We have all been there. In our job search, we have scanned career pages of companies, every single day, looking for your dream job posting.
You cannot apply for a job, until the company posts the job opening, right?
Wrong!
Here is your ray of hope! A Letter of Interest.
What is a Letter of Interest?
Letter of Interest, as the term explains, is a letter written to potential employers to inform them that you are interested in learning about the company’s employment opportunities and working with them.
What makes it important?
A Letter of Interest is becoming an important document since more and more companies are working at building their talent pipeline. Due to the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic, a lot of organisations were forced to lay off employees. With the situation returning to normal, many companies are looking at rebuilding their workforce and are actively hiring.
Letting them know about your interest in working with them helps project you as someone who is proactive and confident.
It also adds you into the list of candidates without having to wait for a job posting.
How do I write a Letter of Interest?
While a Covering Letter is sent in response to a particular job opening along with your resume, Letter of Interest is sent unsolicited, to inform the employer about your interest in future job opportunities. It is a great opportunity to introduce yourself to the organisation.
Hence, it is very crucial to ensure that this document is so well-written that it can break through the barrage of emails and incite the reader’s attention enough to consider you when any relevant opening comes up.
Though it sounds like a difficult task, if you follow to the techniques given below, you will be able to write your best and most effective Letter of Interest.
1 – Do Your Research Before You Start Writing.
A general letter that talks about your top skills, vast experience, great achievements will not cut it, if it does not address the needs the hiring manager. Hence, it is imperative to do basic research about the organisation, its goals, people and the role before you start writing the letter.
Read their website. Go through the latest news. Check their social media pages. Talk to current and past employees.
Having thorough knowledge about the organisation will not only project you as a proactive person, but also help you align your skills & experience to the needs of the organisation. Once you know what the organisation is looking for, you can present yourself as that person.
It may even give you a chance to upskill or hone a few qualities that companies look for most in a candidate.
Keep It Personal & Relevant To The Company
As we already know, this is not a general letter. Try and find out who is the hiring manager and address the letter to that person. Ensure you get the name right. This will help you establish a personal connection.
Please remember the recipient of the letter does not know you and is under no obligation to read the letter, unless it convinces them that it is worth their time.
Keep it as relevant to the reader as possible. Your research will help you identify the key qualities or skills the organisation is looking for. Focus on top 2 or 3 of these attributes and relate them to your work experience, skills and achievements.
For eg. If you are applying for Digital Marketing position, you can look at their marketing feeds and relate your experience and skills to it and highlight your achievements in improving social media presence of your current and past employers.
Keep It Concise
This is one of the most aspects of a good Letter of Interest. It is a common mistake to include everything about you in this letter, in a bid to project yourself as a complete package. But it can be a big dampener because a long letter not only deters the reader from reading it, it takes away from the focus and relevance. (Remember, you are attaching your CV which will provide all the information).
Try and limit it to three or four paragraphs.
The first paragraph should introduce you to the reader – your skills, background, experience – in one or two sentences.
The second (and maybe third) paragraph should include how your experience and skills can add value to the organisation. Provide information about with what your current role is and what you have achieved or excel at. It is a good idea to focus on the role that you are looking for, lest they offer you a role you are not keen on.
The last paragraph should include a call to action. You cannot end the letter without stating how would you like to this forward. You can either ask for a phone call or a meeting to discuss this further, or you can provide links to your CV, portfolio, LinkedIn pages and ask to be informed if a relevant position comes up.
Keep It Professional & Interesting
This letter is your first interaction with the prospective employer. Keep it professional.
Check for any typos, grammatical errors. Use professional fonts and avoid colourful distracting designs or layout.
Keep it short and simple.
Start with Dear Mr/Ms and end with regards/ sincerely. Avoid over sweetening the letter.
Get creative and make it an interesting read.
You may or may not hear from them immediately. Remember to follow up.
Use these techniques and write a Letter of Interest to your dream company today!
The letter will help you find your way into the talent pipeline and stand out from the crowd.
Sample Letter of Interest
Dear Mr./Ms. [Hiring Manager],
As a Digital Marketing experience professional with over 10 years’ experience in the IT Education Industry & having worked with the top players, I know how hard it is to gain eyeballs in the highly saturated market. I also know how difficult it is to sustain the digital marketing efforts and increase sales month on month.
According to your Careers page, you are not currently hiring, but in the future, if you are looking for someone who can, not just increase the social media reach, but also help achieve the annual sales targets, you can consider me.
I have been nominated as the star performer 2 years in a row now. I have helped the organisation increase the website page views by 150% and reduced the cost of acquisition by 73% in one year. In addition, my efforts were recognised for helping achieve the sales targets.
My resume is enclosed with this letter for you to review my experience, skills and achievements. I believe that my experience and track record make me an excellent fit in your organisation. I would like an opportunity to meet and discuss this further with you. I can be reached anytime at 9812345678.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
