Letter of interest, Procurement, Naomi Achebe to Tallow and Finch Foods

Letter of interest for a job that has not been advertised

A letter of interest asks a company for a conversation about work it has not advertised, giving a reason to talk now and evidence the writer can help. This one page letter from a procurement analyst ties her request to a food company's new distribution centre and backs it with two measured results.

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Naomi Achebe

27 Wren Terrace, Ashby · naomi.achebe@mailbox.example

Tuesday 6 October 2026
Mr Callum Reyes, Director of Operations
Tallow and Finch Foods, 400 Mill Road, Ashby

Procurement support for the new distribution centre

Dear Mr Reyes, I read in the trade press last month that Tallow and Finch is opening a second distribution centre at Ridgeway next spring. I am a procurement analyst with six years in food and grocery supply, and I am writing to ask whether you will need someone to set up the supplier side of that site.

I know there is no vacancy advertised. I am writing anyway because the first year of a new site decides its freight and supplier costs for a long time, and that is the work I do best. Two results from my current role at a regional wholesaler show what I mean:

11% lower

Freight spend over 12 months, after retendering four carrier lanes

21 to 9 days

Supplier onboarding time, after a single shared checklist

I would value a 20 minute conversation, by phone or in person, about what the new site will need. I am free on the mornings of 13, 15 and 20 October, and can work around your diary at any other time. My CV is enclosed, and I am happy to send references after we have spoken.

Thank you for reading this.

Yours sincerely

Name

Naomi Achebe

Section by section

What each section is for, so you can keep the ones you need and drop the rest.

Monogram letterhead: The writer's name, initials, address and email.
Addressee: The director of operations by name and title, with the company address.
Reason for writing: The company's new distribution centre and the question it raises.
No vacancy, why now: An open acknowledgement that nothing is advertised and why timing still matters.
Two results: Freight savings and onboarding time shown as figures with what produced them.
The ask: A 20 minute conversation, three free mornings, the CV enclosed and references offered.
Sign off: The writer's name under the signature line.

Letter of interest, cover letter or letter of intent

Three letters are often confused. A cover letter goes with an application for an advertised job and addresses its criteria. A letter of interest goes to a company that has advertised nothing, and asks for a conversation. A letter of intent, in business, sets out the main terms of a deal before a contract is drafted. The first two are about you and a job; the third is about a transaction. Careers services generally advise that a speculative approach should be tailored to one employer and one reason, which is what separates a letter of interest from a mass mailing.

Finding the right addressee

The letter only works if it reaches someone who can create or shape a role. Start with the business news that prompted it: a new site, a product launch, a contract won. The person quoted in that news, or the head of the function it affects, is usually the right reader. Check the company website and recent reports for names and titles, and use a professional network to confirm the person is still there. If you can only find a general address, write to it but ask that the letter be passed to the named function, and say which project it concerns.

How to adapt this document

Replace the opening reason with real news about the company you are writing to, and keep it to two sentences. Then choose two results that matter to that news and state them as numbers with what you did to get them; a range or a before and after figure reads better than a percentage on its own. Keep the ask to a short conversation and give real dates. Change the letterhead to your own name, address and email, and enclose your CV. If you have a mutual contact, name them in the first paragraph, because a shared name is the strongest reason a stranger has to reply.

What makes this document work

The reason to write is the reader's news

The first paragraph names the second distribution centre at Ridgeway, reported last month, and asks one question about it. A director reads a letter about his own project; he does not read a general request for any job going.

Two results, measured and relevant

Freight spend 11 percent lower after retendering four lanes, and supplier onboarding cut from 21 to 9 days, are shown as figures. Both are things a new site needs in its first year, so the evidence answers the question the reader would ask next.

The ask is small and easy to say yes to

A 20 minute conversation, three free mornings and an offer to work around the diary make the next step cheap. The letter does not ask for a job or an interview, which a reader with no vacancy would have to refuse.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between a letter of interest and a cover letter?

A cover letter answers an advertised vacancy and argues for that job against its criteria. A letter of interest is sent when nothing is advertised, so it explains why you are writing now, shows what you could bring, and asks for a conversation rather than an interview. It is shorter, more specific to the company and makes a smaller request.

Who should a letter of interest be addressed to?

The person who would manage the work, not a general recruitment inbox. For procurement at a new site that is the operations director; for a design role it might be the studio lead. Find the name on the company website, in annual reports, trade press or a professional networking profile, and spell it exactly. A named reader is far more likely to reply.

How long should a letter of interest be?

One page, and usually four short paragraphs: the reason you are writing, what you do, evidence with numbers, and a specific ask with your availability. Anything longer starts to read like a CV in prose. Enclose the CV for detail and let the letter do one job, which is to earn a short conversation.

Should I follow up if there is no reply?

Once, about ten working days later, with a two line email that refers to the letter and repeats the ask. Do not attach anything new or add pressure. If there is still no reply, leave it; the letter may resurface when a role opens. Following up more than once tends to cost the goodwill the first letter built.

Is a letter of interest the same as a letter of intent?

No. In job hunting the two terms are sometimes mixed up, but a letter of intent in business usually records the outline of a deal two parties mean to make. A letter of interest is a request to talk about work. Using the right term matters, because a reader in a commercial role may expect a deal document.

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Sources

Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked 21 October 2026.