Letter of Interest Template for a Job
A letter of interest to a company you want to work for when no job is advertised — why them, what you bring and a clear ask.
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Dear Hiring Manager,
I am writing to express my interest in [the kind of role] roles at [company]. [why this company, specifically].
What I would bring:
[two to four specific things you would bring, one per line]
I would welcome [what you are asking for]. I have attached my resume, and I can be reached at [phone] or [email].
Thank you for your time.
What is a Letter of Interest?
A letter of interest is a short letter to a company you want to work for when it has not advertised a job that fits you. It says what kind of role you want, why that company, what you would bring and what you are asking for — usually a conversation. It puts your name in front of the person who hires before a vacancy is posted. Without one, you wait for the job ad, along with everyone else. Fill in the letter of interest template on this page, or adapt one of the sample letters below.
Job seekers send them to employers they admire, to small firms that rarely advertise, to companies that have just won a big contract or opened an office nearby, and to people they have met at an event. Career changers use them to explain a move that a job board’s filters would screen out. Recent graduates send them to organizations that hire through referrals. The letter is also called a job interest letter, a prospecting letter or an inquiry letter.
Conventions vary by country and by employer. In the US and Canada, keep it to one page and leave out your age, marital status and a photo, which employers generally prefer not to receive. In the UK the same letter is a speculative application, and in Australia you may see it called an expression of interest. Many larger employers ask for unsolicited applications through their careers site rather than by letter, so check there first. If you are writing to an employer in another country, check how applications are usually made there before you send.
A letter of interest is not an application for a specific job, and it does not oblige the company to reply or keep you in mind. If a matching vacancy is advertised later, apply for it properly with a cover letter. It is not a letter of intent, which in business sets out the proposed terms of a deal. The phrase is also used for letters about property, grants and college admission; those follow different conventions, and this template is for jobs.
What to put in a Letter of Interest
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Your name | For example: Jordan Miller |
| Your address optional | For example: 42 Oak Street, Columbus, OH 43215 |
| Phone | For example: (614) 555-0142 |
| For example: jordan.miller@example.com | |
| Person you are writing to optional | Leave blank if you do not have a name |
| Their title optional | For example: Director of Operations |
| Company | For example: Northgate Logistics |
| Company address optional | For example: 500 Commerce Parkway, Columbus, OH 43219 |
| The kind of role you want | For example: operations and supply-chain planning |
| Why this company | For example: Your move to same-day delivery across central Ohio is the kind of operational challenge I… |
| What you would bring | One per line — two to four specific points |
| What you are asking for | For example: a short conversation about current or upcoming roles on your team |
How to write a Letter of Interest
Find a named person to write to
Address the letter to the person who leads the team you want to join, or to the hiring manager, not a general inbox. Look on the company website, LinkedIn or recent news coverage, and check the spelling of the name and the exact title. ‘Dear Ms. Alvarez’ reaches someone who can act on it; ‘To Whom It May Concern’ gets forwarded, if it is read at all.
Name the kind of role you want
Say in the opening paragraph what kind of work you are looking for and at what level: ‘a junior analyst role in your supply chain team’, not ‘any opportunity that may arise’. A clear target lets the reader pass your letter to the right manager and shows you know what you want. If you are open to more than one area, name them and say so.
Show why this company, specifically
Give a reason that could not be pasted into a letter to its competitor: a product you use, a project in the news, a market they have just entered, the way they approach something you care about. ‘I have followed your move into refurbished equipment since you announced it’ shows research; ‘I admire your innovative culture’ shows none. A few sentences are enough — this part proves the letter was written for them.
Prove what you would bring
Choose a few achievements that match what the team does, and give evidence for each: what you did, for whom, and what changed as a result. Figures from your own work help if they are accurate, but a concrete result without a number still beats a list of qualities. Link each one to a problem the company is likely to have, and keep the whole letter to one page.
Make a clear, modest ask
End with one specific request: a short conversation about current or future roles, or the name of the right person to speak to. Put your phone number and email beneath your name, and attach your resume. If there is no reply, follow up once after a week or two, politely, and then leave it. Before sending, check the company's name everywhere; a letter naming the wrong company ends there.
Sample letter of interest for a job
Two letter of interest examples you can adapt: one for a job that has not been advertised and one for an internship. Change every detail so the letter is about you and the company you are writing to.
Letter of interest example: a job that is not advertised
Sofia Martinez
Denver, CO · (555) 010-4421 · sofia.martinez@example.com
October 12, 2026
Mr. Daniel Brooks
Head of Customer Experience
Brightway Home Services
Dear Mr. Brooks,
I am writing to ask about customer support team lead roles at Brightway Home Services. Since you started offering same-week repair visits across the Denver area, your customers have been praising how easy you make scheduling, and I would like to help you keep that standard as you grow.
For the past four years I have worked in customer support at a regional internet provider, where I now train new agents and lead the weekend shift. Last year I rewrote our scripts for outage days so that every caller is told when the next update will come, which cut repeat calls during outages.
