While it’s true that you can apply for your dream job immediately after the company announces its available positions to the public, you can also be proactive by reaching out to them first using a job inquiry letter. To write and send a good job inquiry letter, you need to have first-hand knowledge of the business as well as a good email subject line. In all, the letter must be compelling to attract potential employers or at least keep you on their waiting list till a job offer comes up. This brings us to keywords to use when inquiring about a job.
Job Inquiry Meaning
A job inquiry is a letter prospective job candidates send to a firm that may be hiring but has yet to enlist or announce its available positions. We can also say it’s an uninvited job application. A job inquiry letter is also known as a prospecting letter, cold-call letter, or letter of interest. More often than not, it’s selling yourself to a company and indicating your interest in working with them. There’s something spectacular about a job inquiry letter. If it’s structured in an appealing way, it attracts companies that aren’t actively looking for new employees. This simply means that you’ll likely be contacted when the need arises. In general, a job inquiry letter may increase your chances of landing an interview if it’s properly structured. This resulted in a rise in the number of letters hiring managers do receive from candidates inquiring about a job.
Why Do Job Prospects Write and Send a Job Inquiry Letter?
Companies do make their job openings known to the public. However, it’s not in every situation. Inquiring about a job by writing a job inquiry letter to a business gives you an edge over other job-hunting candidates. For instance, an interview may be set up for you when the company is attracted to your letter. You may also be placed on their contact list, should any openings become available. Employers assume you are intentional and, thus, proactive with your career goals.
Who Do You Direct a Job Inquiring Letter To?
Initially, prospects direct their job inquiry letters to no one in particular. It usually has headings such as “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Madam/Sir.” It worked then but maybe unfruitful in the present world. Everyone has a name and will love to be addressed by their name. So, as much as possible, avoid the cliches above. Which leads us to the next question: how do you get contact names for your inquiry letter?
How Can I get the contact my Job Inquiry Letter will be sent to?
This shouldn’t be difficult or tiring if you make time to build your network. There’s a cliche that says a good network equals a great net worth. Actually, it applies to getting a job contract. If you know someone who may have the contact you seek, you can approach them for it. You can also check the company’s website or other social media platforms. Finally, LinkedIn is a good place to connect with professionals and get to know their names. If you’ll take the time to write a letter inquiring about a job, you should take the time to get the contacts and address them to someone.
What to Say When Inquiring About a Job
If we are to rephrase what to say when inquiring about a job, it’ll be, what should be the content of the letter you’ll write and send?
#1. Interest
One of the key things that will make up the content of your letter when inquiring about a job is your interest. A job inquiry letter must contain what excites you about the company.
#2. Sell Your Skills
Before you send your inquiry letter, you must highlight your skills as well as how the company will benefit from them. If there are experiences that you’ve gathered over the years, this is the best time to highlight them.
#3. Be Polite
Prospects who write and send any inquiry letter have a goal, and that’s to impress the company or the person it’ll be addressed. To achieve this, every form of politeness must be imbibed.
#4. Leave Your Contact
Your letter is incomplete without contact information. Consider this your call to action button. This makes it easy for the company to reach out to you if the need arises.
Tips on How to Write and Send a Job Inquiry Letter
Daily, tons of people send inquiry letters to various companies. How do you ensure that the person who will read your letter finds it compelling? Check out the following proven tips that you need to adopt when writing your next job inquiry letter to attract your reader;
#1. Conduct Preliminary Research On The Company
If you are a job prospect who intends to write and send an inquiry letter to any company, do thorough research before anything else. You must prioritize this before writing your letter. It gives you a proper understanding of what subject line you’d use in your email job inquiry letter.
#2. Identify The Appropriate Person to Email
Please tell me you weren’t going to direct your job inquiry letter to whom it may concern. That’s absurd and obsolete, like seriously! Don’t even think about it. If you must write and send an inquiry letter, it must be in an appropriate manner. Search for the contact information of the right people and directly mail it to them.
