Project Manager cover letter example: a sample to adapt, and why it works.

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Project Manager cover letter

When to use: Applications for Project Manager roles.

Dear [Hiring manager's name],

I'm applying for the Project Manager position at [Employer], which I found on [where you saw the posting]. I bring [number] years of experience as a Project Manager, most recently [the scope you are responsible for].

At [Current or most recent employer], I communicated with key stakeholders to determine project requirements and objectives for [how many / how often], and I identified project needs such as resources, staff, or finances by reviewing project objectives and schedules, which [result you can prove: time saved, errors cut, people served]. I also submitted project deliverables to clients, ensuring adherence to quality standards, using [a tool the posting names, for example Atlassian JIRA, only if you have used it].

Your posting mentions [a priority from the job description]. That is where my active listening and critical thinking matter most: [one short, true example of you doing it].

I'd welcome a conversation about how I could help [Employer] with [that priority]. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

1. Opening. Names the role, Project Manager, and where you saw it, then states your experience in the role.
2. Proof. “Identify project needs such as resources” and “Submit project deliverables to clients, ensuring adherence to quality standards”, in the past tense, plus your scale and result.
3. Skills. Active Listening and Critical Thinking, the top-rated skills, get a real example.
4. Tools. Atlassian JIRA stays in brackets: O*NET data, not your experience.

Career change into Project Manager work

When to use: You are moving in from a related job. O*NET lists Operations Manager, Office Manager and Logistician among the occupations related to this one.

After [number] years as [your current job title], I'm applying for the Project Manager role at [Employer]. In my current job I already conferred with project personnel to identify and resolve problems [or the closest thing you do], and I recently [completed training, a course or a project] in [a skill the posting names].

Moving up to a senior Project Manager role

When to use: Experienced candidates: O*NET places this job in Job Zone 4, considerable preparation.

I'm applying for the Project Manager role at [Employer]. Over [number] years I have planned, scheduled, or coordinated project activities to meet deadlines, and more recently [the larger scope or responsibility you took on].

Referral opening

When to use: Someone at the project manager employer suggested you apply.

[Referrer's name], who [works on your team / knows my work from Previous employer], suggested I apply for the Project Manager role. At [Employer] I requested and reviewed project updates to ensure deadlines are met for [scale], which [result you can prove].

Data Related occupations in O*NET: Information Technology Project Managers, General and Operations Managers, Administrative Services Managers, First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers, Training and Development Managers and Logisticians.

Data Also posted as: Fiber Project Manager, Implementation Project Manager, Project Management Consultant.

Data Knowledge areas: English Language, Administration and Management, Administrative and Customer and Personal Service. Tools reported: Atlassian JIRA, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Asana, Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D and Bentley MicroStation.

• Listing tools you haven't used: the tools above describe the job, not you.
• Describing duties instead of results: “Identify project needs such as resources” is the job, not an achievement.
• Leaving out a license, certification or degree the posting asks for, when you hold it.
• Ignoring English Language, a knowledge area O*NET rates important here.
• Writing only about tasks when the job involves constant contact with people (O*NET work context).
• Ignoring deadlines when the job runs under time pressure (O*NET work context).

Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Every sample on this page is free to use without buying anything.