Letter of interest vs cover letter comes down to whether an open position is there for what you wish to apply for. If not, it’s a letter of interest and you do not have a job description to go by. Consequently, if an open position is there, then it’s a cover letter and you have a concrete job description to frame your content around.

We will first consider the definitions and how to write a letter of interest and a cover letter. Following this, we will talk about the main focus of this article- letter of interest vs cover letter and use examples to make this clear.

What is a letter of interest?

It is a letter that expresses interest in working for an organization. The main characteristic of this letter is that it is sent in the absence of an open position that fits what you’re looking for. For instance, you are trained as a software engineer but the current job openings do not include it, so you write a letter of interest.

It is also called a letter of inquiry or intent.

How do you write a letter of interest?

You start off with an introduction where you also state where your interest is coming from. Then you move on to the main body where you talk about what sort of role you’re looking for and how you’re what the organization needs. Lastly, you conclude by adding how you can be contacted for any details and that you look forward to hearing from them.

Before we delve into the structure, here are some pointers to keep in mind:

• Focus on the company and what makes you apply to them in particular as opposed to some other company
• Introduce your background briefly
• Talk about your skills and experiences in terms of how they can benefit the company generally as well as in terms of any specific difficulty it has been facing
• make sure to mention that you’re open to a discussion because the lack of job openings means they will need to evaluate you properly to find out what fits you

Now, let’s see the structure:

Introduction

Should include, in brief:

• Why you have written the letter (i.e., are there any job opportunities?)
• Current employment status (e.g., grad of B.Tech, working in tech for x years)
• Where your interest came from (e.g., saw on television, connected with a current employee, heard from college)

Main Body

Should include, in some detail:

• What role you’re interested in
• What skills, experiences, certifications, etc make you suitable (attach CV or Resume to support this)? You would be able to create or rewrite a letter of interest using ChatGPT as well. Here is an article on how to use prompts to get that done.
• Lastly, if you’re flexible about the role, mention that and give them a good idea of your skillset so they can check if they have something that you do qualify for.

Conclusion

Should include, very concisely:

• Your interest in discussing this further
• How you can be contacted
• How you’re looking forward to being contacted

What is a cover letter?

It is a letter that expresses interest in working for an organization. In this case, there is a job opening available. Hence, the reason you write it is to make the employer interested enough in you to read your resume or CV. For instance, you saw that the company is hiring for a position through their site so you email them with a cover letter.

How do you write a cover letter?

This is very similar to when you write a letter of interest. The main difference is that since the job requirement is clear, you can also be clear about how your skills and experiences match those requirements. You can frame your cover letter on the basis of the job description.

Here’s an article on how you can write your own cover letter along with examples.

Here are some pointers to keep in mind when writing a cover letter:

• Make sure your skills, experiences, and interests all relate back to the job description. This will indicate to the hiring personnel that you’re right for the job.
• Focus on how you can contribute to the organization with your characteristics. This should give an idea of what you can do well.
• Add characteristics about yourself that set you apart from other applicants, be it soft skills or technical skills.
• Use formal communication, being informal in a cover letter can appear unprofessional.

Also, note that headlines can have a powerful impact when writing cover letters. Check out this article to know more about headlines and examples for the same.

What is the difference between a letter of interest and a cover letter?

As mentioned earlier, a letter of interest conveys interest in working for a particular organization in the absence of any explicitly mentioned job openings that you fit into. On the other hand, a cover letter addresses a particular position that the company has declared to be vacant in a posting.

Examples

Example 1: a letter of interest and then a cover letter to Google as a person with an engineering background.

Dear team,

I’m writing to say how eager I am to join Google. Coming from an engineering background, I have been working jobs in this field for 5 years now. My intrigue with your company dates back to my college days when I attended several of your eye-opening seminars, and I also keep hearing great things about the work culture from current employees. 

I am interested in the role of software engineering lead because I am highly specialized in [your specialization] and have been trained in this field comprehensively over the years. In my work journey, I have always been passionate about creative solutions, which I understand is a driving force at Google. I am proficient with [various engineering-related skills]. As evidenced by my past experiences, I am good at working with teams and my co-workers usually consider me to be quite reliable as a leader. Having worked in highly diverse work environments, I’m good at collaborating with others and getting things done.

I am attaching my resume for your reference and would love to discuss this further and demonstrate to you how my skills can prove valuable to the team. Please get in touch at [email] or [phone number] if needed. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

[Your Full Name]

[Attachment: Resume/CV]

Now, see the cover letter of the same, with changes being bolded:

Dear team,

I’m writing to say how eager I am to join the software engineering lead role at Google. Coming from an engineering background, I have been working jobs in this field for 5 years now. I have always taken a keen interest in your company after attending a few of its seminars back in college, and keep hearing great things about its work culture from current employees. 

I am interested in the role of software engineering lead because I am highly specialized in [your specialization] and have been trained in this field comprehensively over the years. In my work journey, I have always been passionate about creative solutions, which I understand is a driving force at Google. I am proficient with [various engineering-related skills mentioned in the job description]. I also think I would be a good fit for this role because [mention how your experience matches job requirements]. As evidenced by my past experiences, I am good at working with teams and my co-workers usually consider me to be quite reliable as a leader. Having worked in highly diverse work environments, I’m good at collaborating with others and getting things done.

I am attaching my resume for your reference. I would love to discuss this further and demonstrate to you how my skills can prove valuable to the team. Please get in touch at [email] or [phone number] if needed. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

[Your Full Name]

[Attachment: Resume/CV]

Example 2: a letter of interest and then a cover letter to a company as a fresher.

Dear team,

I’m writing to say how eager I am to join [company name]. As a recent graduate of [course name] from [university name], I’m incredibly passionate about [field name]. I have always taken a keen interest in your company because [mention reasons]. 

I am interested in the role of [role name]. My coursework including [module names] has helped me be proficient in [skills]. I have always been passionate about [write based on the role you’re interested in]. Although I do not have concrete work experience yet, I take an active role in learning and work well in teams.

I am attaching my resume for your reference. I would love to discuss this further and demonstrate to you how my skills can prove valuable to the team. Please get in touch at [email] or [phone number] if needed. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

[Your Full Name]

[Attachment: Resume/CV]

Now, see the cover letter variant (changes have been bolded)

Dear team,

I’m writing to say how eager I am to join the role of [role name] at [company name]. As a recent graduate of [course name] from [university name], I’m incredibly passionate about [field name]. I have always taken a keen interest in your company because [mention reasons]. 

My coursework including [module names] has helped me be proficient in [skills mentioned in the role description]. I have always been passionate about [write based on the role you’re interested in]. Although I do not have concrete work experience yet, I take an active role in learning and work well in teams. [Try to mention a few more things that you can contribute well to based on the job description].

I am attaching my resume for your reference. I would love to discuss this further and demonstrate to you how my skills can prove valuable to the team. Please get in touch at [email] or [phone number] if needed. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

[Your Full Name]

[Attachment: Resume/CV]

Conclusion

We covered what is a letter of interest and a cover letter, how to write these, and the difference between these along with examples to demonstrate it. We hope that the letter of interest vs cover letter distinction is clear by now.

Interested in public speaking? Check out coaching to know more and get a start on speaking amazingly.