#3. Create a Compelling Subject Line
When you write a job inquiry letter and intend to send it through email, your letter needs a captivating subject to attract the attention of your contact. When the subject line isn’t compelling enough, they may discard your letter, and trust me, it’s not what you want. In making it catchy, also ensure that it’s short and simple.
#4. Maintain Formality In The Content
Another important tip that prospects must adopt is to maintain formality all through the letter. This calls for the use of formal tone and language.
#5. Describe Yourself
Remember, you do not write or send a job inquiry letter for fun, you do this because you intend to sell your skills and possibly get hired. This simply means you’ll have to sell yourself. When asked to sell yourself, no one requested a two-page write-up. Who has time to read that? Definitely not the manager who doesn’t know you in person. Be as succinct as possible and ensure it also informs the reader that you are inquiring about a job. Your name, current employment, and educational certification are great.
#6. Sell Your Skills and Experience
Assuming these companies are hiring, why should they hire you? You need to highlight your skills, your experience, and what they stand to gain should they hire you. Let’s say you are a certified data analyst. You can simply highlight the company you interned with, as well as the body that certified you. All these things put in place will convince the company to contact you if they need your services. Now is a great opportunity to sell what you can do and why you are an advantage to the business in question.
No one has time to read a lengthy inquiry letter, especially when they didn’t request it. So you must be as brief as possible when drafting your letter. Imagine someone giving you less than 60 seconds to sell yourself, how would you do that? Apply the same strategy.
#7. Keep it Short and Simple
No one has time to read a lengthy inquiry letter, especially when they didn’t request it. So you must be as brief as possible when drawing up your letter. Imagine someone giving you less than 60 seconds to sell yourself, how would you do that? Apply the same strategy
#8. Include a Call-to-Action and Correctly Close The Email
See this as your last clarion call to sell yourself to the business. Therefore, it must be strategic and straight to the point. It should also highlight the value you’ll add to the business should you be employed. When it comes to ending your letter, you don’t need a reminder o know it must be in the formal format right? So you must sign off in a professional manner.
#9. Include a Professional Email Signature
Whether or not you intend to send your job inquiry letter with your CV doesn’t mean you shouldn’t include it in a professional manner. First, you must include your name, phone number, and email address. If you have a professional social account, do not hesitate to include that too.
#10. Review Your Letter
After you have completed your job inquiry email, there’s a need to review your letter. This will help you correct any errors that will make your work unprofessional. Keep an eye on the contact information too, and make sure it’s accurate.
#11. Cross Check Document
If you intend to attach your file or any other document, make sure you crosscheck it before sending the letter.
Sample Letter Job Inquiry Tips
Check out the sample below
Street address
City, State ZIP code
Phone number
Date
Individual’s name
Job title
Name of organization
Street address
City, State ZIP code
Dear ( name of the receiving party)
I write to ask you to consider an addition to your product creative team. Your company has maintained its position as the leader in the industry. I am an innovator of new ideas, a creative illustrator with good design skills, an excellent communicator with buyers, and I have won five awards in graphic works. I believe I would be a good fit for your organization.
Currently, I am a freelance graphic designer and also the team leads at Elbis Design, a company that helps businesses with product management. I am well known for seeing o the success of every project.
Below is an attachment of my resume for your review and possible consideration. (Name of company) has a reputation for excellence, and I would love to use my skills in helping the business achieve its goals. I will call you to further discuss your needs and how I could benefit your company. I wouldn’t mind a physical meeting, and I look forward to meeting you. You can reach me at (contact)
Thank you
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Your typed name
Enclosure
Job Inquiry Email Subject
When it comes to email subject lines for a job inquiry, it’s what determines whether your letter will be read or not. Therefore it’s a crucial part of your job inquiry letter. This means you must put it into consideration when you write and send a job inquiry letter. Keep in mind no one requested your letter so if they must read it, you have to ensure it’s captivating.
If you can master the act of writing compelling email subject job inquiry, congratulations, you’ve gotten a hiring manager at your beck and call, which means they have to review your application.
