Letter of intent
A letter of intent provides a high-level summary of your industry-relevant qualifications and experience. It provides the manager with a sense of why you would like to work with them. Also known as a letter of interest or letter of inquiry. This post outlines a letter of intent when to use it, and what it must comprise. We also give an example letter with suggestions on how to write a letter of intent guiding principles.
What is a letter of intent?
A letter of intent is a formal introduction to the company for whom you wish to join. Generally, you may submit a letter of intent to recruiters at an organization that has not yet published jobs that match your qualifications. A letter of intent, like a cover letter, offers fewer specifics about a particular job. Rather, a letter of intent conveys your interest to work for a company, the explanations why you are enthusiastic, and what knowledge and talents you have that the manager could find beneficial.
Why do you need a letter of intent?
Even if there are no available jobs, you must write a letter of intent to display a recruiter that you are willing to work for them.
- When you are sending job applications to businesses at a career fair or other industry-related job event, a letter of intent is relevant.
- You conduct company research and identify a company that you think is a perfect fit for your future career aspirations.
- If you have heard or been informed that an organization is searching to recruit.
- The corporation has advertised for other roles but also hires people in your field of knowledge or with your qualifications and abilities.
And if there aren’t any particular jobs in your area of expertise, a letter of intent enables it convenient to send your resume to an organization. It enables managers to notice your interests and aspirations in their enterprise, which may entice the employer to measure if the business has a requirement or position you can fill.
How to write a letter of intent
Since the letter of intent must be tailored to your specific set of qualifications, experiences, and attributes, there are five primary steps you must take when writing the letter;
Begin with a friendly salutation
The greeting must be structured and adhere to proper greeting formats. For instance, you can use normal salutations like ‘To Whom It May Concern,’ or address the letter to a particular person within the corporation. Although you may be prepared to discover human resources staff to address your letter digitally, if you’re unsure, use a more standard greeting such as ‘Dear Sir or Madam.’ The letter of intent should make a good first impression by being optimistic and professional.
Introductory paragraph
Introduce yourself officially in the initial few sentences of the letter. This segment must involve your name, a brief description of your existing qualifications and experience, and the purpose for writing. Also provide details about your degree and fields of study, for instance, if you are a college grad. If you are presently working and looking for work elsewhere, add your designation and why you want to join the corporation you are contacting. Construct a strong letter. If you want to change jobs due to a bad experience at your present job, you should leave such information out. Rather, explain why you’re interested in the corporation or other beneficial factors like career progression or the possibility to explore a different position.
Include information about your skills and expertise in the body paragraph
Define your knowledge and talents in the body of your letter. It is an excellent chance to discuss why you’d be a valuable asset for the corporation in one or two paragraphs. Also, provide concrete instances of times when you met an objective or made a contribution to the performance of the company in any way. Where feasible, quantify your accomplishments with statistics. When showing interest in a job, emphasize how your abilities and experiences integrate with the company’s vision and requirements.
Incorporate a call to action
The closing paragraph is the call-to-action, in which you elaborate on what you would like the hiring manager to do as an outcome of your letter. For instance, you could utilize this space to applaud the recruiter for reading your letter and contacting you about possible job prospects. You may also involve your contact details in this segment or after signing.
Finish the letter
A typical business letter sign-off must be used for the finalization. You could, for instance, end with ‘Sincerely’ or ‘Thank you.’ These letter endings are appropriate in almost any situation.
Suggestions for writing a letter of intent
There is no right or wrong way to compose a letter of intent. And, there are a few standard procedures to pursue if you would like to improve your letter writing prospects;
- If you are sending a tangible copy of the letter, employ a formal business letter structure. It suggests you must involve your name, email address, and job designation at the top of the page.
- If you forward the letter via electronic mail, add your contact details in your signature below your name.
- Say good things about your present or previous employers, and center your attention on yourself and the prospective hiring manager.
- If you would like to progress your career, you should add the level of job you want employing specific terminology, like ‘senior-level roles’.
- Save discussing your preferred pay scale for a follow-up conversation with the hiring manager or after a successful interview. Keep in mind that the letter of intent is likely to be the initial step in a proper conversation with your potential hiring manager.
- As a reference, acknowledge a friend or acquaintance who is working at the corporation. Inform the individual that their name has been added to your letter.
- When describing your knowledge and talents, utilize active terminology like ‘compelling communicator’ or ‘professional writer.’
- Maintain the relevance of your knowledge and talents to the employer. Respond to comparable job requirements to see what competencies the hiring manager is seeking. Soft skills that are applicable throughout industries can be included if you prove why they would be beneficial to the role. Responsiveness and caring nature are admirable traits for a caregiver, but not really for a software engineer.
- Create a brief letter of intent. The goal is to capture the manager’s interest so that they will consider your application more properly. It is not crucial to add each detail of your work or educational experience.
- Before submitting the finalized copy, re-read and edit your letter. It is a significant step since you want to come across as competent and qualified. The emphasis must be on the letter’s content, not on any misspelled words or obvious grammar errors.
Example letter of intent
To Whom It May Concern,
My name is James Cooper. I recently graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. I have an incredibly outstanding work portfolio and an admirable mission to write for everyone. Virtual Redux Press is an industry leader who shares my enthusiasm for catering to people from all walks of life. Kindly take my proposal for a position on your writing team into consideration.
I analyzed various components of journalism and content creation at the NY University, such as APA-style formatting, long and short-form online content, article writing. I have also studied content marketing, like SEO techniques and SEM. I finished all of my course material with a 3.95 GPA. Throughout my bachelor’s degree, I also started working as a contributing editor for the student newspaper and did an internship as a content writer for many local presses.
Because Virtual Redux Press places a strong emphasis on high-quality internet content, I think my knowledge and competencies would make me an invaluable member of the team. If Virtual Redux Press is looking for new copywriters, please keep me in mind for any entry-level role that is open. I’m also attaching my resume, which contains more information about my expertise, experiences.
Sincerely,
Matthew L. Strickland