Case Manager cover letter example

An outstanding case manager cover letter is an essential job application component for anyone in that field seeking employment. Resume.io is the right place to learn in detail everything you need to know about how to prepare one.

Our resources include more than 180 occupation-specific writing guides and corresponding cover letter examples. Here's what we'll discuss in this writing guide, backed by case manager cover letter examples :

• What does a case manager do?
• Case manager salary and job outlook
• Why a cover letter is essential for a case manager
• The best format for structuring a cover letter
• Optimizing the impact of each cover letter section: header, greeting, introduction, body and conclusion
• Cover letter layout, design and formatting tips
• The psychology of writing a persuasive cover letter
• Common mistakes to avoid.

What does a case manager do?

Case managers used to be commonly called “case workers.” Today's commonly used occupation name emphasizes their overall management role meeting the needs of clients and patients in various medical, family-related and social work settings. 

Case managers coordinate and facilitate wide-ranging approaches to achieving and maintaining well-being for the physically or mentally ill, the elderly, people challenged by substance abuse, clients in the correctional system, families and children, and other clients. They may be social workers, nurses, counselors, physical therapists, speech therapists or specialists in other fields. 

The work of a case manager typically includes:

• Assessing the needs of clients and patients
• Identifying remedies and resources to assist in achieving and maintaining wellness
• Coordinating and facilitating services provided for clients and patients
• Advocating and interceding on behalf of those needing help
• Monitoring the short-term and long-term progress of clients and patients
• Helping to ensure overall and ongoing client well-being

Case manager salary and job outlook

Case managers earn an average hour wage of $18.45 per hour, according to Payscale.com. Another leading source of salary info, Glassdoor.com, says case managers in the U.S. earn an average annual salary of $43,072.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which provides extensive occupational information on both salaries and job outlook, does not rank case managers separately, but it provides useful information on employment expectations for all kinds of social workers. And the outlook is very good.

Why a cover letter is essential for a case manager

For job applications in any field, including case managers, a cover letter is an essential companion to a resume. If you apply for a case manager job by sending only one document, you’ve sent just 50% of what you needed to send.

Surveys of hiring managers have found that the failure to include a cover letter is among the top 10 reasons job candidates are rejected. Why take the chance?

Some people feel that a two application documents are overkill, since they both address many of the same issues, including work experience, education and job skills. But a resume is basically an impersonal collection of lists (of jobs, schools and skills). It’s not addressed to anyone, it normally doesn’t use the word “I” or “you,” and it doesn’t offer the opportunity to speak to how your contributions could benefit the company or organization you’re targeting.

A cover letter, on the other hand, is a professional but personal approach to a hiring manager — like a handshake, a human greeting, a “hello” from afar. A cover letter enables you to showcase your personality, passion, warmth and likability. A cover letter is a way of establishing a personal connection with an individual whose help you need.

Although in rare cases an employer will request that you refrain from sending more than one document, you should always include a cover letter unless you’re specifically asked not to.

Best format for a case manager cover letter

The best format for a case manager cover letter is one that follows a solid structure and is easy to read. This means the cover letter should be one page only, a maximum of 400 words, and it should be contain the following elements:

• Cover letter header
• Cover letter greeting
• Cover letter introduction
• Cover letter body
• Cover letter conclusion
• Cover letter sign-off

This cover letter format is the tried and tested approach, yet each cover letter is a highly individualized document. So, the goal for each cover letter section or paragraph should be to maximize its effectiveness in showcasing your professionalism and personality.

Below is a case manager cover letter example that you can customize for the position and hiring organization:

Let’s take a look at each of these components in detail, along with some cover letter writing samples to illustrate.

Cover letter header

The cover letter header is an attractively designed section that contains the job applicant’s name, occupation, address, phone number and email.

The reasons for this are obvious, so that the employer knows how to reach you if interested. But notice that the header also plays an important design role — it makes the page look more eye-catching, more interesting and more professional.

Goal of the cover letter header: Distinguish yourself from other job applicants by attracting visual attention and making it easy for impressed recruiters to get in touch.

Cover letter greeting

“Dear Mr. XXX,” or “Dear Ms. ZZZ,” is the traditional, time-honored wayof writing a business letter greeting, also known as a salutation. And there’s no need to reinvent the wheel here, because this approach is never wrong.

If you happen to know the person you’re writing to, it may be acceptable to use a first name or a more informal greeting, like “Hello Henry,” or “Greetings Maria.” But beware of being too casual in a letter where you’re asking for a job.

Often you will find yourself responding to a job listing that doesn’t tell you the name of the hiring manager. In such cases, it’s best to do whatever you can to find out who the appropriate person is. If your online sleuthing can’t answer this question, it’s always an option to simply call the company and ask. 

People like to read their own names, and they’re more likely to respond to an email that addresses them by name rather than one addressed to an entire company or department. It also shows your professionalism, attention to detail and interest in this company if you’ve gone to the trouble of finding out who’s processing the job applications.

But if you’re told to simply address your job application to the Humans Relations Dept., you might have no choice but to go with something like “Dear Human Relations Team.”

Goal of the cover letter greeting: Start off on a professional note while making a direct personal connection with the hiring manager.

Here’s the greeting from our case manager cover letter sample.

Cover letter introduction

The opening paragraph of your case manager cover letter should make an attention-getting opening statement about the job you’re seeking and about why you would make an excellent candidate. 

If you have 10 years of experience as a working case manager, you’re golden — just say so. For instance: “After 10 years of experience as a case manager for the Illinois Department of Human Services, advising and serving some of the neediest people in the state, I’d like to offer Northwestern Memorial my expertise in filling a similar role for your patients.”

