A letter of interest is the note you send a company you want to work for when it has not advertised a job. It introduces you, shows you have done your homework, and asks to be kept in mind when a role opens. Download it free, fill it in, and send it.
Free to use. Legally binding under the ESIGN Act, UETA, and eIDAS.Updated November 2026 by Document eSign
A letter of interest is a short, professional letter you send to a company to say you would like to work there, sent on your own initiative rather than in reply to a job ad. It is also called a letter of inquiry, a statement of interest, or a prospecting letter. The job it does is narrow and specific: it introduces you, shows you understand what the company actually does, points to 1 or 2 concrete things you have achieved, and asks to be considered if a fitting role comes up. What separates it from a cover letter is timing and target. A cover letter answers a posting that exists and argues you are the best fit for that 1 role. A letter of interest goes out when nothing is posted, so it cannot claim to fit a named job. Instead it opens a door and starts a relationship, which is why it leans on research and genuine reasons rather than a checklist of requirements. People use it to reach a company they admire, to plan a career move before it is urgent, or to get in front of a hiring manager at a place that rarely advertises. Keep it to 1 page, 3 or 4 short paragraphs, 250 to 350 words. The strongest versions read as if they could only have been sent to that 1 employer.
Who uses it
Someone who wants to work for a specific company that has nothing postedA professional planning a move who is building relationships earlyA career changer targeting a short list of employersA graduate or early-career applicant approaching a firm coldAn experienced worker who would relocate for the right companyAnyone reaching a hiring manager at a place that rarely advertises openings
What's inside
Your name, contact details, and the date
The hiring manager's name, title, and company address
A clear opening that says who you are and why you are writing
A line that names the specific reason you want this employer, not any employer
1 or 2 concrete achievements, with a number where you have one
The 2 or 3 skills you would bring, tied to the company's direction
A plain statement that you know there may be no opening right now
A short call to action with your phone and email
A professional closing and your signature
A 1-page structure you can reuse for each company you target
HOW IT WORKS
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01
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Open it in the editor with the fields already mapped, or download the DOCX to edit offline.
02
Add signers and send
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03
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The details
Everything to know before you send it.
1
Letter of interest or cover letter: which one you need
These 2 get mixed up constantly, and sending the wrong one reads as a mistake. The difference is simple once you see it. A cover letter responds to a job that has been posted. It names the role, maps your experience onto the listed requirements, and goes in with your application. A letter of interest goes out when there is no posting. You are approaching the company first, so you cannot argue you fit a named job, because there isn't one.
That changes what the letter has to do. A cover letter can lean on the job description. A letter of interest has to supply its own reason for existing, which is almost always research: something specific about the company that connects to what you do. Skip that and you have a generic note that reads like it went to 50 employers, because it did.
One more name to clear up. A letter of intent, in the business sense, is a different document entirely: it records the headline terms of a deal before the contract is drafted, and it has binding parts. That is not this. If you are approaching an employer, this page is the right one. If you are outlining a transaction, you want the letter of intent template instead.
2
How to fill it in
The structure is fixed and short. Fill the blanks, keep it to one page, and cut anything that could have been written about any company.
Header: add your name, contact details, and the date, then the hiring manager's name, title, and company address. Use a real name wherever you can find one.
Opening: say who you are and that you are writing on your own initiative, not about a posting. Name the specific thing that drew you to this employer in the same breath.
Middle: give 1 or 2 concrete results, with a number if you have one, then the 2 or 3 skills that match where the company is going. Point to where you read about that direction.
The honest line: acknowledge there may be no opening right now. It signals you did not mistake this for a job application and it lowers the pressure to reply.
Close: ask for a short conversation, give your phone and email, and thank them. Keep the ask small.
Sign off and attach your resume. Then read the whole thing once and cut any sentence that is not specific to this company.
3
The research is the letter
A letter of interest lives or dies on 1 thing: evidence that you are writing to this company and not just broadcasting. Hiring managers see generic outreach constantly and it goes straight in the bin. So before you write a word, find the specific hooks. A recent product launch, a new market the company is entering, an award, a leader's interview, a problem the company has publicly said it is working on. Name 1 or 2 of those and tie them to what you actually do.
The common mistakes all come back to skipping that step. The letter is too long and wanders past 1 page. It lists duties instead of results. It flatters the company in vague terms ("an industry leader") without a single concrete detail. Or it is clearly a template with the company name pasted in. Fix the last one and you have beaten most of the field, because most of the field does not bother. Address a named person rather than "To Whom It May Concern," proofread it twice, and make sure every paragraph would make no sense if you swapped in a different employer.
