How to Write a Letter of Interest

Open with a formal greeting. A letter of interest is a formal form of writing, so it’s a good idea to use a dignified tone from the start. For example, even the salutation (“Dear” at the beginning of the letter) needs careful consideration. First impressions matter, so make sure it’s formal. In this case, it’s best to send a letter to the person in charge of evaluating the candidate, usually the department head or human resources manager, with a preface “Dear Mr/Ms. (Full Name), “. If you don’t know who this person is, call the company/organization to ask or write “Dear Recruitment,”.

• You can also start with a title and leave out the entire salutation. ^[2]
• Note that most current business correspondence recommends against using “To Whom It May Concern”, as this could be interpreted as being anonymous or disrespectful. . ^[3]

Briefly introduce yourself. Don’t waste time after the introductory salutation, immediately introduce information about you, your background and the reason for writing your letter. The introductory paragraph is usually no more than a few sentences in length. Remember, the hiring team may have to read dozens of EOIs, so if they get to know who you are quickly, they’ll understand important information like: your work history, skills, personality , et cetera.

• For example, if you are applying for the government information technology position mentioned above, the following introduction will tell you who you are and why you are writing in just three sentences:

  “My name is Minh Quang. I am writing to apply for the position of IT specialist” posted on your company’s website. As a veteran IT professional with more than ten years of experience and passion for the job, I believe I would be a good fit for this position.”

Explain work history and job responsiveness. Then move on to a professional level at work. Let’s start with your impressive work history. You don’t need to write details like in a resume; say something like, “Five years at Company X as a manager,” instead of listing the sequence from start to finish date and specific duties like a resume. calendar. Usually you should try to summarize everything in a short paragraph.

• If you don’t have a relevant work history (like when you applied for an entry-level position), don’t worry. Instead, focus on the skills, character, work ethic, and activities you’ve been involved in that could give you an edge. For example, if you’re applying for your first job as a department chef at a local restaurant, you might describe your culinary background (including cooking classes or school). cooking) as well as non-cooking work you have done in the restaurant (like serving, reception, etc.).

List relevant skills. Your work experience is not everything, sometimes highly valuable skills make you a much better candidate than your time in related positions. . You should mention your expertise or forte to highlight your role. You can list many things, below are just a few examples for your reference:

• Language skills. It will be a big plus for you when applying to international organizations if you can be fluent or communicate in another language.
• Technology skills. Do you have basic programming knowledge? Are you an Excel master? Do you know web design? Tech companies and startups often require these skills.
• Professional certification. Are you licensed to operate a forklift? Weld? Truck driver? Food management? Certifications are essential for skilled labor jobs.

Explain why you are a great choice. Near the end of your letter, you should spend a few sentences talking about why you are the right person for the job. Unless you already know the culture at the company or organization you’re applying to, you shouldn’t claim to be the perfect cultural puzzle piece or instantly everyone’s best friend. Instead, focus on the traits that make you a valuable employee. You can use the following features:

• Character. Are you a friendly and honest person? Do you have a good relationship with your former colleagues? Employers often hire people with good teamwork skills because they will keep a positive attitude and always maintain their morale at work.
• Communication skill. Are you a lively, outgoing person? Or are you a moderate, introverted person? Habits of interacting with people can greatly affect job performance, because depending on the nature of a job, it may or may not require a candidate to be tactful.
• Goals and passions. Do you like this job? Can this job help you achieve the achievements of your dreams? Employers often choose highly motivated individuals to take on the job.

End the letter politely but briefly. After you’ve covered all that’s needed to prove you’re a qualified candidate, close your letter as succinctly as possible while remaining formal. Don’t waste time writing lengthy or emotional endings; because potential employers may be annoyed with your overly long endings or your flowery words.

• For example, in the information technology position example mentioned above, we could conclude the following:

  “Please contact me by phone or email at (contact information). Looking forward to hearing from you! Thank you for taking the time to review this letter.

  Best regards,

  Minh Quang”

Re-read and remove unnecessary content. A letter of interest should be concise and succinct. You need to be very assertive in the editing process to get a complete EOI. After completing your first draft, read it again at least once to find any redundancies. Shorten a sentence if you find it longer than necessary. Replace complicated words with easier to understand words. EOIs are functional writing, and this is not your chance to show off your writing skills, so keep it simple.

• If you have a lot of time, after completing your EOI, you should take a break and then start proofreading. You should do this because it allows you to take a breather between sets after writing, as well as making it easier to spot mistakes. ^[4]

Maintain a formal tone. EOIs should always be written in the formal, formal tone required by business correspondence. Avoid using slang, colloquial or humorous words. Remember that the reader of your EOI has never met you before, so they will have no basis to assume that you are writing this with good intentions, rather it will be disrespectful. Write as if you were giving an important speech instead of speaking to a friend or family member. ^[5]

• For example, if you’re talking about work history, the sentence “From 2002 to 2006, I was a freelance consultant for some personal relationships” sounds much more formal than “From from 2002 to 2006, I freelanced for a few people I knew”, even though the two sentences are similar in meaning.

Make sure to use proper formatting. Once the body of the letter is complete, take a moment to make sure the EOI’s format follows formal business lettering conventions and becomes easier to read. Usually, this is quite similar to a cover letter or similar document. Here are a few confusing formatting issues: ^[6]

• Subject: in the top left corner of the message, provide your name, address, phone number, and email address (each on a separate line). You should create a space between the title and the salutation.
• Spacing: Each word in a paragraph should be separated by a space. There should be a space between the new paragraphs.
• Indent: the first line of each paragraph should be indented, or you can left-align the paragraph. Many argue that you should not indent if a line breaks between paragraphs. ^[7]
• Closing: leave three spaces between the closing paragraph (e.g. “Sincerely,”) and your name.