Updated September 22, 2026.
In short: a letter of introduction is a short letter or email that presents you — or someone you know — to a person who does not know you yet, and asks for a conversation rather than a job. You send it when there is no specific opening to apply for: to reach someone in a field or company you want to join, to announce yourself in a new role to clients or partners, or to connect two people in your network. It runs three or four short paragraphs, says who you are and why you are writing to this particular person, and ends with one small, easy request.
What is a letter of introduction?
It is the professional version of being introduced at an event: a first contact that establishes who someone is and why the two of you should talk. Its goal is a relationship, not a hiring decision. That is the main thing that separates it from the other letters job seekers write.
There are three common kinds:
- Self-introduction to a contact. You write to someone in a company, industry or city you want to move into, explain your background in two sentences, and ask for a short call or advice.
- Introduction in a new role. You have joined a company, taken over an account, or started freelancing, and you introduce yourself to the clients, vendors or colleagues you will work with.
- Introducing another person. You connect two people you know — a former colleague looking for work and a hiring manager in your network, for example — and explain why they should talk.
When should you use a letter of introduction?
When you want to open a door and there is no job posting to respond to. Typical moments:
- You are changing careers or relocating and want to talk to people already doing the work.
- A mutual contact has suggested you get in touch with someone.
- You have started a new job or freelance practice and want the people you will serve to know who you are.
- A colleague asks you to vouch for them with someone you know.
- You met someone briefly at a conference or event and want to follow up properly.
If there is an advertised opening, write a cover letter instead — our cover letter examples show the format for dozens of roles. If you want to be considered for jobs at a specific company that has nothing posted, a letter of interest is the better fit.
How is a letter of introduction different from a cover letter and a letter of interest?
All three are short, personal and addressed to one reader, but they ask for different things.
| Compared on | Letter of introduction | Letter of interest | Cover letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Start a professional relationship | Ask to be considered for jobs at a company that has not advertised one | Apply for one specific advertised job |
| Typical reader | A person you want to know: practitioner, manager, client | A hiring manager or department head at a target company | The hiring manager or recruiter for the posting |
| Is there a job opening? | Not necessarily | No advertised opening | Yes |
| What you ask for | A conversation, advice or a referral | An exploratory conversation about current or future roles | An interview |
| Resume attached? | Usually not; offer it or link your LinkedIn profile | Yes | Yes |
| Focus | Who you are and why you are contacting this person | Why this company, and what you would bring to it | How your experience matches the posting's requirements |
| Typical length | Three to four short paragraphs | Three to five paragraphs | Three to five paragraphs, under one page |
In practice, the letter of introduction is the one most likely to be read on a phone and least likely to be filed with an application, so keep it shorter than the other two.
How do you write a letter of introduction?
Use five parts. Each is one to three sentences.
1.Greeting by name. Find the person's name; "To whom it may concern" undoes the point of a personal introduction.
2.Connection or reason for writing. Lead with the link between you: a mutual contact, a shared employer, an event, or something specific they wrote or built. If there is no connection, say plainly why you chose them.
3.Who you are, in two sentences. Your current role or background and the one thing that makes the conversation worth their time.
4.The request. Ask for something small and specific: a 20-minute call, a pointer to the right person, or feedback on one question. Make it easy to decline.
5.Close and contact details. Thank them, give your email and phone number, and link your LinkedIn profile or portfolio.
When you send it by email, the subject line does most of the work. Name the connection if you have one, such as "Introduction via Dana Kim — supply chain question," or state the purpose, such as "New account manager for Westfield Dental."
What does a letter of introduction look like? (example)
This example is a self-introduction from a career changer to someone recommended by a mutual contact. The names, companies and details are invented for illustration.
Subject: Introduction via Dana Kim — moving from teaching into instructional design
Dear Ms. Alvarez,
Dana Kim suggested I contact you. She and I taught together at Lakeview Middle School, and she mentioned that you lead the learning design team at Harbor Health and have hired several people from classrooms.
I have taught eighth-grade science for seven years, and for the last two I have built our district's online lab modules in Articulate Rise, which about 30 teachers now use. I am working towards a move into corporate instructional design and would value the view of someone who has made that hiring decision.
Would you have 20 minutes for a call in the next few weeks? I would like to ask what separated the teachers you hired from the ones you did not. If your schedule is full, a pointer to anyone on your team who made the same move would be just as helpful.
Thank you for considering it. You can reach me at sam.ortiz@example.com or (555) 010-3344, and my portfolio of course modules is at samortiz.example.com.
Best regards,
Sam Ortiz
Why it works: the first line gives the reader a reason to keep reading (someone they know sent it), the background is two sentences with one concrete detail, and the request is small, specific and has an easy alternative. If a conversation like that later turns into a posted opening, the next step is a regular application — see the instructional coordinator cover letter example for how the same background reads in a cover letter.
How do you introduce someone else in a letter?
Check with both people first, then send one short email addressed to the person being asked for time, with the other person copied. Make the value for the reader obvious. A good third-party introduction has four sentences: who the person is, why you are connecting them, what they would like to discuss, and a line that lets either side say no gracefully.
Subject: Intro: Chris Patel (data engineer) ↔ Morgan Shaw
Morgan, I'd like to introduce you to Chris Patel, who worked on my analytics team for three years and built our data pipeline from scratch. Chris is exploring data engineering roles in healthcare, and I thought of you because of your team's work on claims data. Would you be open to a short call with Chris? No pressure either way — I'll leave it to the two of you from here.
Once both have replied, step back and let them arrange the call themselves.
Should you attach a resume to a letter of introduction?
Usually not. An attachment turns a request for a conversation into a request to be assessed, which is a bigger ask of someone who does not know you. Link your LinkedIn profile or portfolio in the signature instead, and offer the resume if the conversation goes somewhere. If the person does ask for it, send a version tailored to the kind of role you discussed. And if a real opening comes out of the conversation, apply with a proper cover letter: the cover letter generator drafts one from your resume and the job posting.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a letter of introduction be?
Short: three or four paragraphs; by email, aim for under 200 words. The reader owes you nothing, so the whole letter should fit on a phone screen or two without scrolling far.
Is a letter of introduction the same as a cover letter?
No. A cover letter applies for a specific advertised job and asks for an interview. A letter of introduction starts a relationship and asks for a conversation, often when no job exists yet. Our cover letter examples by job type show what the application version looks like.
Can a letter of introduction be sent by email?
Yes. Email is the practical default for most introductions. Put the connection or the purpose in the subject line, keep the body to a few short paragraphs, and add your contact details in the signature. A printed letter still suits formal settings, such as introducing yourself to a new client in a regulated industry.
Should I send a letter of introduction on LinkedIn?
It can work as a LinkedIn message if you keep it even shorter — two or three sentences and one question. Connection-request notes have a tight character limit, so send the full introduction as a message after you connect, or by email. Our guide to LinkedIn networking messages that get replies has more on the format.
What if the person does not reply?
Send one polite follow-up after about a week, restating the request in a sentence. If there is still no reply, let it go and write to someone else; people ignore cold messages for reasons that have nothing to do with you.
What is the difference between a letter of introduction and a letter of interest?
A letter of introduction asks for a relationship with a person; a letter of interest asks a company to consider you for jobs it has not advertised. The first ends with a request for a call or advice, the second with a request to be kept in mind for current or future openings, and it usually comes with a resume attached.