Letter of Interest and Letter of Intent Templates

Which letter do you need?

	Letter of interest	Cover letter	Letter of intent
Sent when	No vacancy is advertised	Replying to a job advert	You have decided to proceed
Main message	“Could there be a place for me?”	“I am applying for this role.”	“I intend to do this, on these terms.”
Typical uses	Jobs, internships, partnerships	Advertised jobs	Graduate school, property, business deals
Tone	Curious and specific	Confident and targeted	Definite and precise
Legally binding?	No	No	Partly, in deals; see clauses below

A letter of interest, annotated

Sent to a company you admire, with no vacancy in sight. The numbers in the margin match the notes beside the letter.

10 June 2026 Dear Mr Patel,

1I’m writing to ask whether Greenline Architects might have a place for a junior designer with a focus on sustainable housing. 2Your Riverside housing project, which won the 2025 RIBA Sustainability Award, is the reason I studied passive design. 3Since graduating I’ve worked at Lowe Studio, where I modelled energy use for 30 homes and helped cut their predicted heating costs by 40%. 4I’d be grateful for 20 minutes to learn how your team works and whether my skills could be useful now or in the future. 5I’ve attached my CV and portfolio. Thank you for reading, and I’ll follow up in two weeks.

Yours sincerely,
Hannah Kim

1Purpose in one sentenceThe type of role you hope for, even though none is advertised.
2Why this companyA specific project shows you are writing to them, not to everyone.
3What you offerOne or two results that match their work.
4A small, easy askA short conversation is easier to agree to than a job.
5Attachments and follow-upSay what is enclosed and when you will be in touch.
Letter of interest templates that get noticed →

Asking for a promotion in writing

An internal letter of interest tells your manager or HR that you want a specific role inside the company. It moves from what you have done, to what you do now, to what you would do next.

Past Results so far “Over three years I’ve led four client accounts, growing combined revenue by 35%.”

Present Your current scope “I already mentor two junior account managers and run our weekly pipeline review.”

Next The role you want “I’d like to be considered for the Senior Account Director position opening in September.”

Ask A conversation “Could we meet to discuss what the role needs and how I might prepare?”

10 letter of interest templates for promotion →

Finding the right person

A letter of interest sent to a general inbox is rarely read. Spend twenty minutes finding the person who leads the team you want to join.

1Check the company siteTeam pages and recent news often name department heads.
2Search the professional networkLook for the head of the team, not HR, for smaller companies.
3Confirm the spellingA wrong name ends the letter on the first line.
4Fall back on a roleIf you cannot find a name, write “Dear Head of Design”, never “To whom it may concern”.

Sending it

Choice	Recommendation
Format	A PDF attached to a short email, with the first paragraph pasted into the email body.
Subject line	“Junior designer, sustainable housing: letter of interest”.
CV	Attach it, named with your full name.
Timing	Early in the week; avoid the weeks around major holidays.

Following up

If you hear nothing, follow up once after about two weeks, then let it go. A short, friendly note is enough; more examples are in follow-up emails that get responses.

“Dear Mr Patel, I wrote on 10 June about joining Greenline as a junior designer. I know you are busy, so I wanted to check it reached you. I would welcome even a 15-minute call. Kind regards, Hannah Kim”

Letters of intent in business and property

In a deal, a letter of intent (LOI) sets out the main terms both sides expect to agree before the full contract is written. Most of it is non-binding, meaning neither side is legally held to it, but a few clauses usually are. Mark each clause clearly.

Parties and purposeNon-binding: Who is involved and what they plan to do, such as buy 12 Mill Lane.
Price and paymentNon-binding: The proposed price and how it will be paid.
ConditionsNon-binding: What must happen first, such as a survey or financing.
TimelineNon-binding: Target dates for the contract and completion.
ConfidentialityBinding: Both sides keep the discussions private.
ExclusivityBinding: The seller will not negotiate with others for a set period, for example 30 days.