How to make a letter of interest

If you’re ready to take your career to the next level, you may be wondering how to write a letter of interest to organizations you’d like to work for. Writing a letter of interest shows focus and enthusiasm and can open the door to a job offer. If you are proactive about your job prospects, you could get into a better position than you would waiting to come across an advertised opportunity.

People who create their own opportunities give out a strong positive message to anybody paying attention. However, it’s essential to know how to write a letter of interest properly to really increase your chances of making an impact and gaining a positive response.

What is a letter of interest?

Understanding what a letter of interest is will help you write one correctly. A letter of interest is a letter of inquiry. The inquiry is into whether the company is hiring for a certain position. You send the letter of interest, asking about job positions they may have available. It also briefly describes your experience, education, or skills related to the position and why you would be a good fit for the job and the company.

How does a letter of interest differ from similar letters?

A letter of interest is different from a cover letter, which you may be more familiar with. Cover letters are sent in direct response to an advertised job position and are part of the application process. It is also not the same as a letter of recommendation, which you would have someone write on your behalf after applying for a job. A letter of interest is sent when there is no known job advertised. It is an effort to solicit a job that might exist but isn’t advertised.

Components of a letter of interest

When constructing your letter of interest, you want to ensure that it consists of the following three main parts:

1. Introduction and purpose of the letter

The introduction and purpose should come at the beginning of the letter and is the opening paragraph. It will make clear that you are writing the letter speculatively, to inquire about a job position. You may inquire about one job position, or it could be a general inquiry about any job openings at the company.

This section should include a few favorable facts you know about the company or, at the very least, why you have an interest in working for them.

2. Highlight skills, experience and education

Once you’ve explained the purpose of your letter (i.e., to inquire about a job opportunity), it’s time to highlight why you would make a great candidate for a position at the company. You would do this by talking about the skills, experience, and/or education you have in the field and how your talents could benefit the company.

3. Conclusion

Wrap up your letter of interest by suggesting a meeting or phone call to discuss a job with the company. Also, enclose your resume, so they can see the full details of your experience.

Still feeling stuck? Take a look at the following letter of interest examples for inspiration. Whether you’re seeking a management role, are a recent graduate, are going through a career change, or are seeking a remote role, these letters can give you some ideas to draw from.

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Why write a letter of interest?

The letter of interest is a job prospecting tool. Job hunting legend has it that 70 to 80 percent of open positions are never advertised. Although that figure is probably way higher than it should be, the truth is there are potential job opportunities out there that you’re not hooking as you troll the waters of Glassdoor, Indeed, and Monster.com.

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Say you’re intrigued by a young startup and you wish they were hiring for a position that fit your skills. You could haunt the careers page of their website and hope for the best, or you could write a letter of interest to introduce yourself and begin the networking process. Which do you think will yield the best results?

A letter of interest may not get you immediately hired, but it has many advantages. It shows you have both interest and initiative—two things employers are always looking for. It also demonstrates your ability to market yourself through personal branding. In many cases, your letter will be regarded as a formal request to be considered for employment, so it will become part of a human resources file. When a position does open, guess whose letter and résumé will be at the top of the pile instead of buried under a mountain of applications?

Your goal is to find out exactly what the company of your dreams looks for in an employee. Then, you’re going to become that person—the mythical Ideal Candidate.

How to write a letter of interest

1 Write it like a business letter.

The first and most important thing to remember about writing a letter of interest is that it’s a business letter—treat it like one. Use the standard business letter format. Be professional.

Here’s a tip: Being professional doesn’t mean being stuffy. It’s always a good idea to try to match the communication style of the company you’re reaching out to. Look at their marketing copy, job postings, and website. If their approach to communication is more casual, yours can be, too.

2 Find the right contact.

Even if you have to call the company, get the name (and possibly the email address) of the best person to contact with your inquiry. If you do call or email to ask for a contact name, be direct. Say, “I’m interested in learning more about employment opportunities in your [department]. Would you tell me the name of the person responsible for hiring those positions and the best way to contact them?”

