As remote and flexible jobs grow increasingly popular, so do project coordinator positions. These jobs offer unique benefits like good pay and the ability to see a project through from start to finish. An exceptional project coordinator cover letter may be the factor that tips the hiring scales in your favor.
Few entry-level positions allow for such integral work, and since project coordinators learn from the guidance of project managers, they can easily advance to a management career. Project coordinators work in all sorts of fields, from construction to healthcare and other technical professions. That means they need a wide range of general communication and organization skills along with any specific abilities needed for the particular industry.
Since these jobs offer so many positives, they can also be quite competitive. So how do you get your foot in the door and land a job interview? It all starts with a great cover letter and Resume.io’s is here to help. Our job-winning resources include a wide selection of occupation-specific writing guides and free cover letter examples. Similar help is available for resume writing, along with advice on a wide range of job search topics.
This writing guide, along with our project coordinator cover letter sample, will:
A project coordinator position is all about trust between clients, team members and stakeholders. In order to trust someone, you have to get to know that person. That’s why a cover letter is so important to a project coordinator’s application. This document is your chance to explain your perspectives, experience and personality before you ever shake hands with your prospective boss.
Bear in mind that many candidates for such positions will possess the basic skills required to apply: project schedule, budget and time management. To better your chances of landing an interview, it’s essential that your cover letter portrays you as a cut above the rest.
Personality traits or soft skills can compensate for your lack of experience and gain you an edge. Organizational and communication strengths or attention to detail can put you ahead of other candidates with the right technical abilities but who fail to leverage their personal attributes.
In that sense, a cover letter is all about maximizing your chances and leveling the playing field. Regardless of your relevant employment history, you can show hiring managers that you’re a motivated, hard-working candidate ready to learn and get the job done. Most companies would take a bright up-and-comer over an experienced slacker any day. Your cover letter’s job is to highlight everything that makes you an asset.
Customize your cover letter for success
Just writing a cover letter is half the battle. To maximize the impact, you’ll need to take it further by customizing your cover letter for every prospective job and employer. Show each one that you’re knowledgable and invested in the operations of this hiring organization alone, keen to manage its projects to the best of your abilities.
A customized cover letter starts with getting to know your potential employer. Read the job posting several times. Take a look at the organization's website. Familiarize yourself with the tone, goals and even visual branding. Ask yourself how you best fit in with all that you know about this company.
Then, swap out examples and skills for the ones most relevant to this employer. It might take a few extra minutes of your time, but the rewards will all be worth it when recruiters notice your efforts and work ethic.
For more ideas and inspiration, check out these writing guides and cover letter examples in our related business & management category:
Although the writing style for a cover letter is more free-form than that of a resume, applying the tried-and-true cover letter structure will ensure all the necessary information is included. Luckily, this format is suitable for pretty much any industry, occupation or position. So you can apply these writing tips to all your future job applications.
Here are the key components:
Your cover letter header is like your document banner. It’s highly visible as the first element hiring managers see as their eyes scan down the page. The header serves two important purposes.
It prominently identifies who your cover letter belongs to and how you can be contacted readily: full name, occupation, phone number, email and perhaps even social media handles. In the interest of conserving page space, limit this section to only essential information.
An eye-pleasing design catches the hiring manager’s attention and makes your document stand out. Pay special attention to the color palette and graphic elements, ensuring they harmonize with with the company’s visual brand and level of professionalism.
You do not need to include your full address on the cover letter header. There are data protection issues here, so share it once you have received a job offer. Also, the inside address of the employer is only required for the most formal of positions. Use the cover letter space for something else more useful.
The goal of this section: List your name and contact information so a hiring manager can easily contact you, create attractive formatting to help your document stand out.
Align document styles!
Easily take your job application documents to the next level by aligning the cover letter and resume styles. By creating a matching look and feel for them, you can increase your chances of standing out in a crowded field of applicants.
If you’re not comfortable designing a resume or cover letter layout yourself, Resume.io’s collection of resume templates and matching cover letter templates can help. Choose the design that’s most consistent with with each hiring organization’s mission and branding. Change it up with every new job application.
Your cover letter greeting may be short, but it sets the tone for the rest of your letter. This is where you can create a personal connection and a respectful tone by using the name of the hiring manager along with the proper address. “Dear” is the safest option. but “Hi” or “Hello” may be fine if it's a more casual workplace.
The goal of this section: Address the hiring manager by name to establish a personal connection and friendly tone.
Dear Mr Porter,
The importance of names and addressed greetings
It’s been scientifically proven that people have a positive neurological response to hearing their own names. But it doesn’t take a neuroscience degree to know that when someone uses our name it makes us feel good. It’s one of the quickest ways to build trust and a positive rapport. That’s why we highly recommend using the hiring manager or project manager’s name in your cover letter greeting.
