Solve the Letter of Interest vs. Cover Letter Dilemma & Get Your Talent Noticed
You’ve been surfing the net for what seems like ages. No recent job opening is hitting that sweet spot, and you—understandably—feel like crying. Then, you incidentally run across a company whose vision, values, and culture perfectly align with yours! The only issue is—they’re currently not hiring. Now you just feel like screaming.
This is where the letter of interest vs. cover letter dilemma usually arises. You can’t apply with the company, but you still feel like you might grab their attention some other way. So you decide to send them a personal statement of interest. As you’re writing away, doubts start gnawing at the back of your mind. Your letter of interest looks a lot like your cover letter. Not only that, but you realize that you’re having difficulties telling the two apart. You feel like screaming again.
It’s understandable you feel frustrated. Job hunting can be a nerve-racking affair, especially when you’re unsure if you’re even sending the right document to a company.
Our article can help—by showing you the precise difference between a cover letter and a letter of interest!
Find Out the Crucial Difference Between a Cover Letter and a Letter of Interest
At a casual glance, you could easily assume that a cover letter and a letter of interest are one and the same.
This mix-up is so common that some institutions regularly demand a letter of interest—when they’re, in fact, looking for a cover letter. While both serve as a point of contact between you and a company, they differ in several respects:
- Purpose
- Timing
- Angle
The Purpose
While they might seem identical in outline, the purpose of a cover letter is different from that of a letter of interest. A cover letter is a formal introduction that you should use to present yourself as the best possible candidate for a specific job opening. It’s usually a mandatory part of the application process, going alongside your resume.
Though some job seekers nowadays consider the cover letter obsolete, it’s still quite important to many serious organizations. A cover letter complements your resume, and companies will use it for more than just gauging whether you have the skills and competencies necessary to perform well in the role. A cover letter also helps the company determine whether your personal values, character, and work ethics are aligned with theirs.
This is important as companies want a line-up of like-minded employees who get on well with each other and seamlessly blend into the company culture. In comparison, the goal of a cold cover letter (another term for a letter of interest) is far less specific. After all, the company has no job openings, and you’re not responding to an ad. Instead, you should use it to convey a general interest in their business, not a specific role. Still, you could inquire about whether there will be certain job openings in the near future. You may also request a get-to-know-you type of interview if their HR team has time for it.
Source: paulmaguire
The Timing
Once you’ve determined why you’re sending your letter, you should also make sure to pick the appropriate time to do so.
When it comes to the letter of interest, you can send it at any given time if the company doesn’t have any job vacancies. You may also contact them this way if they’ve posted a job ad for a role that doesn’t suit you.
Sending a letter of interest is useful since some companies prefer to fill positions either internally or through referrals before posting their ads on a job board. In these cases, a cold cover letter could give you a head start and help you find out about job vacancies that haven’t gone public yet.
In contrast, you should send a cover letter only in response to an open job ad that has captured your interest. If the job posting has expired, the company most likely won’t accept your application.
The Angle
Is a letter of interest the same as a cover letter? The question isn’t that unexpected if you consider only the contents of these two documents.
Both have to:
- Intrigue the recruiter enough to take an interest in what you have to offer to their company
- Explain why they should consider hiring you, either at present or in the future
The difference is not so much in what these documents contain but in how you formulate them. That’s why you need to have a unique approach, both with regard to the company you’re sending one of these documents to and the specific role you’re after.
A letter of interest should cover a broad range of general facts about your previous work experience and industry-specific skills that can bring value to the company. You should also use it as an opportunity to express a healthy dose of admiration for the company’s culture and values. As there’s no job ad, you won’t be customizing it according to the requirements of a specific role—but you can still hint at how you would benefit their organization. That’s why, unlike with a general cover letter, you need to do your research about the company beforehand.
A cover letter, on the other hand, needs to match the specific skills and responsibilities that a company has stated as requirements in their job ad. It needs to be pointed towards answering the demands of one particular position, so you should only mention relevant, role-specific information.