Would you have 15 minutes in the next few weeks for a short conversation about current or future roles on your team? My resume is attached.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Sofia Martinez
Letter of interest example: an internship
Dear Ms. Okafor,
I am a third-year environmental engineering student, and I am writing to ask whether your water quality lab takes summer interns. Your team’s testing work for small rural water systems is the reason I chose my final-year project.
This year I collected samples for a campus study of twelve wells, logged the results in a shared database and presented the findings to my department. I keep careful chain-of-custody records and am happy to start with routine testing.
Could we arrange a short call about internship openings for next summer? My resume and a one-page summary of my project are attached.
Sincerely,
Amara Lewis
(555) 010-3398 · amara.lewis@example.com
How to research the company before you write
Before you draft, research the company for half an hour or so. Start with its careers page and check the current job openings, so you do not ask about a role that is already advertised. Then read recent news about it, look at the products or services it is pushing, and read posts from the team you want to join. Note one or two facts you can use in the paragraph on why this company.
Read the company’s mission or values page, but do not quote it back; anyone can copy a mission statement. Link it instead to something real you found, such as a new service, a community project or a market the company has just entered. If you know someone who works there, ask for a short informational interview first. Fifteen minutes on the phone can tell you who to address and what the team needs.
Using a letter of interest sample or template
A template letter of interest gives you the order — the role you want, why that company, what you would bring and your request — but not the content. Use the form on this page as a template for letter of interest for a job, then replace every general phrase with something true about you and that employer. Read each letter of interest sample above for its tone and length, not for sentences to copy. People who hire see many letters built from the same letter of interest templates, and they spot stock phrases quickly.
Match your relevant skills to what the team does, one point per line, as the form asks. A strong impression comes from evidence, such as a result you delivered or a tool you have used at work, not from adjectives. Then write a closing statement with one clear ask: a short call about current or future opportunities, or the name of the right person to speak to. Read the letter aloud before you send it, and rewrite any sentence that would fit any company.
Common mistakes
- Sending the same letter to every company with only the name changed is obvious within a sentence and gets it deleted.
- Addressing it ‘To Whom It May Concern’ or to a general inbox means it may never reach anyone who can hire you.
- Ending with ‘I hope to hear from you’ instead of a clear request gives the reader nothing to say yes to, so they do nothing.
- Writing about what you want from the company rather than what you would bring gives a busy manager no reason to make time for you.
- Chasing repeatedly, or within days, turns a good first impression into an irritation and closes the door the letter opened.
Frequently asked questions
What is a letter of interest?
It is a letter to a company that has not advertised a suitable job, asking to be considered for current or future roles. It explains what kind of work you want, why that company, and what you would bring, and it ends with a specific request — usually a conversation. It is also called a prospecting or inquiry letter, and in the UK a speculative application.
What is the format of a letter of interest?
Use a standard business letter on one page: your name and contact details at the top, the date, then the recipient’s name, title, company and address. Open with ‘Dear Ms. Alvarez,’ and follow with three or four short paragraphs — the kind of role you want, why that company, what you would bring, and your request. Close with ‘Sincerely,’ and your name, and attach your resume.
What is the difference between a letter of interest and a cover letter?
A cover letter answers a specific advertised job: it matches you to the listed requirements and goes in with your application. A letter of interest is sent when no suitable job is advertised, so it has to explain what kind of role you want and why that company, and it asks for a conversation rather than an interview. If a matching vacancy opens later, apply with a cover letter.
How do I write a letter of interest for a job?
Find the name of the person who leads the team you want to join. Open with the kind of role you want, then give a specific reason for choosing that company. Add a few achievements, with evidence, that match their work, and end with a clear ask and your contact details. Keep it to one page, check every name, attach your resume, and follow up once after a week or two.
How do you start and end a letter of interest?
Start with why you are writing and the kind of role you want, addressed to a named person: ‘I am writing to ask about junior analyst roles in your supply chain team.’ Do not open with your life story. End with one specific request, such as a 15-minute conversation, then thank the reader, sign off with ‘Sincerely,’ and put your phone number and email beneath your name.
How long should a letter of interest be?
One page, and shorter is fine. The reader did not ask for it, so every sentence has to earn its place: a brief opening, a paragraph on why that company, a paragraph or two of evidence and a closing request. Detail beyond that belongs in your resume. If you send it by email, put the letter in the body of the message rather than only as an attachment.
Who should I address a letter of interest to?
The person who could hire you: the head of the team or department you want to join, or a hiring manager. In a small company that may be the owner. Find the name on the company website, in news coverage or through professional networks, and check the spelling and title. HR or recruiting is a fallback; a named person is always better than ‘To Whom It May Concern’.
Can I send a letter of interest for an internship?
Yes. Students often write to organizations that do not advertise internships. Name the kind of internship and the dates you are free, say why that organization, and in place of work achievements give coursework, projects, volunteering or part-time jobs that show you can do the work. Ask for a short conversation and attach your resume.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.