Writing a Letter of Interest

Any individual, who is in search of a job pertaining to an organization, often finds writing a letter of interest to be essential. This organization may or may not have any vacancies available at the moment, but a letter of interest can show your interest to join the organization now or in the near future. A letter of interest is often to referred to as an inquiry or prospecting letter where you can be recognized or selected for a specific position. With this letter, that organization will have knowledge about your keen interest in joining the company and if you are qualified to fill that position. When somebody is in search of their dream job, this letter of interest can help that individual. So if you would want help writing the letter, then you've come to the right place. In the rest of the article, we will go over some tips and suggestion as to how this letter is written effectively.

Writing a Letter for a Specific Position

In this section, we will learn the basics first. If you have never written one before, no need to worry because there aren't any complicated sentences or tough formatting that is required. All you need to do is follow the tips given to you below.

• First and foremost, don't write a long, epic letter of interest. Keep it short or as long as a page.
• Before sending the letter, make sure you know what the organization is all about, the work history, positions available, and their products and services they offer. You will need to include the organization's strong points and use it to frame the letter.
• If you can, find out who will receive this letter. Hence, instead of writing "To whomever it may concern", you can write down the concerned person's name and designation.
• As you are framing the letter, don't sound snobbish or brag too much about yourself. You want to showcase yourself with your strong points to the company.
• Don't just change the organizations' names in different letters and send them out wherever you've applied. Research about the company and then send personalized letters of interest. This will show the organization that you are passionate about working with their company.
• Including information about where you learned or came to know of the vacancy in the organization is also good.
• Be sure not to make the letter of interest a duplicate of your resume. The letter can highlight few points from the resume but shouldn't be restricted to it only.
• Include your contact details as in your name, complete address, email address, and phone number.
• Always mail the original copy of the letter. Sign it appropriately and include salutation for the recipient.

Letter Template

Now that you know what needs to be included in the letter, we will look at a letter template. Before drafting the final letter, it is helpful that you browse through some examples so that you can have an idea as to how this letter is structured. Don't you agree?

SAMPLE LETTER

Your Name Your Address w/zip code Your Phone Number Your E-Mail Id Date (when the letter is being sent) Name of Concerned Individual His/her Designation Company's Name Company's Address Dear Mr. Edward Norton, (First Paragraph) I recently came across your advertisement in the newspaper (write the name of the newspaper) about (organization name's) (name of the position). In this first paragraph, include information as to why you want to apply for the said position. Tell the reader the source of the information and why you are writing a letter to become a part of the organization. Also, present the research you did about the organization so that the reader knows you haven't sent the letter just for the heck of it. (Second Paragraph) In this paragraph, tell the reader that why and how you can be an asset to the organization. Emphasize on your education, work/personal achievements, overall experience, personal characteristics, and strengths. This will be viewed as an advantage for the company and how it will help you be an integral part of the organization. Also, mention to the reader to go through your resume and reference page(s) for detailed information. (Third Paragraph) For this paragraph, you will keep the dialog very short. Express your desire to meet with this person so you two can further discuss the position in detail (if selected) and also when you will call him/her for a follow-up. This way, (Edward Norton) knows that you are serious about this job. Thank you for your time and consideration. I am looking forward to hearing from your end soon. Sincerely/Thank You/Regards, (Your Signature) Type Your Full Name

The information given in italics, in the above mentioned sample letter, tells you what each of the paragraphs are supposed to include. As we already discussed earlier, researching about the organization will help you frame this letter easily.

Apart from the suggestions given to you in this article, we also have another Buzzle article which gives you a sample letter of interest; read it thoroughly for more information. When writing a letter of interest for a job, don't just make it resemble your resume. Your educational qualifications and work experience will be taken care of by your resume; just give highlights of the same if you want, your main focus will remain on your personal skills and strengths.