4
Who to send it to, and how
Getting the letter to the right person matters as much as what it says. Aim for the person who would actually manage the role you want, or the head of that department, rather than a general inbox. Check 3 places to find a name and title: the company site, LinkedIn, and recent news. If you genuinely cannot find one, address it to the department head by title ("Dear Head of Marketing") rather than falling back on an anonymous greeting.
Email is usually the fastest route, with the letter as the body of the message or a brief note plus the letter attached as a PDF. A short, specific subject line helps it get opened. If the company is more traditional, or you have a mailing address and want to stand out, a printed, signed letter still works. Either way, a letter of interest is a first touch, not a hard sell, so 1 light follow-up after 7 to 10 days is reasonable if you hear nothing. 1 nudge, not 3 or 4.
5
What to expect after you send it
Set your expectations where they belong. A letter of interest is a networking move, not a job application, so the realistic outcomes are 1 of 4: a conversation, a referral to someone else, a "we will keep you on file," or silence. Any of the first 3 is a win, because it puts you in front of a company before a role is ever posted, which is exactly the point.
Many roles are filled through referrals and direct contact before they are ever advertised, so being known to a hiring manager early is worth more than it looks. Treat each letter as the start of a relationship rather than a lottery ticket. Keep a simple record of who you wrote to and when, personalise each one properly instead of sending many weak copies, and follow up once. 5 well-researched letters beat 50 identical ones every time.
6
Signing and sending it
A letter of interest is a professional letter, not a contract, so it does not need to be notarised or witnessed, and it creates no legal obligation on you or the employer. Your name at the bottom, typed or signed, is enough. If you fill it in and sign it online, that electronic signature is valid under the ESIGN Act and state UETA laws, the same rules that stand behind any e-signed document, so an e-signed or emailed letter carries the same weight as a printed one. In practice most people send it by email as a PDF or paste it into the message body. Keep a copy for yourself with the date you sent it so you know when to follow up.
This template and the guidance on this page are provided for general information only and are not legal advice. Laws differ by country and state, so review the final document against your own situation and have a qualified lawyer check anything high-value or regulated before you sign.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
What is a letter of interest?
It is a short, professional letter you send to a company to express interest in working there, sent on your own initiative rather than in response to a job posting. It is also called a letter of inquiry, a statement of interest, or a prospecting letter. It introduces you, shows you understand what the company does, highlights 1 or 2 concrete achievements, and asks to be considered when a suitable role opens up.
What is the difference between a letter of interest and a cover letter?
Timing and target. A cover letter responds to a specific posted job and argues you fit that role, and it goes in with your application. A letter of interest goes out when nothing is posted, so instead of matching a job description it has to supply its own reason: something specific about the company that connects to what you do. Send a cover letter when there is an ad, and a letter of interest when there is not.
When should I send a letter of interest?
Send one when you want to work for a particular company that has not advertised a role you are suited to. It is also useful in 3 other cases: you are planning a career move before it is urgent, you are changing fields and targeting a short list of employers, or you are trying to reach a hiring manager at a place that rarely posts openings. Do your research first, so the letter is clearly written to that company and not a generic broadcast.
How long should a letter of interest be?
1 page, usually 3 or 4 short paragraphs, in the region of 250 to 350 words. It is an introduction, not a full application, so brevity is part of the job. If it runs past 1 page you are almost certainly listing duties or repeating yourself. Cut anything that is not specific to the company you are writing to.
Who do I address a letter of interest to?
Address it by name to the person who would manage the role you want, or the head of that department. Check the company website, LinkedIn, and recent news to find a name and title. If you truly cannot find one, use the department head's title, for example "Dear Head of Operations," rather than an anonymous "To Whom It May Concern." A named recipient signals you did the research.
Should I attach my resume to a letter of interest?
Yes, in most cases. The letter is the introduction and the resume is the detail, so attaching it lets an interested reader see your full background without you cramming it into the letter. Mention in the letter that your resume is attached. If you are sending by email, attach it as a PDF so the formatting holds.
Is the letter of interest available in Word format?
Yes. Download the letter of interest as a Word (.docx) file and edit it in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or Pages. You can also download a PDF or fill it in and sign online.
Can I download the letter of interest as a PDF?
Yes. A print-ready PDF is available alongside the Word version. Download either one free, or fill it in and sign online without downloading anything.
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