When writing your office manager cover letter, focus on how you can expertly run business support services for the company that posted the job. Also, emphasize your related skills like cost reduction, vendor relations, or staff training. This guide will help you write a cover letter that gets you interviews for your next job as an office manager.
Office Manager Cover Letter Templates and Examples
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
How To Write an Office Manager Cover Letter
A great office manager cover letter usually has five sections, outlined below. When possible, connect each section back to your defining skills and the organization’s hiring needs. The following advice and examples show what to include in your cover letter so it’s optimized for each job application.
1. Heading
At the top of the page, include your resume contact header, the date, and any basic details you have about your recipient (as in the example below). To set a clear professional focus that helps you get past initial screenings, add the title Office Manager to your contact header.
(Note: Feel free to omit this section if you send your letter by email and your contact details are part of your signature.)
Example
Moses Abimbola
Office Manager | [email protected] | (789) 012-3456 | 432 Main St., Park City, UT 76543
March 11, 2024
Katie Tang
Senior Hiring Manager
Thrasio
(901) 234-5678
[email protected]
2. Salutation
Whenever you can, address your recipient by name – it’s the quickest way to signal you’re sending a job-specific letter and not a boilerplate. If you can’t find the recipient’s name, use a variation of “Dear Hiring Manager” so your greeting is still tailored somewhat to each job opening.
Examples
Dear Ms. Collins,
Dear Aspen, Inc. Recruiter:
3. “Hook” or introduction
Catch the reader’s attention by starting your letter with a clear example or measure of your success in office management. Choose a highlight that shows your skill at making business support functions run quickly and cost-effectively.
Example
Last year, I spearheaded a project to overhaul my company’s calendar system. This resulted in an 87% reduction in booking errors and cut appointment wastage by 65%. I hope to offer the same assertive leadership and strategic planning as an office manager at UnityPoint Health.
4. Body paragraph(s)
Use the main section of your letter to explain why this job opening interests or suits you. For example, maybe you’re applying to one of the many office manager jobs in health care, a sector you’d like to return to. Or maybe the role focuses on policy development and process streamlining, and you’ve been recognized for your work in those areas.
Following this explanation, cite a few more of your administrative and management skills or achievements, possibly as bullet points.
Example
As an ambitious individual motivated by playing a part in building thriving businesses, the opportunity to join a fast-growing company like Thrasio is compelling. You are seeking a self-starter with a proven talent for finding novel solutions, and the following accomplishments show my suitability:
- Spearheading the office staff training initiative, providing ongoing professional development sessions, and successfully onboarding three new hires in 2020
- Streamlining the appointment booking system to reduce errors by 89% in a single year
- Receiving high praise during my annual performance review for my exceptional efficiency and leadership skills
5. Call to action
Finally, request an interview for the position. Consider briefly restating your main work strengths and overall dedication to helping offices run smoothly. To end your cover letter, use a simple closing like “Sincerely” or “Best regards” and then your name.
Example
I would love to set up a time to discuss further how my skills and abilities can benefit your company. Please feel free to contact me with a time that works best for you.
Best Regards,
Michelle Wilson
Office Manager Cover Letter Tips
1. Highlight your key work skills
As part of your letter’s body text, add a short list of bullet points describing your success in key areas for an office manager, such as efficiency improvement or staff training. With each bullet point, show the skill in action by giving a quantified example of the impact you made on past employers.
Example
My recent accomplishments include:
- Negotiating favorable deals with contractors to slash office spending by 43% in 2020 without compromising service quality or efficiency
- Planning and delivering a comprehensive staff development program that increased productivity by 32% in the last fiscal quarter
- Overseeing the operation of reception staff and achieving a 93% customer satisfaction rating over three years
2. Emphasize cost reduction
For nearly any office, a key goal is finding ways to minimize expenses. Use your cover letter to speak to this theme if it relates to your background and the office manager jobs you’re pursuing.
Example
My proudest achievement last year was negotiating an office supplies contract that slashed costs by 43%. I am excited to apply my excellent organizational skills and strategic budget management ability to the role of office manager at Thrasio.
3. Mention your relevant traits
Desired qualities in office managers (also known as administrative services managers) include precision, collaboration, adaptability, and resourcefulness. Consider which of these traits best describe you, then give an example or two of how you’ve shown them in a work setting.
Office Manager Text-Only Cover Letter Templates and Examples
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
Michelle Wilson
Office Manager | [email protected] | (123) 456-7890 | 123 Main St., Cleveland, OH 09876
March 1, 2024
Andrea Collins
HR Recruiter
Aspen, Inc.
(987) 654-3210
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Collins,
Supervising a team of 14 employees while handling the demands of a busy office and maintaining high levels of efficiency are some of my greatest achievements in my administrative career. I would like to bring that same level of commitment to Aspen, Inc. as an Office Manager.
After obtaining over seven years of office management experience, I am excited to contribute to Aspen, Inc.’s reputation for quality and commitment to growth. Some examples of my past successes include:
- Maintained a yearly budget of $90,000 to manage office requirements such as ordering supplies, equipment maintenance, and service contracts.
- Recommended cost-saving measures for service contracts to save an average of 10% per year.
- Created and implemented efficiency enhancements to improve the workflow of the front office staff.
I would love to set up a time to discuss further how my skills and abilities can benefit your company. Please feel free to contact me with a time that works best for you.
Best Regards,
Michelle Wilson
Office Manager Cover Letter Frequently Asked Questions
What should I not do when writing a cover letter?-
Don’t worry about getting it right the first time. You’ll likely need more than one draft to figure out what you want to say to the hiring manager and how to say it.
If you’re starting from scratch, take 10 minutes to simply brainstorm and jot down why the job or employer interests you. When you’re done brainstorming, review your notes: Do any stand out as important or persuasive? Take another 10 minutes to reflect and elaborate on them. Repeat this process until you have at least two or three concise sentences that speak to the job opening at hand. These are the foundation for a strong cover letter that reflects your true enthusiasm for the role.
What should my cover letter's design look like?-
Your resume's. Carry over all of that document’s basic format settings, like font style, line spacing, and page margins.
How do I write a cover letter when I’m not qualified?-
Don’t write a cover letter when you’re not qualified. Limit your search to jobs you’re generally ready to take on, and never apply to a role you doubt you could satisfy.
That said, there’s room for discretion. You don’t need to meet every requirement on a job posting to be confident you’d excel, especially if you have other pertinent skills or experiences to draw on. In these cases, your cover letter can help. Toward the end of your letter, feel free to briefly acknowledge the qualification gap and explain why your other experiences compensate for it. This gives hiring managers helpful context and can motivate them to call you even if you aren’t a perfect fit on paper.
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