Source: Sora Shimazaki
Use the Same Structure Whether You’re Writing a Cover Letter or a Letter of Interest
Whatever document you intend to send, you’re in luck—if you learn how to structure one properly, you’ll be able to apply that knowledge to the other! You can also rely on the same template to get started.
In most scenarios, both letters contain the following sections:
- Heading
- Introduction
- Opening paragraph
- Main paragraph
- Conclusion and signature
The Heading
Both the cover letter and the letter of interest need to have a heading that includes vital technical information about the sender. In this section, you need to enter the following:
- First and last name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Date of sending
Bear in mind that you should use your email address and make sure that it’s something appropriate. While a letter of interest might be somewhat less formal, it’s still a big no-no to send it via an address that’s a bit silly or even potentially offensive, such as:
Source: Sora Shimazaki
The Introduction
Once you’ve included all the necessary contact details, it’s time to make an introduction! How you’ll do that depends on the culture of the company you’re dealing with. Some are more laid-back and prefer a casual introduction. Others require you to follow strict formalities. In general, it’s best to stick to conventional manners and greet the hiring manager using a well-established phrase. The table below shows you some appropriate and inappropriate ways of introducing yourself:
| Appropriate | Inappropriate |
| Dear [Name and Surname], Dear all, To Whom It May Concern, Dear Sir or Madam, |
Greetings, Hi, Heyya, Salutations upon thee, |
When you have chosen a suitable introduction, don’t forget to put a comma after the phrase.
The Opening Paragraph
Once you’ve wrapped up the introductory formalities, you can finally get around to writing the opening paragraph.
From the outset, you should strive to get the company’s attention. If you’re sending a cover letter, focus on what got you interested in the position they’re looking to fill. Show them that you’re serious about the role, perhaps by stating an important skill that distinguishes you from the competition.
As for the letter of interest, you could begin by mentioning what got you so excited about their business. State that you share the company’s outlook and describe how your vision aligns with theirs. You could also remark on some of the company’s notable achievements. It’s always nice to be complimented, but don’t go overboard with the flattery, or else they’ll think you’re just sucking up to them. The important part is to hook the recruiter in with something meaningful and easily noticeable.
That’s why you should always state the company’s full name and, in the case of a cover letter, the precise role you’re applying for. This way, the recruiter will know you’re not sending cover letters or letters of interest en masse.
The Main Part
Whether you’re sending a cover letter or a letter of interest, the main body of the document is your place to shine! Here, you can present your skills, education, qualifications, certifications, and other job credentials. When sending a cover letter, make sure to state the core competencies required to perform successfully in the role. But you should also align other minor skills and supplementary abilities with the demands stated in the job ad. Make the company 100% certain that you possess the necessary industry-specific knowledge to excel in the role. And not only to excel—to downright outperform all other applicants!
This is especially true if you already have considerable experience in a similar position. If you’re writing an entry-level cover letter, be more meticulous when stating your soft skills and double down on expressing the genuine enthusiasm you have for the job. In the case of a letter of interest, you should also be thorough when listing your abilities. Keep in mind that they have to be in the company’s sphere of interest, even though you’re not applying for a specific role. Don’t state irrelevant trivia that—however interesting—doesn’t have anything to do with their business.
Source: Edmond Dantès
The Closing Section
Once you reach the end of your document, no matter which one, it’s only fitting that you say goodbye the right way.
First, you should recapitulate your main “selling points” and restate your eagerness to engage with the company further. This can easily be summed up in a concise, to-the-point call-to-action. Next, thank the hiring manager for taking the time to go through your document. It might not seem like much, but being preemptive with your gratitude can score you some points in their book!
