Perfecting A Letter Of Interest
Author: Kostas Papanikolaou
Categories: Self-Development
Perfecting A Letter Of Interest
Sometimes, you know a specific company you want to work for, but they don’t have open positions that match your qualifications. You may also want to acquire a specific position in this company, but it is already occupied by someone else.
What to do in these cases? Of course, you can forget entirely about your dream position in your dream company or wait a couple of weeks for this vacancy to arise again (but it may never happen).
Fortunately, there is a solution – writing a letter of interest. On the one hand, it can help you convince recruiters to give you a chance. However, on the other hand, you may achieve no desired results. You must know very well how to write a letter of interest to make the first scenario a reality and avoid the second one.
You may wonder what an expression of interest is. It is a letter that you send to employers you would like to work for, but they don’t have a job opening for you now. Basically, a letter of interest is an application for a vacancy that hasn’t been announced.
People turn to letters of interest due to different reasons. For example, some find companies with an appealing culture, while others are eager to contribute to the development of a certain product. No matter what group you belong to, you need to know how to create the best interest letter.
If you use this proactive approach to searching for employment, you can prove to potential employers that you are seriously interested and ready to take the initiative. Moreover, your chances to do the job you love increase greatly.
Along with a letter of interest, you will have to send your CV. To learn more about how to write an awesome CV, check our blog.
After reading this article, you will know how to write a letter of interest that impresses recruiters and help you reach craved outcomes.
Tips On The Best Interest Letter
- Research a company – First of all, you need to learn about your potential employer as much as possible. Maybe you will no longer want to apply after doing research. Make sure it is an enterprise you are eager to work for. Once it’s done, discover the mission, vision, values, culture, long-term and short-term goals, etc. of your chosen company. Learn about its competitors, clients, products, and partners. All this information will help you understand what you should include in an expression of interest and what you must avoid. For example, the insights about corporate culture may guide on what tone to employ in your letter. Being formal won’t work for any enterprise. A fresh start-up may be scared of your strictly conventional letter.
- Find the right person – If you want your letter of interest to lead to some response, you must send it to the right person. This person influences the recruitment process in the needed department, has enough power to create new job positions, and is open to new ideas. Examine the website of your desired company, write them an email requesting for contact details of the right person, or reach the current employees of this enterprise. In your best interest letter, mention the name of this right person rather than vague ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ or ‘To Whom It May Concern.’
- Be short but powerful – First, recruiters have a lot of work to do despite reading your long letter of interest. The best advice is to keep it brief. Otherwise, they may even ignore it. Mention only relevant information, avoid using wordy expressions, and so forth. Relax since there is no required word count for an expression of interest. Second, applicants who manage to leave recruiters touched after 100 words are more likely to get the craved position than those who describe their recognized qualifications solely. The key is to be memorable.
- Stay structured – No matter what tone you adopt, beware of the structure of your best interest letter. Start with a greeting, mentioning the name of the right person, and choosing the most suitable tone. Then, write an introduction of your letter of interest where you introduce yourself and indicate the reason for writing. The next step is creating the main body. Focus on your skills, experience, interests, and background. Also, prove that you will add value to your employer. In a closing statement, incorporate a call to action (CTA). For instance, here are some CTAs you may want to use: ‘Would you be open to meeting with me?’ and ‘Could we schedule a short call?’
- Be specific – If you can include figures in your expression of interest, do so. Mention specific projects you have worked for. Referring to your past achievement is a good practice while creating the best interest letter. However, recruiters can doubt your accomplishments unless you are specific. These tips on how to write a letter of interest will increase your chances of getting your dream job. Also, consider several common mistakes that people make while writing an expression of interest.
Common Mistakes In A Letter Of Interest
- It’s not a cover letter. A letter of interest is different from a cover letter. The former is used to express your interest in working in an enterprise that doesn’t currently hire. The latter is employed to apply for a specific job opening. Therefore, when you write your best interest letter, try to convey your enthusiasm for your dream company and prove that you possess the skills and experience, allowing you to occupy different positions.
- Avoid mistakes. Nothing can irritate recruiters as much as misspellings, grammatical and punctuation errors, and other writing issues. They can imply that either you are uneducated or you don’t care about this company.
In your expression of interest, do your best to avoid any mistakes. You can turn to such services as Grammarly, which will review your spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity, engagement, and delivery issues.
Even though your friends and relatives may not know how to write a letter of interest, ask them to read it. They can notice some mistakes that have gone unnoticed.
Don’t be overly confident. Of course, it is good to sound self-assured in an expression of interest, but some people spoil even the best interest letter by being exceedingly confident. Know your limits and avoid providing inaccurate information about your skills and experience.
Recruiters may discover you have lied or you are not that confident in real life during an interview. In this case, for sure, you will miss your chance.
Example
Dear Mr. Smith,
I am an associate product manager enthusiastic about the ABC photo- and video-editing apps, which I have been using for three months. I appreciate the concept on which you build your products. I have a burning desire to become a member of your product management team. Therefore, I am writing this letter to show my interest in joining ABC.
I have worked as a part-time back-end developer for DEF during my last university year. After graduating, I got the position of associate product manager at GHI. I have acquired great coding, data analysis, and UX skills while doing these jobs. Besides, I have good soft skills, including teamwork, problem-solving, creativity, and communication, that I gained while volunteering at the NGO helping immigrants. You can find out more about my education and experience in the attached CV.
Right after downloading ABC App, I realized I must join the company that had created it. I adore video making, product management, and your products. I am full of eagerness to enter ABC and contribute to its growth.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Will it be possible to arrange a short call during the next week?
Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith
Tags: job application, Job Hunting, job vacancy, letter of interest, perfecting letter of interest
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