Letter of Interest: Templates and How to Write One (2026)
Quick answer: A letter of interest is a message you send to a company to express interest in working there when they have not advertised a specific job. Unlike a cover letter — which responds to a posting — it is proactive: you introduce yourself and ask to be considered for a suitable role now or later. Keep it short (under ~200 words), make it specific to that company, and end with a clear ask. It is also called a speculative application, an expression of interest, or an unsolicited cover letter.
What Is a Letter of Interest?
A letter of interest is a proactive pitch. Instead of applying to a job that exists, you contact a company you want to work for and ask to be considered — for a role that hasn't been posted, or one that might open later.
It works because a large share of hiring never reaches a public job board. Roles get filled through referrals, internal moves, and exactly this kind of inbound interest before anyone writes a job ad. A good letter of interest puts you in the mix before the competition even knows there's a race.
It is not a mass email. The entire value is that it is targeted: one company, a real reason, a specific person where possible.
Letter of Interest vs. Cover Letter
This is the most common point of confusion, and the difference is simple once you see it:
| Cover letter | Letter of interest | |
|---|---|---|
| When you send it | In response to an advertised job | When there's no posting |
| What it answers | "Why me for this specific role" | "Why I want to work here — can we talk?" |
| Length | Half a page to a page | Shorter — often under 200 words |
| Tone | Application | Introduction / forward-looking |
| The ask | "Please consider my application" | "Please keep me in mind / can we chat" |
If a job is posted, write a cover letter. If nothing's posted and you're pitching yourself anyway, that's a letter of interest.
What to Include (and How Long It Should Be)
Keep it to three or four short paragraphs, under about 200 words. Because nobody asked for it, brevity is both a courtesy and a tactic — a short, specific note gets read; a long one gets skimmed and closed.
Include exactly four things:
- Who you are — your role and a line of relevant background.
- Why this company specifically — a real, evidenced reason, not flattery. This is the line that separates a letter of interest from spam.
- One concrete, quantified achievement — proof you'd be worth a conversation.
- A clear ask — to be kept in mind, or for a short call.
A letter that could have been sent to any company. If you could swap the company name for a competitor and the letter would still make sense, it is not a letter of interest — it is a mailshot, and it reads like one. The "why this company" line is the whole point.
Letter of Interest Templates
Four copy-paste templates for the situations people actually write these in. Fill in the brackets and send.
1. The General Letter of Interest
Use this when: you admire a company and want to be considered for any suitable role, with nothing specific advertised.
2. The Specific-Company Letter
Use this when: you have one dream employer and want to make a targeted case, not a generic one.
3. The Internal Promotion / New Role Letter
Use this when: you want to express interest in a role or team inside your current company.
4. The Short Version
Use this when: you want to keep it brief — often the right call, especially over LinkedIn or email.
Who to Send It To
A letter of interest addressed to "To whom it may concern" is a letter of interest that gets binned. Getting it to a named person is most of the battle:
- Find the specific person — the hiring manager or team lead for the area you'd work in, not a generic careers inbox.
- LinkedIn is often the better channel than email for this, because it's built for exactly this kind of introduction. Our guide to reaching out to a recruiter on LinkedIn covers how.
- If you must use email, a specific, senior address beats a shared one. A speculative note to a real decision-maker is far more likely to land than one to careers@.
Speculative, Unsolicited, Expression of Interest: Same Thing?
Largely yes — the concept has several names depending on where you are and who's asking:
- Speculative application / speculative cover letter — the standard UK term for the same thing.
- Expression of interest (EOI) — common in the UK, Ireland, and Australia; sometimes used for a slightly more formal or internal version.
- Unsolicited cover letter or cold cover letter — the same idea, framed around the "no one asked for it" angle.
- Prospecting letter — older, more sales-flavoured term for it.
The templates above work for all of them. If you're in the UK and a listing or careers page invites "speculative applications", this is the letter it means.
The Catch With Letters of Interest
They work — but they're slow. A good one is genuinely researched and genuinely tailored, which means you can realistically send a handful a week, not a hundred. That's the right effort for your top-choice companies. It's the wrong tool for covering the whole market.
The strongest job search runs both at once: hand-written letters of interest to the few employers you really want, and automated volume everywhere else. LoopCV handles the second half — it matches advertised roles across 30+ job boards to your profile and applies on your behalf, so you can spend your manual energy on the speculative letters that actually need it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is a letter of interest?
A letter of interest is a message you send to a company to express interest in working there when they have not advertised a specific opening. Unlike a cover letter, which responds to a posted job, a letter of interest is proactive — you are introducing yourself and asking to be considered for suitable roles now or in the future. It is also known as a speculative application, an expression of interest, or an unsolicited cover letter.
What is an example of a simple letter of interest?
A simple letter of interest states who you are, why you are writing to this specific company, one or two relevant achievements, and a clear ask. For example: "I'm a marketing manager with six years in B2B SaaS, and I've admired [Company]'s work in [area]. I'm not responding to a posting — I'd like to be considered if a relevant role opens up. My CV is attached." Keep it to a few short paragraphs; the copy-paste templates above give you the full structure.
How long should a letter of interest be?
Shorter than you think — ideally under 200 words, or three to four short paragraphs. Because it is unsolicited, the reader has not asked for it, so brevity is a courtesy and it improves your odds of actually being read. State who you are, why this company specifically, one concrete achievement, and a clear ask, then stop.
What is the difference between a letter of interest and a cover letter?
A cover letter accompanies an application to a specific advertised job. A letter of interest is sent when there is no posting — you are proactively expressing interest in the company and asking to be considered for a fitting role. The cover letter answers "why me for this job"; the letter of interest answers "why I want to work here, and can we talk". A letter of interest is also usually shorter and more forward-looking.