Writing a Project Manager Cover Letter

When applying for Project Manager jobs it is highly likely that you will be required to submit a Project Manager cover letter alongside your CV.

Your PM cover letter is your chance to highlight your key skills and experience in relation to the specific company and job role you are applying for whereas your CV is a more consistent document about you and your achievements. In today’s competitive jobs market it is essential to demonstrate key attributes and soft skills in order to set yourself from the crowd and it is these characteristic that are easy for hiring managers to spot in good cover letters.

Project Manager cover letter format

As a Project Manager you should have an organised and concise approach to your everyday work, and so your cover letter should be a reflection of this. It is a good idea to keep your cover letter limited to one page of A4, but also as succinct as possible. If your cover letter is too text heavy it is likely to put off hiring managers from reading it properly, so we suggest sticking to a 3 paragraph format.

The First Paragraph

The first paragraph should state the title of the job you are looking to apply for and detail where you found out about the job. Following on from this you should lead with a brief overview of you and your experience. For example: “IT Project Manager with over 13 years experience in delivering infrastructure projects.”

Paragraph 1 should be relatively short (approximately 4-5 lines) and act as an introduction.

The Second Paragraph

This second paragraph is where you should go in to more detail about why you are the ideal candidate for the job and should form the main part of your Project Manager cover letter.

Before you begin writing this section of your Project Manager cover letter, it is a good idea to go back to the job description and really assess the requirements of the role. While doing this keep in mind your CV and look for good examples from your work history that will provide evidence that you possess the key skills the role demands. It is also recommended that you refer back to your CV in your cover letter as it shows you are conscientious, however simply copy and pasting sections of your CV will make your cover letter look generic, so avoid doing this at all costs.

If you are able to support your statements with facts or figures, it will go a long way to setting you apart from the rest of the applicants. For example: “You will see from my CV that I have successfully managed project budgets well in excess of £1million.”

This second paragraph can also be used to demonstrate your knowledge or any research you have done on the company you are applying to, as well as highlighting why you would like to work for them.

The Third Paragraph

The final paragraph should round off your Project manager cover letter in a positive way, re-iterating the key aspects of you and your experience that make you the ideal candidate for the role. Applying for Project Manager jobs, you may like to highlight some of the below key skills:

• Ability to achieve results on time and to budget
• Ability to prioritise tasks
• Ability to fit into an existing structure
• Ability to communicate across all organisation levels

You should take guidance from the job description as to other key skills you should include in this section.

Project Manager cover letter layout

As a Project Manager, the layout of your cover letter should be professional and well organised. Here are a few rules to follow:

• Include your contact details in the top right hand corner (address, email, phone number etc)
• Include the company details in the top left hand corner (if you are applying directly to the company and not through  an agency)
• Address the recruiter formerly (i.e. Dear Mr Smith). Try to avoid “Dear Sir/Madam” if possible as it can make your application look generic.
• Before you start writing, include the job title and any reference number of the job you are applying for.
• Listing your statements in bullet points is perfectly acceptable.
• Always check your Project Manager cover letter for spelling and grammatical errors.
• Ask friends and family to read over your cover letter and ask them for their feedback.
• Use the same font and styling as your Project Manager CV.

You should finish your cover letter by saying that you look forward to hearing from them in due course, however, don’t put a time limit as to when you would like a response as this is often seen as rude or cheeky.