3 Research the company.

I scored that marketing job in a long-ago time before the Internet was mainstream. When I wrote my hard copy letter and prepared my clips, I didn’t even know what a letter of interest was. I was operating on instinct. You have the advantage of a ton of information right in your pocket anytime you need it. Let’s use it!

Your goal is to find out exactly what the company of your dreams looks for in an employee. Then, you’re going to become that person—the mythical Ideal Candidate. Check the company’s social media feeds and the careers and culture pages on its website for clues about the type of people they hire. Read job descriptions for their open positions; they’ll give you insight even if the jobs aren’t a fit for your talents.

Learn about their brand style—are they funky and fun or conservative and all business? Mirror that style to show that you’d be a good cultural fit.

4 Show how you’d add value.

Unlike a cover letter, where you’re homing in on skills and traits for a specific position, a letter of interest should demonstrate to the employer that you have a variety of skills that would make you a great fit in lots of different places. Think broadly and you’ll open more doors. What skills would make you an asset to the company?

The key to a successful letter of interest is not in showing off what you can do, but in showing what you can do for the company. Demonstrate excitement, not arrogance.

5 Keep it short, but write it powerfully.

Hiring managers and department heads don’t have a lot of extra time to read your magnum opus on why you’re awesome. The key is to be brief but memorable. Make every word count.

Avoid filler words and phrases. Keep your writing lean and clean. Use some power words to make your writing pop.

Letter of Interest Structure

Date

Let’s start with the simple stuff first! (You do know what day it is, right?) You’ll need this only for hard copy letters; in email, the date stamp is fine.

Contact Information

In a hard copy letter, put your contact info here. Include your phone number and email address. In an email, include your contact information after your signature, instead.

Here’s a tip: You don’t have to put

Salutation

Greet the hiring manager or department head by name. And please do your best to find a name. (See Tip #2!) Avoid To Whom It May Concern. Nobody ever got truly concerned with, or even interested in, an email that began thus.

Opening Paragraph

Briefly introduce yourself and tell the hiring manager why you’re writing. Share your enthusiasm for the company—why do you want to work there?

Qualifications/Experience Paragraph

Talk about what you bring to the table. Let the hiring manager know why hiring you would add value to her team. Demonstrate the qualities you have that mesh well with the company’s mission and culture. (This is why you did all that research!)

The key to a successful letter of interest is not in showing off what you can do, but in showing what you can do for the company. Think in terms of excitement, not arrogance.

Close by casting a networking net.

You’re not going to close by saying something like “I hope you’ll keep me in mind if you have an opening in the future,” right?

Never! You’re better than that.

Close by asking for something. Use a call-to-action (CTA) to encourage the hiring manager to connect with you. You might ask for an informational interview—an opportunity for you to sit down with the hiring manager and learn more about the company.

Letter of interest example

Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:

I’ve been following the Alpha Beta Company’s trajectory since it launched in 2007. When the company reached 10 million active users last month, I thought about how exciting it would be to be part of a team with the potential to grow that number to 20 million and beyond. I’m writing you to express my interest in joining your team and to learn more about upcoming employment opportunities.

I’ve been a user acquisition manager at XYZ, Inc. for five years. At XYZ, I developed the go-to-market strategy for new apps and performed analysis to calculate how our campaigns influenced user engagement. As you may know, XYZ operates in a smaller niche market. Even so, during my time with them, XYZ’s user base grew from just five hundred beta users to over 3 million today. In the ten years since I graduated with a bachelor of science in business and marketing from Great Big University, I’ve managed and launched hundreds of successful marketing campaigns on channels ranging from print media to social media to videos.

I’m excited by the idea of working in a larger market and for a company that is constantly innovating and recognized as an industry leader. I’ve enclosed my résumé, which outlines my experience and skills. I’d love to sit down and talk with you about Alpha Beta’s explosive growth and new user acquisition strategy. Would you be open to meeting with me at your convenience?

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