How to Write a Letter of Interest (Format, Templates and Examples)

A letter of interest is a short letter or email to a company that has not posted a job that fits you. It asks for a conversation, or to be considered when a role opens. Keep it to one page and give three things: a specific reason you want that company, one piece of proof, and one small ask.

Most of the work is in those three things. The format matters less than people think. Make the ask something the reader can say yes to in one line.

This guide covers the format, two fill-in templates, and five examples. The first example shows one letter written three ways, as a formal letter, as an email and as a follow-up, so you can see what changes between them.

Letter of interest vs cover letter

A cover letter answers a job posting. A letter of interest is for when there is no posting that fits, so it is built around the company rather than a job description.

	Letter of interest	Cover letter
When you send it	No matching job is posted	You apply to a specific posting
What it is built around	The company’s goals and recent work	The job description’s requirements
What it asks for	A conversation, or to be considered for future roles	An interview for that job

You will see the same document under other names:

• Letter of inquiry: asks about possible openings rather than answering a posting.
• Prospecting letter: another name for a letter of inquiry.
• Expression of interest: another name, for a letter sent when an employer is not recruiting.
• Letter of intent: some career sites use it as another name for a letter of interest.

A letter of introduction is broader: it introduces you to a contact, and it does not have to be about a job.

Letter of interest format

A printed or attached letter uses business letter format. The most common layout is block format: everything left-aligned and single-spaced, with a blank line between paragraphs, as Purdue OWL’s guide to business letters describes. Keep it to one page.

The parts, top to bottom:

1. Your address, at the top left, above the date. Leave your name off; Purdue OWL puts it only under the closing.
2. The date, written out in full (October 15, 2026).
3. The recipient’s name, title, company and address, starting one line below the date.
4. The greeting, followed by a colon: “Dear Ms. Ortiz:”.
5. Three short paragraphs: why this company, your proof, your ask.
6. A closing followed by a comma, such as “Sincerely,”.
7. Four blank lines for a handwritten signature on a printed letter, then your typed name.

An email drops the address blocks. The subject line takes their place, and your contact details move under your name. Make the email shorter than the letter. Do not paste the full letter into the message.

How to write a letter of interest in five steps

1. Find one person to write to

Write to the person who leads the team you want to join, such as the department head or hiring manager. The company website, LinkedIn and recent news about the company often name them. If you cannot find a name, address the team (“Dear Operations Team:”) or use “Dear Hiring Manager:”. Avoid “To Whom It May Concern.”

2. Open with a specific reason

Start with something about the company that made you write: a launch, an expansion, a project, a talk you heard. One sentence is enough. It shows the letter was written for them, not sent to 50 companies.

3. Give one piece of proof

Pick the accomplishment that best matches what the team does, and describe what you did and what happened. One strong example beats a summary of your career. If you need ideas, these resume accomplishment examples show how to phrase results. If you do not remember an exact number, do not invent one. A concrete action and outcome are still stronger than a made-up figure.

4. Make one small ask

Ask for something easy to agree to: a 15- or 20-minute conversation (like a short informational interview), or to be considered when a role opens. Avoid asking for “any position.” It reads as if you have not decided what you want.

5. Close with your contact details

Thank the reader, give your email and phone number, and say your resume is attached. If you are aiming at one team, tailor your resume to the kind of work that team does before you attach it.

Letter of interest templates

Use the letter template for a printed or attached letter, and the email template when you are writing straight into an inbox.

Letter template

[Street address]
[City, State ZIP]

[Date]

[Recipient’s name]
[Title]
[Company]
[Street address]
[City, State ZIP]

Dear [Mr./Ms./Dr. Last name]:

I read that [Company] [recent launch, expansion or project]. [One sentence on why that matters to you.] I have spent [time] doing [relevant work], and I am writing to ask whether your [team] expects to add people as [the project] grows.

At [Current or past employer], I [action you took], which [result]. I also [second relevant skill], which I expect matters as your team [what the team is doing].

Could we talk for 20 minutes in the next few weeks? I would value your view of what your team needs most, and I have attached my resume in case a role opens. You can reach me at [email] or [phone].

Sincerely,

[Four blank lines here for your handwritten signature]

[Your name]

Email template

Subject: [Your skill or role] for [the project you mentioned]

Hi [Mr./Ms./Dr. Last name],

I read that [Company] [recent launch, expansion or project]. I [relevant work you do], and [one result].

Would you have 20 minutes in the next few weeks to tell me what your team needs most as [the project] grows? My resume is attached in case a role opens.

Thank you,
[Your name]
[Phone] | [LinkedIn URL]

Letter of interest example: one letter, three versions

Jordan, an operations coordinator at a grocery distributor, wants to work for a regional food bank that has just opened a second warehouse. There is no posting. Here is the same pitch as a formal letter, as an email and as a follow-up. The people and companies are invented.

Version 1: the formal letter

48 Pine Street
Columbus, OH 43215

October 15, 2026

Ms. Dana Ortiz
Director of Operations
Lakeside Community Food Bank
900 Harbor Road
Columbus, OH 43219

Dear Ms. Ortiz:

I read that Lakeside opened a second warehouse this spring to keep up with school-year demand, and I would like to help you run it. I have spent four years coordinating outbound shipments for a regional grocery distributor, and I am writing to ask whether your operations team expects to add people as the new site grows.

At Midway Grocery Supply, I schedule 40 to 60 deliveries a day across two loading docks. Last year I rebuilt our pick lists around delivery routes, which cut average truck loading time from 50 minutes to 35. I also train new warehouse staff on our inventory system, which I expect matters while you staff a second site.