However, in larger companies finding the name of the actual hiring manager who will be reading your letter can be difficult. In this case, you have other options. Try using the company name plus a collective greeting like “Team” or “Family.” “Dear Hiring Manager” can also work. Try to avoid the generic and cold-sounding “To Whom It May Concern.”
Hiring managers can read dozens of applications before getting to yours. That’s why a compelling cover letter introduction is so important. It’s your fleeting chance to catch the attention of hiring managers and convince them to keep reading. It’s OK to name the employer or the position you’re applying for in the introduction, as long as you avoid generic, bland opening statements. A short anecdote, interesting fact or relevant statistic can help you gain a differentiated foothold.
The goal of this section: Use a relevant example, skill or statistic to hook hiring managers and encourage them to read the rest of your letter.
My project management skills in the purchasing industry have led to over $140m savings on direct spend. With a fine eye for detail and a creative approach to problem solving, I know that I can do the same for you.
Your cover letter body is the largest section of your letter and the place where you finally get to show off your strengths and achievements. A simple way to do this is by using the STAR method. First, describe a situation, a task and your action, then focus on the positive result. Substantiate in measurable terms by citing numbers and percentages if possible.
If you don’t have much experience, focus on your personal qualities and how they stand to benefit this future employer. Discuss your interest in the company and potential contributions.
The goal of this section: Use the STAR method to offer anecdotes of your experience and successes, describe your top skills, qualities and potential contributions.
Making the most of a purchasing project involves intense collaboration. I have worked within the manufacturing and automotive industries for over a decade. Many of your current or future clients are well-known to me - I have ten letters of recommendation.
I have coordinated and managed purchasing projects with spends between $600m and $25m with cost savings ranging from 4% to 15%. My Far Eastern sourcing experience is extensive – I understand the cultural aspects of running a project involving varying nationalities.
In my last role, I developed unique methods of communicating with project stakeholders that reduced meeting time by 35% and ensured that project timelines were cut by 20% according to the historical average. My project teams run efficiently because I can retain an overview of all potential hurdles.
I adopt a responsive and empathetic attitude to overcoming obstacles and solving problems. Listening skills are central to achieving the best outcomes and every purchasing project starts with curiosity and ambition.
You’ve finally reached the conclusion of your letter. It’s time to wrap up, leaving the reader with a positive impression. A call to action can help you do exactly that. This expresses enthusiasm for the position and invites the employer to contact you. Then sign off with the most appropriate signature based on the company tone. “Sincerely,” “Thank you” or “Best regards” are all strong options.
The goal of this section: A call to action leaves hiring managers wanting to get in touch; then finish letter with a polite and respectful signature.
I would love to be able to share more of my purchasing experience during a potential interview.
Sincerely,
Simon Yardsmith
Writing psychology is about the reader’s needs and wants, not just the writer’s. On the receiving end of your cover letter is someone with an influence on who makes the interview shortlist and ultimately gets hired. So your letter is much more a matter of what that reader wants to see than what you want to say. Put yourself in the recruiter’s chair.
An effective cover letter for project coordinators should effectively convey these key attributes.
Don’t get bogged down in your cover letter with the administrative minutiae of what project coordination is all about. Skip those details about scheduling meetings, updating accounts or preparing reports — few recruiters will be inclined to read another word. They’re interested in the human side of the project coordinator equation. What makes you tick as a person sets you apart from everyone else who is equally capable of performing those generic duties that don’t need spelling out in your cover letter.
Don't let the single-page limit for a cover page deter you from finding space to tell a story. Good storytelling has a positive effect on our brains, making us more likely to empathize and help others, according to neuroeconomist Paul Zak. Advertisers and marketers have used the power of storytelling to their advantage for decades. Now, you can too.
Choose an anecdote that your potential employer can relate to. Recall a time when you offered excellent oversight, saved your employer time or money, or created an innovative new workflow. Your story might also offer insight into why you want to work for this hiring organization. Maybe there's a tie-in with your interest in architecture or science, for example, and would allow you to make the most of your secondary degree.
Say it with numbers
Because project management has a great deal to do with bottom line goals, be sure to back up some of the achievements noted in your resume with numbers. This could be money saved, productivity gained or the size of the team you managed. Concrete numbers add weight to your success stories and clear evidence of your ability to be an asset in project coordination.
Regardless of how many candidates are vying for the same project coordinator position, your allowable margin of error should be zero. Aim for perfection by avoiding these common mistakes.
Resume.io's cover letter builder offers writing suggestions to avoid writer’s block, a vigilant grammar checker, professional visual designs to grab attention, recruiter-tested templates and much more! Use it all to win your dream job right away!