Free Manager Cover Letter Examples and Writing Tips
As a manager, you’ll be responsible for teams and projects. Use our management cover letters for inspiration to write yours!
As a manager, you’ll be responsible for teams and projects. Use our management cover letters for inspiration to write yours!
When a hiring manager is looking to fill a manager position, they’re going to be looking for someone who is just as good of a leader as they are an employee. Use this professional manager cover letter example as a base to write your letter in our Cover Letter Builder.
Copy this free manager cover letter template and edit it to make your own cover letter!
Here’s another manager cover letter example you can use for inspiration. Review how the skills are highlighted and how the candidate talks about their robust experience, always focusing on what they can bring to the company.
Make your manager cover letter stand out by following these helpful tips:
Capture the hiring manager’s interest right away with a catchy opening line that invites them to keep reading. Highlight your interest in the position, with your top skills and experience in the industry.
Do your homework before writing your cover letter and read more about the company. You’re going to be filling a very important position, so show them you understand their goals and are the right person to help them achieve them.
As a manager, you know how important numbers are, so use them to your advantage! Writing, “I successfully led a team that consistently exceeded quarterly sales targets by an average of 20%. Through implementing targeted sales training programs and closely monitoring key performance indicators, we achieved a 25% increase in overall team productivity within the first year,” sounds a lot more impressive than simply saying you helped increase sales and team performance.
A good manager will be able to include a mixture of hard skills and soft skills in their job application. Sure, hard skillslike budgeting, public speaking and Microsoft Office are needed to do the job, but soft skills like good communication, leadership and conflict resolution are just as important.
The closing paragraph of your cover letter is the perfect opportunity to invite the hiring manager to further discuss your qualifications. Thank them for their time and offer to talk at their earliest convenience.
Follow these steps to create a compelling cover letter for a manager job:
When writing a manager cover letter, start with your header. The header includes your full name, contact information with your phone number and social media links, like your LinkedIn. It’s all the information that a recruiter can use to contact you when they want to set up a job interview. You should also include the hiring manager’s contact information, aligned to the left of the document like a business letter.
Start your letter by addressing it to the hiring manager directly. Avoid using generic terms such as “Dear Hiring Manager” or “To Whom It May Concern,” because they can come across as unprofessional and outdated. If you can’t find the hiring manager’s name, it’s OK to address the cover letter to the department or to human resources (“Dear Sales Department” or “Dear Human Resources”)
Your first paragraph should immediately give a hook that includes your best achievements and showcases the biggest reason that you’re perfect for this job posting. The applicant in the manager cover letter sample below immediately tells a short story about how he decided to implement something new when he first became a store manager, raising sales metrics by over 34%. It’s an effective way to grab a recruiter’s attention. Dear Mr. Smith, The month that I first became a store manager, I decided to implement a new project management process that completely changed the way that everyone worked. It was daunting, and not everyone believed in me, but by the end of the month, we had increased our sales numbers by over 34%. My management skills quickly proved themselves, and I learned that taking calculated risks is worth it. I want to bring those same qualities to the position as a store manager at Management, Inc.
Now that the recruiter is reading, you need to showcase even more of your skills and extensive management experience. The applicant lists the most standout elements of his skillset: he states that he’s good at communication, he prefers to be a compassionate leader and he makes a good first impression. Management skills can go in this section, but if you’re applying for something with the name “manager” in it, it’s typically assumed that you have management skills.
If you need to fill out your cover letter a bit more here, then you can include more key achievements underneath this paragraph with bullet points.
I pride myself on my communication skills, and my extensive experience with a variety of different kinds of workers means that I’m able to communicate with all of them in different ways. I believe in inspiring a following rather than merely requiring allegiance. My approach involves actively listening to my team members, understanding their perspectives and fostering an environment where everyone feels heard and valued. This leadership style has contributed to strong team morale and high levels of employee satisfaction.
Finally, you need to ask for an interview. Cover letters are unique because they actually allow you to write a request for an interview. You can use the same wording this applicant uses, “I look forward to getting to sit down and talk with you.” This is a subtle push to have the interviewer call you for an interview. After thanking them, use a professional sign-off like "Sincerely" or "Kind regards." I am excited about the opportunity to bring my strategic management skills, effective communication techniques and genuine care for team members to Management, Inc. I look forward to discussing how my leadership qualities can contribute to the success of your company. Sincerely, John Griffin For more tips, read our How to Write a Cover Letter article.
Tailor the hard skills and soft skills you feature in your cover letter to the specific job you’re applying for, as management positions will vary depending on the company, department and industry. Here are some you can consider:
Make sure your manager cover letter and resume are up-to-date using our tools and resources.
Have questions? We’re here to help.
A great cover letter shows hiring managers what you can bring to the table and how you can help them achieve their goals. It’s a well-balanced text where you center your qualifications and experience around what you can bring to the company, instead of what the company can do for you.
Typically, a professional cover letter will have an opening paragraph, one or two body paragraphs and a closing paragraph. It’s no longer than a page, will complement the information on your resume and will serve as a great marketing tool for yourself.
A cover letter for a managerial position should communicate your experiences and skills, and how they align with the role’s requirements. It should have specific examples of how you have demonstrated leadership, managed teams and contributed to the success of your previous employers. Include measurable achievements using metrics or percentages, and showcase your impact on key performance indicators, team productivity, revenue growth and other relevant aspects of a company.
Your manager cover letter should also include a deep understanding of the company’s values and goals. Explain how your managerial approach aligns with them.
Express your enthusiasm for the manager position in your letter of interest. Compellingly highlight your qualifications without repeating the same information on your resume.
Here are some tips to create a great manager cover letter:
It’s always a good idea to write a convincing cover letter for any job. It puts you ahead of other job seekers, allows you to provide more details on why you fit the job description and gives you a chance to ask for an interview. Through a cover letter, you can further discuss your skills and qualifications in a way that might convince hiring managers to get in touch with you. Where a resume focuses solely on facts, a cover letter gives you a chance to tell them a little bit more about who you are and what attracted you to the job opening.
If you’re not used to writing cover letters, then you can use the ResumeHelp Cover Letter Builder to write all the cover letters you’ll use for your new job.
The perfect cover letter is typically between half a page and 3/4 of a page long. Any longer than one page, and the recruiter is less likely to read it; any shorter than half a page, and the amount of white space tends to make it seem like you’re underqualified. Your job search will be best served by a cover letter that’s around 3/4 of a page long.
Typically, you need some kind of experience to get a manager position. However, if you’re looking to apply to your first management job after years of experience, focus on transferable skills and any relevant experience you can write about. Were you tasked with leading a project? How did you delegate the tasks for this project and what were the results? Do you have skills related to the position? How have you used these skills in the past?
Don’t simply tell the hiring manager you have the skills to be a manager, show them how you’ve used your skills and convince them you have what it takes to be a great manager.
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