Could we talk for 20 minutes in the next few weeks? I would value your view of what the operations team needs most this year, and I have attached my resume in case a role opens. You can reach me at jordan.ellis@email.com or (555) 555-0142.

Sincerely,

[Four blank lines for a handwritten signature]

Jordan Ellis

Why it works: the first sentence could only have been written to Lakeside, the proof is one result that matches warehouse work, and the ask is a short conversation rather than a job.

Version 2: the same pitch as an email

Subject: Operations help for your second warehouse

Hi Ms. Ortiz,

I read that Lakeside opened a second warehouse this spring. I coordinate 40 to 60 deliveries a day for a regional grocery distributor, and last year I cut our average truck loading time from 50 minutes to 35 by rebuilding pick lists around delivery routes.

Would you have 20 minutes in the next few weeks to tell me what your operations team needs most as the new site grows? My resume is attached in case a role opens.

Thank you,
Jordan Ellis
(555) 555-0142 | linkedin.com/in/jordanellis

What changed: the address blocks are gone, the subject line names the reason for writing, the second proof point (training new staff) was cut, and the phone number moved to the signature. The letter’s body runs 159 words. The email’s runs 78.

Version 3: the follow-up two weeks later

Subject: Re: Operations help for your second warehouse

Hi Ms. Ortiz,

I am following up on my note from two weeks ago about Lakeside’s second warehouse. I know the new site keeps your team busy, so I will keep this short: I would still welcome a 20-minute conversation, and I am glad to work around your schedule.

Thank you,
Jordan Ellis

Why it works: it replies in the same thread, so the first email is right below it, and it repeats the ask without adding pressure. Send one follow-up, not a series.

More letter of interest examples

These four short emails cover other common reasons to send one: changing careers, finishing school, moving to another team at your own company, and writing after someone referred you. All names and companies are invented.

Career changer

Subject: Former teacher interested in curriculum design at Brightpath

Hi Mr. Nguyen,

Your new reading modules for grades 3 to 5 are the ones my students asked to keep using. I have taught fourth grade for six years and wrote our school’s reading curriculum for two of them, and I am moving into instructional design.

I do not see an open role that fits, but I would value 15 minutes to learn how your designers work with teachers. I have attached three of my lesson units.

Thank you,
Sam Rivera

Why it works: Sam leads with work that already looks like the new job (writing a curriculum) instead of apologizing for the switch.

New graduate

Subject: Recent accounting graduate interested in Carver & Lee

Hi Ms. Patel,

I heard you talk about Carver & Lee’s nonprofit audit work at our campus accounting night last month. I graduated in May with a degree in accounting, and in my final semester I prepared tax returns for 30 households as a volunteer.

If your team hires entry-level staff before next audit season, I would like to be considered. Could I send you my resume, or ask you two quick questions about how new staff start?

Best regards,
Alex Kim

Why it works: Alex opens with where they met Ms. Patel and gives her two easy ways to say yes.

Internal move

Subject: Interest in joining the Customer Insights team

Hi Priya,

I am a support specialist on the billing team. For the last six months I have tagged our top ticket reasons and summarized them in a weekly report that Product now uses in planning. I want to do this kind of work full time.

I know Customer Insights is not hiring right now. Could we meet for 20 minutes so I can learn which skills your team looks for? I have told my manager, Chris, that I am exploring this.

Thanks,
Morgan Lee

Why it works: Morgan is already doing part of the job, and the email makes clear their manager knows.

After a referral

Subject: Referred by Elena Cruz: product marketing at Fieldstone

Hi David,

Elena Cruz suggested I reach out after she mentioned that Fieldstone plans to launch in Canada next year. I have launched two business software products in new markets. Most recently I wrote the positioning for our launch in Mexico and trained the sales team on it.

I know there is no product marketing role posted. Would you be open to a 15-minute call about the launch? My resume is attached.

Best,
Jamie Park

Why it works: the referrer’s name is in the subject line, so the first thing David sees is someone he already knows.

Subject lines for a letter of interest email

Subject line	When to use it	Why it works
Interest in [Team] at [Company]	You know which team you want	Easy to sort; the intent is clear
Inquiry about opportunities at [Company]	Cold outreach with no clear opening	Clear but generic. Use it only when nothing more specific fits
Quick question about [Team or Project]	You have a specific question to ask	Feels light and invites a reply
Referred by [Name]: [Role or Team]	Someone suggested you write	The name gets the email opened
Internal interest: [Role or Team]	A move inside your own company	Signals the context at once

How long should a letter of interest be?

One page at most, in three short paragraphs: why this company, your proof, and your ask. An email should be shorter than the letter. In the example above, the letter’s body is 159 words and the email’s is 78.

If your draft runs longer, check for a second or third accomplishment. Keep the one that best matches the team and save the rest for the conversation.

What to do after you send it

If you have not heard back after about two weeks, send one short follow-up in the same thread, like Version 3 above. If there is still no reply, stop writing and keep the contact for later. A new project or opening at the company is a good reason to write again.

Keep a record of who you wrote to, when you wrote and what you sent, especially if you send letters to several companies. In Teal’s Job Application Tracker, the free Contacts and Companies trackers hold the people and companies you write to. The email templates (one per job stage on the free plan) give you a starting point for reaching out to a hiring manager. To follow up on a job you have already applied to, see these follow-up email templates and this guide to writing a job application email.