Writing an expression of interest

Which kind are you writing?

It helps to work out which of these you're dealing with before you start, because they call for slightly different approaches:

• Unsolicited, with no job advertised. You're approaching an employer you'd like to work for and asking to be considered if something suitable comes up. There's no job description to work from, so you'll need to do more research and keep the request fairly open.
• A response to an internal call. Your organisation, or another one you're eligible to move to, has asked staff to express interest in a short-term opportunity. There's usually a brief description, a contact person and a closing date, so you can write to something specific.
• A register or talent pool. Some employers, including several federal government agencies, run registers where you lodge a general expression of interest in temporary or casual work. These are mostly online forms, and the employer contacts people on the register when a vacancy comes up.

What to include in any expression of interest

Whichever version you're writing, the reader needs to find a few things quickly. Keep the letter to a page or less unless you've been told otherwise:

• the kind of work you're interested in, named as specifically as you can (a team, a type of role or a location)
• a short summary of your current role or recent experience
• one or two examples that show you could do the work
• why this organisation or opportunity interests you, based on something you've actually learnt about it
• your availability, if it's relevant, and how to contact you
• a note that your resume is attached

An expression of interest is often read by someone who wasn't expecting it, or who is sorting through a handful of internal responses between other work. A clear subject line and an opening sentence that states what you're asking for make it much easier for them to pass it to the right person or shortlist you.

Writing to an employer when no job is advertised

This is sometimes called cold calling or prospecting. Victorian Government careers site Youth Central notes that unadvertised jobs can make up a significant share of opportunities, and that an employer without a current vacancy may keep your application on file and contact you when work comes up.

Research does most of the work in this version. Look at what the organisation does, where it's growing and, if you can, who manages the area you'd like to work in. Address that person by name where possible, since a letter sent to "whom it may concern" is easy to leave in a general inbox. Then connect what you've found to your own experience. For example, if a regional builder has just started taking on commercial projects, a site supervisor with commercial experience has a clear reason to write.

Be clear about what you're asking for. You're not applying for a role that exists, so ask to be considered for future openings in a particular area, or for a short conversation, instead of asking for a job outright.

If you say you'll follow up, make sure you do. Youth Central suggests checking back in a month or so to see whether the situation has changed. A short, polite email that refers to your earlier message is enough, and it's reasonable to ask whether there's someone else you should speak to.

Responding to an internal call for expressions of interest

Internal expressions of interest are common in the public sector, where they're often used to fill acting, secondment and short project roles, and many private employers use them in a similar way. The call usually sets out the role, its length, the level, who's eligible and what to send. Read it closely and send exactly what it asks for. If it asks for a one-page pitch and a resume, a three-page letter won't help your chances.

The Australian Public Service Commission's guide to applying for APS jobs describes a pitch as a short statement of why you want the role and how your skills and experience apply to it. It suggests highlighting specific examples instead of repeating your resume, and sticking to whatever word or page limit the agency sets. That advice works well for most internal expressions of interest, not just those in the APS. The guide to addressing key selection criteria covers writing a pitch or a criteria response in more detail.

Talk to your manager before you apply. The APSC's guidance for employees on temporary moves recommends raising your interest with your manager and making a case that shows how the move benefits your home team as well as the host. It also suggests explaining how your work could be covered while you're away. Your manager may need to approve your release, and hearing about your application from someone else first can make that conversation harder.

In the NSW public sector, the rules allow an employee to request a secondment to another agency even when the opportunity hasn't been formally advertised, according to the NSW Government's secondment guidelines. The guidelines recommend a lighter assessment for short moves and advertising with a comparative assessment for longer ones, so a longer opportunity is more likely to involve a formal process. Other states and agencies have their own rules, so check your organisation's policy or ask HR.

Registering on a temporary employment register

Some federal agencies, including the National Indigenous Australians Agency and Safe Work Australia, invite general expressions of interest through a register for non-ongoing and casual roles. You apply through an online form, and the agency contacts people on the register when a suitable vacancy comes up, sometimes at short notice.

A register entry is still an application, so treat any written questions the same way you would a pitch. Safe Work Australia notes that being on its register doesn't guarantee a job offer, and that registrations run for a set period before you need to apply again. It's worth checking the expiry date and updating your details if your role or contact information changes.

Before you send it

Read your expression of interest once as the person receiving it. They should be able to tell from the first two lines what you're interested in and why you're writing to them. Check the names, the organisation and any role title, especially if you've adapted an earlier letter, and attach an up-to-date resume.

If you're weighing up whether a longer cover letter would suit an advertised job better, the guide on whether you still need a cover letter explains when one is expected.