When you’re looking for a job, some companies require candidates to include a letter of intent. Think of it as a way of introducing yourself to the company and highlighting your skills to them. Because of how important a letter of intent is, you need to know how to create a letter of intent that will capture their attention right away.
This letter can either make or break you as you try to join this new company. You only have one shot to impress them, so it’s best that you create a strong letter of intent. Here’s how.
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Best Tips And Strategies When Creating A Letter of Intent
When it comes to the process of the letter of intent creation, there is no one way to do it. But if you follow the best practices, you can improve your chances.
Here are some tips and tricks that you should remember when you’re writing a letter of intent:
- Write in a professional format – Make sure to use a formal business letter format since you are addressing executives.
- Have a clear subject line – When you’re sending your letter of intent via email, make sure to include a clear subject line explaining your purpose.
- Proofread before sending – Nothing can be even more embarrassing than including spelling and grammatical errors in your letter of intent.
- Break your letter into smaller paragraphs – Nobody likes reading a full block of text. Instead, keep your letter brief and use short paragraphs.
- Only include relevant skills – You should only include relevant skills and experiences in your letter so there’s no need to mention that you can make a mean apple pie if you’re applying as a web developer.
- Do your research – Before writing to a company, see to it that you’ve already done your research about the company’s mission and culture. This will give you an idea of what to talk about in your letter.
- Keep it short – If you can, limit the letter to just one page. At most, you can make it two pages but a short letter will increase your chances of being read.
Download the Letter of Intent Form
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Letter of Intent
How To Draft A Letter Of Intent
Now that you know the different uses of a letter of intent, the next step is to know how to draft a letter of intent. Here are five of the main elements you need to include in your letter:
Greeting
When you’re writing a letter of intent, you need to follow professional greeting formats. Address the hiring manager by his last name and the correct pronouns he goes by.
Don’t be too informal or familiar with your greeting by writing “Hey, Joe!” A letter of intent is always written professionally since you are addressing executives.
Introduction
After the greeting, you need to formally introduce yourself using just one or two sentences. You can include your name, a short explanation of your experience level, and the reason why you are writing the letter.
If you are employed and looking for work at another company, you can include your current job title in the letter. Explain why you’re interested in working at their company without putting any negative information about your current employer.
Body
Next, the body of the letter will give you plenty of space to talk about your skills and experiences. You can include some specific examples where you helped your organization succeed.
Don’t forget to detail how your skills and experiences can be useful to the company you’re applying to.
Call to action
The final paragraph is where you can include a call to action that you wish the potential employer to do after reading your letter. You can also use this section to thank them for reading your letter. When drafting a letter of intent, remember to add your contact information in this section.
Closing
Don’t think too much about your closing. It can be a standard business letter sign-off like “Sincerely” or “Thank you.”
Again, avoid using informal closing sign-offs like “Yours truly” or “Cheers.”
How Fill Can Help Write A Letter of Intent
If you’re still wondering how to write a letter of intent, you don’t need to start from scratch. Fill has several template options that you can explore so you can create your draft in no time.
Create an account for free to check out how you can write an award-winning letter of intent for your potential employer.
