What is a letter of interest?
A letter of interest, sometimes called an interest letter or a prospecting letter, is an unrequested letter to an employer. It says who you are, what kind of work you want, and why you chose this organization, and it asks for a conversation or for you to be kept in mind. You send one when there is no advertised vacancy that fits: you admire a school, hospital or company and want to be considered for a future opening, you want to move within your own organization, or you have been told by a contact that a role may open. Because nobody asked for it, it has to earn attention in its first lines.
It is not the same as a letter you write for a posted job. That is a cover letter, which answers a list of stated requirements. A letter of interest has no list to answer, so its structure is built around the employer's needs as you understand them. It goes with your resume.
No vacancy or a vacancy: which letter to send
| Interest letter | Cover letter | |
|---|---|---|
| Sent when | No job is posted | There is a posted job to apply for |
| It answers | What this employer might need from you | The requirements listed in the ad |
| Opening | Why this employer, and what you can offer | The job title and where you saw it |
| Ask | A conversation, or to be considered for openings | An interview for this job |
| Research needed | A lot: the organization and its current needs | Some: the ad is the brief |
If a job is advertised, write a cover letter; the guide to what a cover letter is explains when one is needed.
How to write a letter of interest
Do the research first. Learn what the employer does, what it has recently announced, and which team you would join, and find a named person to write to: a department head, the hiring manager for your function, or an office lead. A letter to “Dear Sir or Madam” is far more likely to go nowhere. Then write four short paragraphs on one page, in the format below. For a short version, keep each of the four paragraphs to two or three sentences.
- Why them. One or two sentences that could only be written to this employer: a program, a result, a value. Open with this, not with “I am writing to inquire about vacancies”.
- Who you are and what you offer. Your current role or field, and two or three concrete strengths that fit what you have seen they do, each with a proof from your experience.
- What you are looking for. The kind of role and team, stated clearly enough that the reader knows whom to forward it to.
- The ask. A short, specific request: a twenty-minute call, a conversation about future openings, or to be kept on file. Say your resume is attached, give a phone and email, and thank them.
On length, one page is the limit and about 250 words is a good target. Use a standard business letter layout with your contact details, the date, the recipient's name and title, and a formal closing; it is the same format you would use for a cover letter. Send it by email with the resume as a PDF and a subject line that names you and the field, such as “Interest in teaching opportunities: Maya Collins”.
Letter of interest examples
Three samples follow, each for a different situation. They are fictional and illustrative: the people, school, company and numbers are invented, and you should replace every detail with your own.
Letter of interest for a teaching position
Dear Ms. Alvarez,
Your school's project-based approach to middle school science is the reason I am writing. I have taught grades six to eight for four years and moved my own classes from worksheets to a unit-long investigation model, which raised end-of-year assessment results from 68% to 79%.
I am looking for a science teaching position starting next fall, and I would be glad to be considered for any opening in your department. I hold a state teaching license in general science and am finishing a certificate in special education.
My resume is attached. May I call you next week to ask about your plans for the department? I can be reached at (555) 010-0138 or maya.collins@example.com.
Sincerely,
Maya Collins
For a corporate role
Dear Mr. Haddad,
Your recent expansion into three regional markets is the kind of growth I have spent the last five years supporting. As a marketing analyst for a mid-size distributor, I built the reporting that moved our campaign spend toward the two channels that produced 70% of leads.
I am interested in analytics or marketing operations roles with your team, and I would welcome a short conversation about where that work is heading. I enclose my resume.
Best regards,
Daniel Okoye
daniel.okoye@example.com
For an internal move
Dear Jamie,
I have worked in customer support here for three years and have followed the product team's work on the new onboarding flow closely. I would like to be considered for a product operations role when one opens.
In support I wrote the guide that cut repeat questions about setup by about a quarter, and I have been logging the issues customers raise most. I would value twenty minutes to hear how your team works, and I have told my manager of my interest.
Thank you,
Sam Rivera
A letter of interest template
The template needs only four blanks: the reason you chose them, your two proofs, the kind of role you want, and the single request. In order: “I am writing because [something specific about the organization]. In my [current role] I [proof one] and [proof two]. I am looking for [kind of role] and would welcome [call or meeting]. My resume is attached; thank you for considering this.” Then rewrite every sentence until it could not be sent to anyone else. For the letter that answers a posted job, see the cover letter templates.
Sources
Checked on 12 October 2026.