You’ve reached the very last line—all that’s left is to pick a suitable closing phrase. The same as with the introduction, it should be something relatively formal and safe. Consider using one of the following closers:
- Most sincerely,
- Respectfully yours,
- Kind regards,
Even if you’re writing a letter of interest—and not actually to apply—you should still avoid getting too cozy with the hiring manager. After all, you don’t know them from Adam, so don’t write something like:
- Warm regards,
- XOXO,
- See ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya,
- We shall meet again when the stars align,
At the very end, add your signature, and you’re done!
Is There Any Difference Between Cover Letter and Letter of Interest Formatting?
Structuring your documents properly is only half the job. Once you get the outline right, you need to make sure that the documents are impeccably formatted too. It doesn’t matter if it’s a cover letter or a letter of interest—the criteria are the same format-wise. In the table below, we’ll show you the main elements of formatting and give you some tips on how to handle each one:
| Element | Tip |
| Font | You should use a serious font that’s easy to read, such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Tahoma. Avoid making a—possibly very bad—impression by using serif fonts like Algerian, Baskerville, or Aurora. Font size should be between 10 and 12 pt |
| Spacing | Both the cover letter and the letter of interest ought to be single-spaced. You should separate paragraphs to make them easily skimmable for important details. Hit enter between sections so they can stand out individually |
| Margins | The text should fit on one regular page, so it’s best to set them to 1 inch from both sides, as well as the top and bottom. Don’t decrease them if you have too much text on the page—that means your letter is probably too long anyway |
| Alignment | Make sure that your text is aligned to the left. Justified text looks fine, but HR people usually aren’t big fans since it can be difficult to read. Right alignment is just plain weird to look at, so it’s best to stick to the left side |
Solved the Letter of Interest vs. Cover Letter Quandary? What Now?
Regardless of whether you intend to send a cover letter or a letter of interest, finding a job in today’s unstable economic climate is hard. Statistics show that upwards of 4,200,000 workers were out of a job for more than 27 weeks in 2021. Sure, the situation is getting better, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The unemployment rate is slowly but surely decreasing. Still, these numbers can almost seem frivolous if you’ve been desperately job-hunting for weeks or even months without success.
Hiring websites are swarming with ads, but does the sheer number of them make any difference at this point? Take into consideration that, in 2021, 82% of job seekers were likely to click on a job ad posted by a friend on a social media platform. Referrals are also becoming a more popular way to find a job among Americans! It seems as if conventional applications are slowly sliding out of fashion, as people are becoming more and more desperate to find a suitable job. An astounding 40% of people reported last year that they’re even willing to settle for a lower salary.
So what can you do to make your job hunt more pleasant? Choose Lensa. Lensa is an application that helps you define the trajectory of your career by taking into consideration your professional strengths, interests, and work habits. By signing up for Lensa, you’ll benefit from the following:
- Access to job ads from all major hiring platforms
- Personalized job recommendations
- SMS and email notifications about suitable job openings near you
- Chance to play the Workstyle Game and learn about your soft skills
Source: Sora Shimazaki
Make Your Job Hunting Days Easier by Subscribing to Lensa!
The process of registering for Lensa is as simple as can be—just follow these easy steps after you visit the Lensa website:
- Enter information about your desired role and state your location
- Click the Search button
- Add your email address
- Press the Submit button
After this, you will have completed your registration. You can then use Lensa to kick off your search for that dream job! Before you do that, you could give the Workstyle Game a try—it’s fun! Aside from being entertaining, it can also help you discover a bit about your professional strengths, weaknesses, and overall approach to work!
To get the most out of your Lensa experience, you should additionally take the following steps:
- State your preferred salary range
- Upload your resume
- Include your phone contact to receive job suggestions via SMS
- Fill out the information about your prior work experience, level of education, technical skills, and other job credentials
Once you have finalized your profile, you’ll begin to receive job recommendations tailored to your character, education, work ethics, preferred company culture, and many other factors!
This way, you’ll also avoid random suggestions for remote positions or for roles that aren’t remotely suited to your preferences. Your job prospects will expand tremendously, helping you define your career path in the best way imaginable!
Featured image source: IgorVetushko
