When you want to touch base with a potential employer without overwhelming them with your ten-page resume, you can send in a letter of interest in its place. Think of it as a warm-up gesture before filing a complete application. In the letter, you basically lay out your background, qualifications and achievements in brief, all while informing them of your interest in finding a place with their organization.
Like all correspondences, a letter of interest will only work best when done right.
1. Address it to someone specific. Sending it to a company and hoping somebody will take notice is a literal shot in the dark. Most of the time, you’ll end up missing. You can’t expect employers to take seriously if you don’t even have the initiative to find out who the contact person should be.
2. Maintain a professional tone. A letter of interest is a business document. As such, it deserves to be written with the same professional quality that you’d give to any business communication. It doesn’t have to be overly formal, but you have to make sure that your writing sounds respectful and dignified.
3. Include enough details about yourself. You’re interested in getting a job with the company. Your letter should then work to make them interested in hiring you. To do so, make sure you throw in enough details to let you know why you’re qualified for the position.
4. Demonstrate your knowledge about the company. Since you took the time to write an unsolicited letter of interest, it’s assumed that you should know something about the company. Show it by detailing why you picked them in your letter.
5. Turn in an error-free letter. From the moment they open your letter of interest, you’re being evaluated. If your document is riddled with mechanical and grammar errors, your viability as a candidate takes an immediate hit. Make sure you turn in a clean letter by running it through a business writing and proofreading software.
