Passively gaining interest in a company and actively knowing how to write a letter of interest to express your desire to work there can be two separate things. Scrolling through LinkedIn on a day when you’re feeling particularly motivated to face your fears, you might come across a company with the exact values you’re looking for in an organization. You also learn that they have the same area of focus or work benefits you’ve always wanted from your workplace. Unfortunately, a little more research could tell you they’re not hiring for your role and have no intention of expanding on their existing team. Instead of letting the disappointment break your spirit, take charge, look at a few letters of interest examples, and type out your hope for a job at the company.
Despite its simple nature, these letter of interest templates might be what help you land your dream job this time.
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How to Write a Letter of Interest
Before you get to learning how to write a letter of interest, an important first step is knowing what a letter of interest is. It is a way for you to express your desire to work at a company even if they aren’t currently hiring for your role. If you wait for the hiring process to open back up at a company, there is always the chance of being drowned out among the immediate flood of candidates applying for the position. In that situation, a good cover letter might be useful to target a specific job description or an opening at a company. That is different from a letter of interest, which expresses your desire to align yourself with the organization if they ever begin hiring for a role that would potentially match your skill sets.
Instead of waiting around without direction, having a few letters of interest samples and templates ready to go allows you to customize it quickly and make yourself known to a specific company. This gives them a chance to consider your profile first, even before they open up the hiring process and start expending resources on interviewing candidates for the role. Knowing how to write a letter of interest is also a good way to familiarize yourself with your own skills and capabilities, as well as what attracts you to a company. A job switch doesn’t always have to take place out of desperation and can occur because of interest in a company that lives up to your values. It’s as much a chance for you to select a company as it is for them to select you. Before we get into the letter of interest samples, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Keep It Short and Sweet
Just like cover letters, the steps on how to write a letter of interest will guide you to write something short and straightforward. No meandering. The three-paragraph structure of a formal letter can be followed where you introduce your skills, your employment history, and the reason for your interest in the company. Most letter of interest templates will indicate the same strategy. Make it too long and you’ll lose the recruiters’ interest three sentences into the document.
Customize Every Letter You Send Out
Letter of interest examples and samples are a great place to start but don’t use them verbatim without adding your own charm to the document. Companies will rarely want cookie-cutter emails that were downloaded from the internet and aren’t convincing in the slightest. Even when you write the letter of interest yourself, try to add some variety instead of sending the same letter to each company after changing the name of the organization and calling it a job well done.
Try to identify aspects of the company as well as key employers who will be involved in the hiring process. If you can identify the head of hiring or key HR team members, you can address them by name in your letter.
Learn About The Company Before You Write the Letter
What is a letter of interest? It’s an expression of your interest in the company. If you can’t clearly explain why you found yourself looking into working at the company, the organization will assume you’re sending the email out to everyone in the hopes that something will work out at one of them. This can work against you.
Take a look at the company values, past projects, areas of focus, stories of their work culture, etc., and remind yourself of why this company resonates with you. Your research into the company might impress the organization, but this needs to be mentioned in brief too—they won’t appreciate you bringing up a scandal from 2017 because you liked how they handled the issue. Try to focus on aspects that will be reasonable to discuss during the first meeting.
Keep It Professional and Only Consider Serious Letter of Interest Samples
While adding a touch of your personality might be harmless, remember that not all humor translates well over text and you don’t want the company thinking you’re rude or unprofessional. Use more formal language even when you’re talking about your skills and interests, and proofread the email well before sending it out. Remember that this is the company’s first glimpse of who you are so create a good first impression via the email.
Pick What Skills You Want to Highlight
While learning how to write a letter of interest, you might be tempted to tell them about all your qualities and achievements right there, just in case they’re impressed by any one of them. This will only seem like an attempt at bragging rather than any genuine desire to help them understand who you are. You should attach your CV to the email in any case, so they have the full list of achievements available there already when they choose to explore your profile in detail.
The letter of interest should focus on knowledge and skills that are the most relevant to the organization or to the type of role you’re hoping to apply for. Look at the company’s values and look up their existing employees working in similar roles to get a sense of what they might prioritize most.
Letter of Interest Examples To Get You Started
Now that you have a simple understanding of how to write a letter of interest and what goes into it, a few samples might be useful to help you get started on the right track. You can use these letter of interest templates to get started with your attempts and practice for when you genuinely find an organization that resonates with you.
Letter of Interest Sample 1
Dear [Name of Hiring Manager],
My name is [Name] and I’m reaching out to express my interest in working at the company as a [Role] or an adjacent role if a position ever opens up. I have heard a lot about the organization in my last 10 years working as [Role] and each time it has inspired me to grow in my field. After the recent collaboration with [Company] and the outreach work that was done a few weeks ago, I felt it was finally time to express my interest in being a part of the groundbreaking work that is being done at the company.
I have worked as a [Role] for 10 years after graduating with a [Name of Degree] from [College name]. My experience with two major companies in that duration has taught me a lot about [Field] during that time. Working with [Topic] has helped me solidify my interest in the area and that’s one of the reasons I think I would be able to work to my full potential at [Company]. With over 5 years of experience in [area], I have been able to help my department grow both in size and potential, and I would appreciate an opportunity to replicate that at [Company].
If there is ever an opening for a [Role] or any similar position at the organization, I would appreciate it if I could be considered for the role. I’m very willing to adapt to the challenges placed in front of me and I think I could thrive at a company that constantly tests the limits of what is possible in the area of [Industry]. Thank you for hearing me out and I hope that I will be considered a potential candidate when hiring does begin at a later stage.
Regards,
[Full Name]
[Contact Details]
Letter of Interest Sample 2
Dear Sir/Ma’am,
My name is [Name] and I work as a [Role] with [Company name]. I recently came across an in-depth interview with the CEO [Name] on [Topic] that I found exceptional, and I believe his insights have set the standard for the industry at large. After taking a look at the organization and its values, I have come to realize that every aspect of the company’s work style is something I can personally resonate with, especially when it comes to [Area of interest]. From the organization’s approach to [specific area] to their work with breaking down some of the misconceptions around [topic], I have found something I want to be a part of as well.
I have held my current role for the past two years but I have previously worked with organizations like [Name] and [Name] in building up guidelines and metrics to boost our industry. I have experience working with software such as [Name] and have used my knowledge to help the campaigns at our company double the public interest in our services. There is much more I can offer to the industry and if I gained an opportunity to work with [Company], I could accomplish this and also give back to the industry overall.
I am aware that there are no active hiring drives ongoing for the role of [Role] right now, but if an opportunity does come up, I hope to be considered for the position. Whether for an interview or to briefly discuss some of the ideas I have for the company’s future projects, I can ensure I am available. I would love to contribute to the growth of the organization and be a part of all the upcoming initiatives the company is involved in.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing back from the company and exploring any opportunities that become available in the upcoming months. I can be contacted at [Phone number] or at [email id] for any further discussions.
Warm regards,
[Name]
These letter of interest examples may be a good start to writing your own letter but remember to do your research and adapt the letter to match the interests of the company you’re applying to. You won’t be able to get away with generic efforts every time, so choose a genuine approach instead.