How to write a letter of interest

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person writing a letter of interest

Also known as a prospecting letter or a letter of inquiry, a letter of interest is a great introduction of yourself to a prospective employer, business partner, or school. Because this is the first impression you are providing of yourself, it is important that you write you letter of interest with professionalism and knowledge.

The reasons for writing a letter of interest vary, whether it is to submit a query for more information, or to let a potential employer know of your intent to apply for a specific position coming open within a company, a letter of interest has many uses. Naturally, the most prevalent use for a letter of interest is to get the recipient of the letter to notice you.

Writing for an Employer

When writing a letter of interest to obtain a job there are some important factors to keep in mind. Sending a letter to a random person within a company will not ensure that the correct person will receive the letter. It is important that you find the correct title and, preferably, the name of the person responsible for the position you are interested in.

  • Know the recipient – at the very least, you should know to whom you are sending your letter of interest to, employers appreciate when applicants write to them by name and title
  • Be professional – a casual letter will not do here, you must show that you are a professional with experience in a professional environment

When writing to a potential employer, you must show him or her that you are familiar with the position they are offering and with the company that you are applying too.

  • What is the position? Mention the position by name in the letter
  • What is expected? What are the duties of the position and what does that have to do with you
  • What do you offer? What is something unique that you bring to the table that would encourage the employer to look at your more closely
  • What does the company do? Briefly mention the other functions of the company outside of your area of interest to show that you understand the full aspect of the company
  • How does the company mesh? Show your ability to understand how each department, including the one you are interested in working for, supports the company as a whole

You are not writing your resume when writing a letter of interest so do not include all of your job experience, instead brag about yourself while referencing your resume which should be included with your letter of interest. Consider your letter of interest an opportunity to expound on your abilities beyond what is typically on a resume.

  • Use the first person. Many business correspondence requires a less personal approach, however, your letter of interest should refer to yourself frequently; you should, however, refrain from using I at the beginning of every sentence
  • Brag about yourself. You are trying to create the impression of a confident person who has the ability to do a job, you are going to have to talk about your accomplishments and why you are the perfect choice
  • Avoid passivity. You want to show that you are responsible for great things happening at your previous companies, passive sentences suggest the things you have done are over, sell yourself with action sentences (i.e. I am responsible for the growth of two departments…)

Keep to the point when writing your letter of interest and stay within one page length for the entire letter. Going off task is going to cause the letter recipient to wonder why you bothered wasting his time with irrelevant information.

  • Stay on task. If you are applying for a position as a sales person and you have experience as a nurse, do not include the nursing information, instead focus on your sales experience only (you can include your nursing background in your resume, however)
  • Keep it short. Your letter of interest should not be more than one page long and should be no more than four paragraphs in length

If you have inside information from a current employee with the company, and it is not private, then use it. There is no reason not to make it seem as if you know the company inside and out already. Furthermore, if you have a friend who has influences in the company, especially with the person who will be interviewing for the position, use that as well.

Writing for a Business Venture

These days there are more opportunities for individuals to purchase a percentage of a business or to purchase a franchise. Often, however, there are strict criteria for purchasing ownership in a business or a franchise to prevent unqualified parties from ruining the business.

Much of the information you should provide to a potential business partner or for a franchise opportunity is mentioned above. However, there are other things to include in this letter of interest that would not be necessary when simply seeking employment.

  • Business experience. If you already have experience running a business then you need to mention it here
  • Grant writing. For smaller business, and those run by minorities, this experience would be very important to include in the letter of interest
  • Business plan creation. Again, if you have created successful business plans in the past, include it here
  • Purchasing and budgeting. Budgeting experience is a great asset for those interested in their own business and those who have made purchases for a company based on the budgetary constraints even more so

Of course, you should also include any relevant job experience in your resume as well, but keep in mind that your resume should only be two pages long; employment that occurred five to ten years prior to what you are currently doing will not likely be on your resume. This does not mean that your experiences are not relevant and the letter of interest is a perfect opportunity to display them.

Format your letter of interest like any other business letter, with the proper salutations and closings within the letter. Remember, this is a professional business letter and you should treat it as such.