organization.
- Show off your achievements with hard numbers. Hiring managers will look for someone efficient in directing, planning, and monitoring critical projects, and they’ll want proof. In your cover letter, highlight your expertise in these areas and use numbers to show your results. This type of hard evidence will surely help you stand out.
- Emphasize your passion for the role. Make sure to explain why you are passionate about project management. Whether you love solving problems, conducting system audits, or identifying gaps in procedures and strategies, make sure to convey your commitment to the role.
- Go straight to the point. Be concise about what you want and how you can solve the employer’s needs. User shorter, more impactful sentences.
- Make your cover letter about the company. Whatever skill or qualification you are highlighting, ensure to make the cover letter about the company. Highlight project management skills and achievements that are relevant to the role. Indicate how your professional background can help them with their client objectives.
Project Manager Cover Letter Example
Every cover letter is unique because every candidate’s knowledge, skills, and professional experience varies. However, consulting project manager cover letter samples can provide a clear idea of what your letter should look like. Here is a project manager cover letter template to help you.
Project Manager Cover Letter Sample
[Your name]
[Your email]
[Your phone number]
[Your LinkedIn profile]
Dear [Name of recruiting manager],
[Department]
[Company Name]
I came across this job opening from the job board at Indeed and was instantly excited because this job fits perfectly with my skills and technical expertise. I am sure my communication, risk management, and project planning skills would be a great fit for this role.
Over the last five years of my career, I worked as the project manager at Jenkinson Enterprises. During that period, I employed project management software and Agile methodologies to execute a wide range of projects per the company’s needs. I earned a sterling reputation for utilizing my project management expertise to deliver successful projects.
I believe my experience working in project management roles would be beneficial to Jenkinson Enterprises. I admire your company culture, commitment, and desire to innovate technological systems.
Thank you for your consideration. I am looking forward to hearing back from you and preparing for my interview. Feel free to check out my portfolio linked above.
Best Regards,
[Your name]
Project Management Resume Guide
Along with your cover letter, you’ll also need a well-crafted resume to showcase your eligibility for project manager jobs. Your project manager resume highlights your skills, experience, academic background, and achievements. It can be challenging to summarize all your industry expertise and achievements all in one page. Hopefully, our guide will make it easier for you.
Why Does Your Project Manager Resume Matter?
A project manager takes on a lot of responsibilities in an organization. To land this type of role, you need to demonstrate that you have the professional background, credentials, and experience necessary to succeed. A strong resume that highlights the right information can lead to an interview and take you one step closer to landing your dream project management job.
Essential Components of Your Project Manager Resume
If you want your project management resume to be engaging enough to impress your potential employer, it must have some specific components to make it effective. Below are some standard features you should always include.
- Personal Information. This part of the resume contains your name, job title, LinkedIn details, email, phone number, and other important information.
- Career Summary. Think of this part as your one-minute sales pitch to describe who you are and why you think you are the right fit. This is focused on your skills, knowledge, and experience.
- Educational Background. This section has details about your education and training. Make sure to only list the degrees or educational experiences that are relevant to the job.
- Certifications. Just after you’ve described your educational background, you should also highlight relevant certifications and training that you may have.
- Work Experience. This section highlights your professional background and project management experience and the impact you made on the teams and projects you’ve worked for.
- Skills. This section highlights your hard and soft skills. Showcase your areas of expertise relevant to the project manager role, such as agile methodology and lean project management.
5 Tips for Writing a Strong Project Manager Resume
Project managers are regarded as the backbone of organizations because their skills are valuable to a project’s success. This is why hiring managers always look to hire only the best by evaluating training, certifications, industry expertise, and key skills. Some of the ways you can get the attention of hiring managers are listed below.
- Highlight keywords relevant to your role. Recruiters often use an applicant tracking system that scans resumes and determines the right ones for the recruiter. The system uses keywords to select the right resumes. Be sure to read the job description and add notable keywords to your resume.
- Showcase your metrics and accomplishments. Project management is a role that involves a lot of quantifiable responsibilities. This means you can let your work speak for itself by including hard facts. An example of this could be, “designed accelerated program roadmap saving 30 percent of expenditures and delivering results in three months.”
- Choose the right layout. Your resume must be well designed and arranged in a way that allows the recruiter to see the essential details first. Use the chronological format to enable you to place your work history and educational background strategically.
- Feature your technical skills and industry expertise. Project managers use a lot of tools and techniques to reach each crucial project milestone and complete complex projects. Make sure to feature your expertise with tools like Asana, Scrum, Waterfall, Microsoft Project, and Trello. If you have completed any specialized training and seminars, include it here to show off your wide range of experience in project management.
- Make sure to proofread. Once you’re done preparing your resume, make sure you thoroughly check it for any typos or errors. Even better, have a friend or a professional review it to make sure there are no mistakes.
Project Manager Resume Examples
Are you getting ready to write? Below is a sample of a specific part of a resume and a template to help guide your writing process. Whether you’re hoping to start out in a junior project manager role or you’re applying for senior project manager jobs, a well-crafted resume can display you are the best-suited candidate.
"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"
Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot
Project Manager Resume Sample: The Professional Summary Section
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Astute project manager with over five years of years working in a project managerial role at Jenkinson Enterprise. Seeking a position where I can apply my technical expertise to create innovative technological solutions.
Sample Project Manager Resume Template
[Name]
[Address]
[Phone Number]
[Email]
[LinkedIn]
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
[Summary of your career goals for employment, where you have been and hope to go in your career]
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
[Job title, Company]
[Month, Year – Month, Year]
[Job Description]
- [Include as many relevant professional experiences as possible]
EDUCATION
[Name of College]
[Degree]
[Honors]
SKILLS
[Include skills pertinent to the job role]
ACHIEVEMENTS
[Award]
[Volunteer]
[Languages]
Project Manager Resume Template Resources
- BeamJobs. Here you can find several professional cover letter templates to help you craft your own. These templates have been designed with various levels of expertise.
- Enhancv. In a few clicks, you can build your project manager resume using this example. These templates will help you make the right decisions in crafting your resume.
- Novoresume. This is a professional resume builder that can help you properly structure your resume for project management roles. All you need to do is input your skills, contact details, and it will walk you through the rest.
Importance of a Project Manager Cover Letter and Resume
A project management cover letter is an opportunity to impress a prospective employer and help them get a first impression of your personality and skill set. It is the first document the hiring manager sees during the hiring process and, if written well, allows you to stand out from the application pool. On the other hand, your resume offers a deeper look into your education, work experience, and skills.
Project Manager Cover Letter and Resume FAQ
What is a good cover letter for a project manager?
A great project management cover letter is one that carefully highlights your strengths, skills, achievements, and expertise. It also conveys your enthusiasm for the role. It is a letter that your hiring manager is immediately impressed with as soon as they read it.
What do recruiters look out for in any cover letter?
Hiring managers usually prefer cover letters that are concise and that list clear achievements. Hence, make sure to keep things to the point and focus on measurable successes.
What is a project manager job description?
A project manager is responsible for planning and directing all aspects of a project. They are accountable for meeting the goals and objectives of the project and completing it within the specified time and budget. The project manager is responsible for organizing tasks, resources, and people to implement the project efficiently.
What qualifications do you need as a project manager?
A project manager must have specific skills and experience in relevant projects and tasks. The minimum requirements for a project management position are at least three years of experience in any related role, communication and interpersonal skills, and a PMP certification.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