Goal of the cover letter introduction: Capture the hiring manager's attention with a compelling preview of your qualifications that motivates further reading.

Below is another introduction idea from our case manager cover letter sample.

Cover letter body

The central two to four paragraphs, comprising the middle part of your cover letter, should make a slam-dunk case that you are the right person for this job. 

Again, experience is king, so if you’re an experienced case manager, lead with that. In addition to naming some of the places you’ve worked, be specific about what you actually did at those jobs, using facts and figures wherever possible. 

Consider telling a story. Use an anecdote or two to recount a challenge you once faced, the action you took to resolve it, and the satisfactory result you achieved. 

You may have no experience as a case manager — perhaps you’re just finishing college, you’re changing careers or you’re looking to move up from a related field. If so, identify the experience that best qualifies you for the job, whether it’s your pending degree or your work in a similar field.

Try to say something about the company you’re targeting. Mention it by name and say something about why you want to work there, or about how you believe you could resolve challenges that you know it’s facing. This shows that you’re not just sending out cover letters at random to 50 employers, but you’re really interested in this specific employer.

Goal of the cover letter body: Illustrate how this employer would benefit from your commitment to excellence as a case manager.

Our case manager cover letter sample illustrates what you might include in the middle part.

Cover letter closing

You can conclude your cover letter with a summary and a thank-you, but it should also contain some kind of call to action. For example, you might say you’re always reachable using the contact info provided and you’re looking forward to a reply. Perhaps indicate that you’re available anytime for a formal interview or even a quick phone call.

The idea is to plant the thought that the reader should take some action as a result of your letter and not just lay it aside. 

Aim of the cover letter closing: End on a positive, self-assured note with a call to action that encourages recruiters to respond.

Below is the closing section of our case manager cover letter example.

Sign-off/signature line

Let’s not overthink this one.

That’s all you need. You can choose a sign-off other than “Sincerely” if you like, such as "Best regards," or "Best," as long as it’s appropriate for a business letter.

In a printed cover letter that you intend to mail or hand-deliver, an actual signature is needed above your name, but this is not necessary in electronic communication.

Cover letter layout, design and formatting

You could scribble the perfect case manager cover letter on a napkin and just mail that in. But we wouldn’t recommend it.

As any good chef will tell you, presentation matters. Your letter needs to look as good as it reads. And that means following some basic design and formatting rules:

• Fonts: The font you choose should be easy to read, nothing that looks weird or calls attention to itself. Take a moment to read our advice on the best fonts to use in cover letters.
   
• Font size: No smaller than 10 points and no larger than 12 is a good rule of thumb. Resist the urge to force your wordy letter onto one page by using a microscopic font size. Try trimming your text instead.
   
• Margins: Use a margin of at least 1 inch on the top, bottom, left and right of your cover letter.
   
• Text alignment: Text should be aligned left, not justified from margin to margin, to provide a little extra space at the end of each line.
   
• Paragraphs: Leave a space between them, don’t indent, and don’t make them too long. Nobody wants to read a paragraph that takes up half a page.
   
• Save as PDF: The PDF file format will preserve the formatting of your letter so that it looks the same on the recipient’s device as it does on yours. However, if you’re submitting your case manager cover letter through an online system - make sure to check whether it has any file format requirements (some application systems online accept Word files).
   
• Use a template: Avoid design errors by using a professionally designed cover letter template that takes care of these issues for you.

How to write a persuasive case manager cover letter

Case managers for needy people tend to have a long suit in empathy. And while it’s not exactly the same thing, you need to tap your ability to get inside someone else’s skin when writing your cover letter. 

Put yourself in the shoes of the person you’re writing to. What does this hiring manager care about? Your cover letter recipients are primarily concerned about the needs of their organization and clients. They are not primarily concerned about your needs.

Always remember that you’re not trying to convince recruiters that you deserve a job. You’re trying to convince them that you can make their organization stronger, streamline their processes, reduce their costs and achieve better outcomes for their clients. 

Carefully consider the tone you use in your cover letter. It should convey confidence and competence, highlighting your empathy for the clients you want to serve. It should never sound arrogant or presumptuous, as if you’re the best case manager ever since the dinosaurs walked the earth, and they’d be fools not to hire you. 

Strike a personal note, too, with the reader — friendly but professional, upstanding, employable. Remember that nobody wants to hire somebody they don’t like. Be warm and personable, yet also find a way to humbly emphasize the excellent skills you bring to the job.

Cover letter mistakes you don’t want to make

People who write cover letters often make common errors. And people who receive cover letters have seen them all.

• Typos and other writing mistakes: All you have to write is one page. And nothing can sink your chances faster than a page that contains typos, misspellings or bad grammar.
   
• Lazy language: Many cover letters are riddled with clichés that recruiters see all the time, as well as “fluff,” which is language that sounds fancy but says nothing. Use fresh, meaningful language that will surprise your reader with its originality.
   
• One size fits all: Every cover letter should be a unique document, targeted to a specific employer and discussing its needs.
   
• Irrelevant information: Remember, you have one page. Fill it with information about your qualifications for this job, not about your interest in jogging or reading murder mysteries.

Key takeaways for a case manager cover letter

1. Case managers are in-demand professionals who provide a broad range of support for needy clients, and your cover letter needs to make you stand out from the crowd of applicants.
2. A cover letter is a crucial way of establishing a personal connection to a hiring manager, showcasing your passion, personality and empathy.
3. Pay attention to the proper structure for a cover letter to make sure you’ve included everything you need and nothing you don’t.
4. Save time and prevent added stress by using Resume.io's online tools.
5. Send a well-designed letter that looks as good as it reads.
6. Put yourself in the recruiter’s mindset to write the letter that person would want to receive.

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