Inquiry cover letters are more challenging to write than simple cover letters.
After all, if you have a job posting in front of you, you can easily match your skills to the employer’s requirements and write a cover letter accordingly. However, writing an inquiry cover letter is somewhat different.
These letters are written if one has no idea of a job opening in the company – in essence, it is a blind shot.
Some inquiry cover letters are also written following “news” of a possible opening in a company, but these too are not based on trustworthy information due to the lack of a job posting.
So how does one write an inquiry cover letter?
To understand how to do this, let us start from step one – the resume.
You ask how a resume is relevant here when we are talking about cover letters.
Well, since this is a “cover letter,” it is evident that it will “cover” a resume. So a resume has to be involved.
Your accompanying resume should be perfectly written in sync to the job description of the position you are applying for. This is a given!
Once you have your resume in check, you will need to figure out what to write in the accompanying inquiry cover letter.
Since this is an “inquiry” cover letter, you will no doubt be inquiring if a particular position is open and if the company is willing to take an interview for it – even though it hasn’t been advertised.
Related: Letter of Inquiry for Job
How to Write an Inquiry Cover Letter
An inquiry cover letter should be no more than three paragraphs long – the idea is to pique the reader’s interest in your qualifications.
First Paragraph
State what position you are inquiring about. Mention how you found out that there was an opening despite there being no advertisement.
Second Paragraph
This paragraph is where all the juice is. Merely stating your interest will not get you an interview. Tell the reader why you think your skills are conducive to the requirements of the job.
Provide information on any accomplishments in a similar position previously. Try to keep the reader interested enough so that he picks up your resume for review as soon as he finishes reading the cover letter.
Third Paragraph
As you finish your inquiry cover letter, make it obvious your interest in meeting the prospective employer.
Here, you can also restate briefly why you believe you can be an excellent choice for the position you are inquiring about. Be sure to leave your phone number and email address as you close the letter.