Updated September 22, 2026.
In short: a letter of interest is a letter you send to a company you want to work for when it has not advertised a job that fits you. It says why you chose that company, what you would bring to a specific team or function, and asks to be considered for current or future openings — usually through a short exploratory conversation. It is also called a letter of inquiry or a prospecting letter. Unlike a cover letter, it answers no posting, so it has to do the targeting itself: one company, one named reader, one kind of role.
What is a letter of interest?
It is an unsolicited job application in letter form. You pick an organization, find the person who runs the team you would join, and explain why you want to work there and why you would be useful. You attach your resume, and you ask for a conversation about roles that exist now or may open later.
Job seekers use it when:
- The company rarely advertises, or fills roles through referrals and internal networks.
- You are targeting a short list of employers — for example, the handful of firms in your specialism in a new city.
- You expect a role to open — a team is growing, a new office is opening, or a project has been announced publicly.
- You want an internal move. Some organizations ask employees to write a letter of interest for a promotion or a transfer, sometimes even when a role is posted. Follow your employer's instructions in that case.
The term also has meanings outside job hunting. In grant-making, a "letter of inquiry" (often shortened to LOI) is a short proposal a nonprofit sends to a funder, and in real estate a similar-sounding "letter of intent" signals an offer. Neither is covered here.
What is the difference between a letter of interest and a cover letter?
A cover letter responds to a specific job posting; a letter of interest is sent without one. That one difference changes almost everything else about the letter.
| Compared on | Letter of interest | Cover letter | Letter of introduction |
|---|---|---|---|
| When you send it | No suitable job is advertised | A specific job is advertised | You want to meet someone, with or without a job in view |
| Addressed to | The head of the team you want to join | The hiring manager or recruiter named in the posting | A person you want to know |
| What it matches you against | The company's goals, products and public plans | The posting's listed requirements | Nothing — it establishes who you are |
| What you ask for | To be considered for current or future roles, and a short conversation | An interview for the advertised job | A conversation, advice or a referral |
| Resume attached | Yes | Yes | Usually not |
| Research needed | High: you define the role yourself | Medium: the posting tells you what matters | Low to medium |
If your goal is a conversation with a person rather than consideration for a job, write a letter of introduction instead. If a posting exists, write a cover letter — our cover letter generator drafts one from your resume and the job description.
How do you write a letter of interest?
Do the research first, then write four paragraphs.
Before you write, find out:
- Who to address. The manager of the team you would join, not a generic careers inbox. A company's website, press releases, conference talks and LinkedIn usually reveal who that is.
- What the team is working on. A product launch, an expansion, a public goal or a recent hire tells you what they might need.
- Which role you are proposing. "Anything available" is not a role. Name a function and level, such as "a senior data analyst on the pricing team."
Then structure the letter like this:
1.Opening: why this company, specifically. One or two sentences that could only be written to this employer. Mention what you noticed: a product, a project, a stated goal. If someone referred you, name them here.
2.Value: what you would bring. Two or three sentences connecting your strongest relevant results to what the team is doing. Use one or two concrete achievements from your resume rather than a list of adjectives.
3.The ask. Say what kind of role you are interested in and ask for a short conversation about current or upcoming needs. Mention that your resume is attached.
4.Close. Thank them, give your email and phone number, and say when you will follow up.
Keep it to one page, and shorter by email. A letter of interest that runs long reads as if you are not sure what you want.
What does a letter of interest look like? (example)
This example is from a mid-career marketing analyst writing to a company that has no analyst opening posted. The people, companies and figures are invented for illustration; replace every detail with your own.
Subject: Letter of interest — marketing analytics, Greenline Bikes
Dear Mr. Okafor,
I have followed Greenline Bikes since your subscription service launched in the Pacific Northwest, and your recent announcement that it will expand to three more cities is the reason I am writing. Growth like that usually means a lot of new questions about which channels bring in subscribers who stay, and that is the work I do.
For the past four years I have been a marketing analyst at Cascade Outdoor, where I built the attribution model our team uses to set monthly paid-media budgets and ran the churn analysis that led us to change our trial offer. Before that I spent two years in retail operations, so I am used to working with the people who run stores, not just dashboards.
I would welcome the chance to be considered for a marketing or growth analytics role on your team, now or as the expansion takes shape. Would you be open to a 20-minute conversation in the next few weeks about what the team needs? My resume is attached.
Thank you for your time. You can reach me at riley.chen@example.com or (555) 010-5566. If I do not hear back, I will follow up once in about two weeks.
Sincerely,
Riley Chen
Why it works: the first paragraph could not be sent to any other company, the second ties two concrete achievements to the reader's likely problem, and the request is concrete without demanding a job that does not exist yet.
For more tone and structure models, browse our cover letter examples — for instance the marketing manager cover letter example — and adapt the middle paragraphs; only the opening and the ask need to change for a letter of interest.
Who should you send a letter of interest to?
To a person, never "To whom it may concern." In order of preference:
1.The manager of the team you want to join — the person who would feel the need for you.
2.Their manager, if the team is small or the manager cannot be identified.
3.A recruiter or talent partner who covers that function, if the company has an in-house recruiting team.
4.The general careers or HR address, only as a last resort, with the team name in the subject line.
If someone you know works there, ask them first whether they would pass your letter on or introduce you. A letter that arrives through a colleague gets a different kind of attention than one that arrives cold.
How do you follow up on a letter of interest?
Follow up once, politely, after about two weeks, with a two-sentence note that restates your interest and your request. After that, stop writing and keep an eye on the company's careers page. If a relevant role is posted later, apply for it formally with a tailored resume and a cover letter, and mention your earlier letter in the first paragraph.
Frequently asked questions
Is a letter of interest the same as a cover letter?
No. A cover letter answers a specific job posting and asks for an interview for that job. A letter of interest is sent when no suitable job is advertised, and asks the company to consider you for current or future openings. The format is similar; the targeting and the request are different.
Is a letter of interest the same as a letter of intent?
In job searching, people often use the two terms interchangeably. Strictly, a letter of intent states a firmer commitment — it is used in business deals and some admissions processes — while a letter of interest signals interest and asks to start a conversation. For an unsolicited job application, "letter of interest" is the clearer name.
How long should a letter of interest be?
Four paragraphs and under one page, and shorter when sent in the body of an email. The reader did not ask for it, so every sentence should either explain why you chose this company or what you would bring.
Should I attach my resume to a letter of interest?
Yes. Unlike a letter of introduction, a letter of interest asks to be considered for work, so the reader needs the evidence. Tailor the resume to the kind of role you are proposing, and use the resume tailoring tool if you want help matching it to a similar posting from another company.
Can I send a letter of interest by email?
Yes, and for most companies email is the most practical route. Put "Letter of interest" and the function in the subject line, paste the letter into the body of the email rather than attaching it, and attach your resume as a PDF.
What is a letter of interest for a promotion or internal job?
It is a letter to your own manager or HR explaining why you want a specific internal role and what you have done that prepares you for it. Some employers require one for internal applications. Follow their format if there is one; otherwise use the same four-paragraph structure, with your current role's results in the middle paragraph.