#1. Use a Referral name
This has a lot to do with your network. If you have a close relationship with a renowned personality or just about any high-ranked official within the company, you can use that to your advantage. Use a referral name if you have a connection with someone within the organization. Even if you are a friend to a friend, you can ask your acquaintance to put in good words for you. What am I trying to bolster? Do not use a referral name if you didn’t inform them.
Using a referral name appears like this; Referred by (name) for a ( position you are vying for)
#2. Make Use of the Job Title and Number
You aren’t the only one vying for a position, and the manager who reviewed your letter may not recall it when it’s time to hire. What does this mean and what’s the way forward? It simply means that you’ll have to stand out for them to recall your option if the occasion arises. You do this by using the position title and job number. Check out the sample below.
Senior Graphic Designer, JO No: 1234, (your name)
#3. Include Your Most Important Skill or Professional Credential
When you write a job inquiry you intend to send to a company, one of the subject lines you must include is “your skills.” Aside from your abilities, you may include your name, credentials, professional designations, or degree information after your name.
#4. Highlight Your Experience
When you write a job inquiry letter, highlight not only your skills but also your experience. Most companies are on the look for professionals so if you’ve gathered experience, you have an edge. Check out the sample below.
I have 8+ years of experience in data analytics and have been the head analyst at {name of company and years if possible}
#5. Intentionally Use Keywords
Another job inquiry email subject tip that you must include when you write or send your application is to intentionally use keywords. It’s funny, but you’ll need to intentionally optimize your letter. This simply means you use certain keywords that highlight the essence of the job inquiry letter.
What do you say in an email when inquiring about a job?
Declare the purpose of your communication is to inquire about a job while introducing yourself. Give a brief explanation of your interest in this particular company as well, if you can.
What is a good sentence for inquiry?
To find out the train schedule, I called. If there had been any messages for him, he wanted to know. He was so impressed that he wanted to know the name of the young shepherd. To investigate the company’s operations, inspectors were appointed.
Is it polite to say inquire?
When compared to other words that signify to ask, inquire and enquire are generally rather formal words. Most individuals simply say “ask” when speaking.
What is a good example of an inquiry question?
What information do I need regarding this subject? Why do I think I know it? What kinds of resources could be useful? How do I know the data is accurate?
Is inquiring the same as asking?
To ask, seek for information, or investigate is what it means to inquire or inquiry. An uncommon variation of inquiring is inquired.
Do you inquire or Inquire about a job?
Enquire used to simply mean “ask,” whereas inquire was used for official investigations. Although the two words are interchangeable in the UK, formal or official investigations are still more frequently described by the word inquiry.
How do you inquire about a job without applying?
Cold calling right away even if the company is not hiring demonstrates your initiative and informs them that you are a qualified candidate for consideration if a position opens up in the future.
What is the first paragraph of the inquiry letter?
Introduce yourself in the opening paragraph, along with your institution or company and, if applicable, your position. Explain your motivation for writing and how you plan to use the requested information in the second paragraph.
What is an inquiry letter in simple words?
Asking for something from the recipient is the main goal of inquiry letters. You can send inquiries by email or a formal business letter to a recipient outside of your organization. Make sure the information isn’t already available before sending your inquiry, perhaps by visiting the corporate website.
Conclusion
Writing a compelling job inquiry simply means you understand its content as well as know how to fully highlight relevant keywords using the email subject line. While it’s true that it doesn’t in any way guarantee a job hire, you can never tell what will result from it. In all, how you structure your inquiry will determine whether or not you’ll receive a prompt response from the hiring manager or not. Finally, give it your best shot and see how it’ll yield results.
How To Write and Send a Job Inquiry FAQs
How should you send a job inquiry letter?
Send it to the email address of the contact or simply mail a printed copy in addition to your CV to the contact.
Must I send my resume with my job inquiry letter?
There’s no rule that mandates prospects to include their resume when they write and send any job inquiry letter
