Case Manager Cover Letter

Case managers typically perform roles in social work or health care. They work with individuals or groups facing challenges such as mental illness, addiction, disabilities, or chronic health conditions and help them access the services they need.

For this reason, case managers must be able to listen attentively and communicate effectively with their clients to understand their needs and help them achieve their goals. They also need to work well under pressure, often having to handle large caseloads.

Employers look for case manager candidates with good organizational skills, interpersonal skills, and attention to detail. To get an interview, your cover letter will need to demonstrate these qualities and illustrate your interest in the specific case manager position.

Whether you’re interested in pursuing a position in social work or health care, scroll down for three tips on how to write an effective case manager cover letter.

1. Show the right case manager soft skills

Case manager positions require strong communication skills, problem solving skills, and interpersonal skills, but simply listing these qualities out won’t be very helpful to the hiring manager.

Instead, demonstrate these skills in the body of your letter by describing relevant achievements and responsibilities.

Your cover letter should stick to the rule of “show, don’t tell.” Use an approach like the STAR method to illustrate your abilities through experiences and show how your skills benefited your team previously.

The STAR method outlines a candidate’s soft skills (personality-related skills) by providing specific examples of how that candidate’s actions produced desired results.

One way to use this method in your cover letter is to include specific examples from your past work or volunteer experiences that demonstrate your ability to empathize with others and communicate effectively under pressure.

2. Make a clear statement of intent

Case manager work involves coordinating with vulnerable people, some of whom suffer from chronic illnesses or conditions. As a result, employers need to hire people who are dedicated to providing the best possible services to their clients.

So employers will want to know exactly why you want to work for them and not another service provider. You can answer this question with your cover letter by including a clear statement of intent that outlines your motivations for making this application.

The best place to do this is in your opening paragraph. Start your cover letter with a concise self-introduction that states:

• who you are
• your years of experience
• the position you’re applying for
• how you found the job

Close the paragraph with a sentence that summarizes why you’re qualified for the position and your reasons for applying.

Try to avoid statements like this:

As an expert at providing healthcare guidance to clients, I feel that I am an excellent candidate for the role.

This statement isn’t bad, but it doesn’t say much about the candidate’s specific interest in the position.

Show employers why you want to work for them:

As an expert at providing healthcare guidance to clients, I’m well-equipped to provide the level of patient-centered service that Bedrock Healthcare is looking for.

Both of these example sentences may have been written by qualified candidates. However, the second highlights a company value that’s shared by the candidate. It demonstrates an understanding of what the company stands for and why the candidate wants to work there.

Which statement of intent do you think would make a better impression?

3. Use numbers where possible

Sending a cover letter vastly improves your chances of getting called in for an interview, but only if it’s easy to read. Employers want information that they can scan — which is why your cover letter’s format and readability are so important.

One way to improve your cover letter’s readability is to quantify your achievements and experience where possible. Using numbers in your cover letter is a great way to catch the employer’s eye and make it easy for them to scan through your qualifications.

Side by side comparison

• As an RN case manager at Milwaukee VA Medical Center, I was responsible for a heavy caseload of patients. I widely collaborated with professionals and endeavored to remain up to date on legislation, industry best practices, and internal policies and procedures.
• As an RN case manager at Milwaukee VA Medical Center, I was responsible for 60+ patients annually. I proactively collaborated with 20+ professionals and endeavored to remain up to date on legislation, industry best practices, and internal policies and procedures.

Numbers aren’t just easier to read, they’re easier to remember. This means that your cover letter is much more likely to stay at the forefront of the employer’s mind, even as they review other candidates for the position.