How To Write A Letter Of Interest For An Informational Interview
Informational interviews—and the letters of interest that lead to them—are the best-kept secret that many job seekers and working professionals should add to their arsenal for the perfect job-search preparation. They aren't just for college students who are hoping to score their next internship—they're for all levels of professional experience, whether you’re a job seeker or not, and are really just another form of networking.
Not only are they a great way to get to know others in your industry, but they can help you meet others at a specific company/industry you're thinking about trying and see what skills are necessary. Maybe you’re interviewing for a job and this person works for your prospective employer, or perhaps you’re simply curious about what life in the field looks like. Either way, making this sort of personal connection certainly can’t hurt!
How do you land an informational interview?
Not sure where to start? Begin with these three steps:
1. Identify the employers and individuals who you admire professionally.
2. Do your homework and research them and/or their company thoroughly.
3. Leverage your current network to determine whether any introductions can be made organically. (Your best friend’s mother’s former colleague is now a hire manager at a company you’re interested in working for? Great! Send a letter to ‘em!)
What is a letter of interest?
Once you've established your very own list of "awesome," now it's time to reach out and actually land one of these informational interviews. The most common way to request a meeting is to write a letter of interest via email or a LinkedIn message.
Just what is in a letter of interest? And is a cover letter the same as a letter of interest? Not exactly. In a general sense, a letter of interest, also known as a statement of interest, is a message that does not respond to a specific job ad but instead expresses your desire to work for the organization in question.
Often, these letters can be more effective than cover letters because you're not competing with other candidates for an advertised position. Even if no position is available at the moment, the employer may keep your information on file and contact you when something arises. Or, of course, you may land an informational interview. If you're asking for an informational interview rather than employment upfront, employers will likely respond positively.
3 ways to write an effective letter of interest
1. The key is to be concise, to the point, and clear about your intent.
2. Know that your subject line and matter are important in any letter of inquiry; your target is likely a busy person who receives a lot of requests such as yours.
3. Before you hit send on that message, be sure that your message communicates your ask clearly, respects their time and (bonus points) identifies how your meeting will reciprocate value for them taking time out of their busy schedule to meet you.
Letter of interest sample
Because this can be a daunting task, let's break it down and make it easy. Here's a sample to help you write an effective letter of interest and land that first meeting.
Subject Sample:
“Aspiring [Position]—Would Love to Ask You a Few Questions” or “Aspiring [Industry] Professional Looking for Advice From the Best” OR “Completely Agree With Your Thoughts on [Topic]”
Email template:
Dear [first name],My name is [your name], and I’m a [job title] who works in [your industry and location]. I’m reaching out because [insert intent here and feel free to include a little bit of flattery if warranted (but not too much!)]. I’d love to learn more about [one to three things you’d like to learn from the person—ideally more than one].I’m sure you’re very busy, so any time that you can spare would be appreciated. (If you have an example of how this meeting will benefit them, now is the time to point out how). Thanks again for your time.Sincerely,[Your name]
Should you include your resume in a letter of interest email?
You might also include your resume as an attachment, if applicable to the situation. On the one hand, giving the recipient of your letter a slightly better understanding of your work experience by including your resume is a good idea. On the other, you don’t want want to (literally and figuratively) send the wrong message — i.e. that you perceive this meeting to be closer to a formal interview than a conversation. Unless your potential informational interviewer is connected with a specific job opening, that’s likely to feel a bit confusing.
If you’re sending this inquiry letter via LinkedIn, the dilemma has been solved for you — the recipient can obviously get an idea of your background by looking at your profile. If you’re sending it via email, though, perhaps try including a link to your portfolio, if you have one, before sending your resume. (And regardless, know these people will probably look you up on LinkedIn anyway — so don’t over-sweat it!)
Tips for writing a letter of interest
Below are some additional tips from Fairygodboss for writing an effective email. By employing these hacks, you’ll hopefully up the chances of your letter of an inquiry being read!
1. Earn — and protect — your email reputation.
You know that friend of yours that sends you all kinds of things? The friend that will send emails with chain letter forwards (“Just send your favorite recipe and add one more name to the bottom of the list to pass it on!”), the latest viral video or just coupons to events? Well, you might love that friend and you might even read every other email you get from them, but if you want to make sure your emails are read in a work context, you don’t actually want to be that friend.
If people know you to send stuff that actually matters — and not just entertainment — chances are high that they will read what you send them, too. On the other hand, if you develop a reputation for sending trivia, or even junk, your emails might not even get opened. You never know who might be a connection down the line, so always employ good email etiquette.
2. Make it personal.
Making it personal means a bunch of different things. For starters, you should address the email to an actual person. “Hey” is never as good as “Hey Jack,” and “Hi Jack” is probably even better. Unless you are in constant contact and on very familiar ground with the person receiving your email, it’s just polite. People appreciate being acknowledged, and their name is just the tip of the iceberg. Everyone appreciates when their work is recognized and likes to receive thanks or gratitude if appropriate.
3. Keep it simple.
Why write two sentences when one will suffice? Brevity is important. Anyone who has opened an email that looks like it’s a few paragraphs long can tell you their instinctive reaction is something like: “This looks like a lot of work.” Email is a funny communication medium because its contents could be as short as a text message or as long as mini-essay.
If you want to make sure your email is read, keep it short and sweet. Anything that needs a longer email probably shouldn’t be an email in the first place. Ask yourself whether you could accomplish your goal more effectively with a phone call or in-person meeting as compared to a long email.
Of course, for the purpose of a job search, most of your communication is going to be happening via email anyway — so your best bet is to keep it brief! Three paragraphs max, but two paragraphs (as demonstrated in the sample above) is even better.
4. Write it well.
There’s nothing that will stop someone from finishing your email faster than something that is painful to read. If your run-on sentences don’t make sense, or your grammar and spelling mistakes are so large that they become a distraction, then people aren’t going to like reading what you’re writing. Which means it’s far more likely they’ll simply stop and go on to something else. Writing an email well doesn’t mean trying to craft a top-notch essay; it just means respecting your reader’s attention span and time by putting things concisely and communicating efficiently and effectively.
5. Follow up.
Even the best-written email can be ignored. Through no fault of your own, the fact is that most people are completely swamped with managing their emails and tend to get to non-urgent matters when they can. Sometimes that means your emails will get ignored until a later time (or sometimes just ignored, period).
If you can’t circle back in some other way that’s appropriate, emailing a second follow-up letter asking the recipient whether they got a chance to think about or read your former email is perfectly acceptable… and some might even say, completely necessary. If your follow-up letter doesn’t earn a response, though, don’t take it too personally. Write a letter to someone else in an equally enticing position — you know they’re out there, and that there are plenty of people who are willing to talk to you!
Next steps
Hopefully, these tips will help you send a letter that will result in you getting a specific job, make contact with potential employers, or at the very least, boost your networking skills!
To learn more about the informational interview process and job interviews in general, read:
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Karen Schneider works for bareMinerals in Global Packaging + Creative Services and has worked in a variety of industries over the span of her career, including digital media, fashion & apparel, and wine & spirits. She is currently a contributor to The Muse and Career Contessa and has been featured on Business Insider and Harvard Business Review for her career advice. She's obsessed with learning, life, and career/self-improvement.
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