Program Manager Text-Only Cover Letters
Years of Experience
- Entry-level
- Mid-career
- Senior-level
Marcus Dacelin
123 S Main Street, Branson, MO 65616 | (417) 111-0000 | [email protected]
Monday, September 26, 2022
Ms. Lori Taylor
Hiring Manager
NZD Inc.
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Taylor:
Recently, as Program Manager for Branson Enterprises, Inc., I saved 100 labor hours by automating our file transfer process. I hope to drive similar positive results at your company.
I’m a forward-looking, articulate IT program manager with three years of experience. I’ve met 100%+ of program goals throughout my career by expertly allocating resources, streamlining operations, and unifying and motivating cross-functional teams. My work highlights and qualifications also include the following:
- Led a custom HR software project that eliminated four meeting hours per week for 20 employees
- Broad, deep knowledge of PMO standard tools and SaaS platforms
- Recently completed MBA from Kansas State University
- Eager to learn and grow with a team of similarly driven, passionate associates and leaders
The enclosed resume contains a complete overview of my recent work and academic experience. I look forward to hearing from you and possibly learning more about this job opportunity soon. Thank you very much for your time.
Sincerely,
Marcus Dacelin
Tonya Zimmerman
109 My Road, Albany, NY 32109 | (901) 234-5678 | [email protected]
Monday, September 26, 2022
Ms. Meiling Li
Hiring Manager
RZK Institute
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Li:
In my current role as Youth Project Program Manager at the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene Incorporated, I’ve spearheaded public awareness initiatives that caused 54% more young people to access support from the crisis helpline. I hope to drive similar positive results at your organization.
I’m drawn to your group’s mission to lead high-impact community projects and residential programs. I believe I can support these efforts based on my skill and experience in these areas:
- Program Management: More than seven years’ experience focused on developing and guiding programs for substance abuse treatment and mental health
- Organization: Carefully allocated and documented all program resources, leading to 100% attainment of deadlines and budget requirements
- Motivational Leadership: Guided a team to deliver training that improved educators’ confidence in discussing sensitive issues with students
- Talent Acquisition: Recruited and onboarded five new staff members in 2020
I would welcome the chance to discuss my skills with you further. Please call or email me to arrange an interview. I will follow up with you soon to confirm you received my resume and see if you have any initial questions. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Tonya Zimmerman
Kendra Perry
876 Main Avenue, Orlando, FL 76543 | (012) 345-6789 | [email protected]
Monday, September 26, 2022
Ms. Saanvi Khatun
Hiring Manager
NHD Services, Inc.
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Khatun:
In my current role as Program Manager for MetaBank, I devised a comprehensive training and professional development schedule that improved efficiency by 43% and employee satisfaction by 75%. I hope to drive similar positive results at your firm.
I’m a dedicated and organized program manager with 13+ years of experience leading and mentoring cross-functional teams. My work highlights and qualifications include the following:
- Monitored program milestones and outcomes and quickly solved problems, resulting in 34% faster progress toward goals in 2020
- Actively created opportunities for remote knowledge sharing and innovated new ways to spur collaboration across a wide region
- Pinpointed five key ways to improve training and performance of a remote workforce
- Excellent risk management and mitigation skills, with a talent for contingency planning to avoid foreseeable issues
I look forward to potentially telling you more about how I can help your organization, and I am available to talk at your convenience. Thank you very much for your time.
Sincerely,
Kendra Perry
Program Manager Cover Letter Tips
Below are three tips to help you feature results on your cover letter for a job as a program manager:
1. Use freewriting to strike a confident tone
Cover letters work best when they project confidence. But many people find it hard to write anything confidently, much less a formal request to a stranger.
To overcome writer’s block, you can use a brainstorming technique called focused freewriting. The method is “focused” because you must only write about a particular topic you’ve chosen. But it’s also “free” writing since you can write whatever comes to mind about the subject without regard for order or organization. Try a focused freewriting session for your next cover letter. Spend ten minutes quickly writing down your answer to this question: What positive results have your programs generated?
This method helps you overcome the self-consciousness that makes many jobseekers use bland, generic phrasing on their cover letters. You can better explore and capture your original, genuine thoughts by writing more freely at first. You’ll probably generate a lot of stray notes and ideas that you don’t end up using in your letter. But you’ll also probably generate at least a few clear, confident sentences that genuinely express the positive results of your work to date. Get those clear sentences on your cover letter. You’ll dramatically improve its persuasive effect on hiring managers.
2. Show your “soft skills” in action
For program managers, so-called “soft skills” like organization, communication, and prioritization are key. But how can you emphasize those skills in your letter in a clear and compelling way? One good strategy is to set off each one as a bullet point, then couple it with an active statement that shows how you applied the skill to make a positive impact.
Example
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- Organization: Carefully allocated and documented all program resources, leading to 100% attainment of deadlines and budget requirements
- Motivational Leadership: Guided a team to deliver training that improved educators’ confidence in discussing sensitive issues with students
- Talent Acquisition: Recruited and onboarded five new staff members in 2020
3. Start with a specific career highlight
Countless cover letters begin with a general statement like “Please accept my enclosed application to your advertised Program Manager job opening.” However, statements such as this are unnecessary and stuffy. If the hiring manager looks at your cover letter, they know they’ve received your application.
Give your letter a fresher intro. Cut right to the chase. Open by giving a specific, factual statement of one of your program results or highlights. When the highlight aligns with a hiring manager’s needs, it’ll catch their attention in the same way the job posting caught yours.
Example
Dear Ms. Taylor:
Recently, as Program Manager for Branson Enterprises, Inc., I saved 100 labor hours by automating our file transfer process. I hope to drive similar positive results at your company.
Other Resume & Cover Letter Resources
The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that jobs for managers will increase by about eight percent between 2021 and 2031. For more insight on pursuing opportunities in this growing field, check out the links below:
Resume Examples
Cover Letter Examples
Job Search Advice
