How to Write a Letter of Interest With Examples

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A letter of interest allows you to express interest in working for a company even if it’s not currently hiring. By sending a letter of interest, you open a line of communication with the employer, highlight your key skills and explain why you’re passionate about working for the company. In this article, you’ll learn how to write a letter of interest with examples.

What is a letter of interest?

A letter of interest is used to try to get an interview with a company. Sending a letter of interest is a way for you to introduce yourself professionally to a company and express your interest in working there even when the company doesn’t have a job opening that matches your qualifications. The structure and content of a letter of interest is like a cover letter but isn’t written for a specific position within a company.

One benefit of writing a letter of interest is that you don’t have to wait until a position becomes available to apply to a company you want to work for. If you make a great impression, the company may even create a position for you.

If you do eventually find a specific position you’d like to apply for, you can mention that you’ve previously written a letter of interest as a demonstration of your determination and interest in working for this particular company.

How to write a letter of interest

Here are steps you should follow when writing a letter of interest:

1. First, research the company online to learn about their mission, products or services, culture and audience

Before you write a letter of interest, do some research on the company’s mission and culture. Scan its social media and spend time looking at its website. This research will give you a well-rounded idea of what the company does and help you tailor your letter to show how your skills fit the company’s needs. You’ll want to look for the:

  • Mission statement
  • Services or products provided
  • Skills and traits the company looks for in candidates. Check out a couple of positions posted on Indeed to see core values the company looks for.
  • Industry the company works in. Look for challenges within the industry that you can help address.

2. Secondly, start the letter of interest with your contact information

Make sure to include:

Your name

Your phone number and email address

Your website or portfolio, if applicable

3. Next, include a formal greeting to the person you’re addressing your letter to

Start your letter with ‘Dear Mr./Ms.’ and the last name of the person you’re addressing. It makes an impact to address your letter of interest to the right person. If you can’t find this information on the company’s website, give the company a call to find the name of the person who handles hiring inquiries. If you’re not able to find a name, you can use to ‘Dear Sir or Madam.’

4. After, explain why you’re writing your letter of interest

In your introductory paragraph, write why you’re passionate about working for the company. Be specific and use the knowledge you have from your research on the company to highlight why you would be an asset as an employee. This should be short, as a letter of interest should usually be one-page in length. 

5. Next, tell the reader about your qualifications and skills

Write one or two short paragraphs that expand on who you are and why you’re a great fit for the company. Think of the company’s needs as you write. Consider how your skills, core values and work ethic can help the company succeed.

What you choose to include should provide specific examples of your positive impact in the workplace.

Here are some writing tips to help you highlight your key skills and value in a letter of interest:

  • Remember to focus on the company rather than yourself. Talk about your skills in relation to the company’s needs. For example, ‘My 15 years of experience working in the wine industry will be a valuable resource as your company establishes itself in the industry.’
  • Emphasize how you’ve been an asset to past employers. Be specific, and provide facts and figures if possible. For example, ‘At my previous position as project manager, I decreased overhead by 20% over the course of three years.’
  • Talk about a challenge that a past employer was able to overcome with your help. For example, ‘
  • I collaborated with company directors to rewrite the outdated policy of having to call in to cancel a service. I created an online form so clients could submit cancellation requests outside of office hours.’
  • Give examples of how you’ve grown professionally and how the skills you’ve gained are applicable to this new company. For example, ‘Within my first six months working at Coleslaw, I was promoted from server to shift supervisor. As a supervisor, I oversaw a team of eight servers during the busy dinner service period.’

6. Recap why you would be a great asset to the company

Before your letter of interest ends, summarize why you’d be a great asset to the company. Reemphasize why you are passionate about the work the company does and how you can help the company achieve their goals.

7. End the letter by showing what you’d like the next steps to be

Close your letter of interest with an invitation to chat more about your experience and interest in the company.

Popular next steps include:

  • A phone call
  • An informational interview
  • To be informed if a position opens that fits your qualifications

8. Lastly, use a professional sign-off to end the letter of interest professionally

Use sign-offs like ‘Sincerely’ or ‘Kind regards’ rather than more casual sign-offs like ‘Thanks’ and ‘Warmly’ to keep the tone of your letter professional.

Letter of interest example

Here’s a sample letter of interest for a company in the nonprofit sector:

Jennifer Lee
(123) 555-3798
jenilee@rmail.net

June 20, 2019

Dear Ms. Bruce,

I’ve been following Study Xchange for three years since you were awarded the Educator’s Choice award for outstanding new company. I’d love to work with your company to join your mission of intercultural exchange and help you gain more visibility for the important work you do. My experience as a marketing manager will help you develop a strong media presence online and gain more visibility in the local community.

I am a marketing professional with over seven years of experience helping companies develop their unique brand and voice. At International Voices, I spearheaded an ad campaign to bring more visibility to the company’s brand. My efforts led to an increase in student enrollment by 15% from the previous academic year.

I believe that the work your company does is incredibly important and deserves to be seen.

Would it be possible to set up a time to speak to a member of your marketing team to introduce myself and learn more? I’d also be very grateful if you could keep my application and attached resume in mind for employment opportunities at Study Xchange.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Lee

After you’ve sent your letter of interest, ideally you’ll hear back from the company. However, a letter of interest isn’t a guarantee that you’ll be hired. If a couple of weeks go by and you haven’t heard a response, you could reach out to human resources to make sure that they’ve received and read your letter.