“I look forward to hearing from you.”

English Lesson: I look forward to hearing from you.

You're looking for a new job. You're writing a cover letter to send along with your resume. You end with this confident-sounding sentence.

I look forward to hearing from you.

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I look forward to (doing something)

To "look forward to (doing something)" means to be excited about it. However, this is mostly a polite expression so it doesn't carry a really strong feeling of excitement. It does sound polite, though. 

When you've just met someone in a business or formal situation, use the phrase "I look forward to ___ing" near the end of your first conversation. Keep reading to learn other ways to say "I look forward to working with you". For example:

I look forward to working with you.

I look forward to doing business with you.

I look forward to meeting you. (Use this with someone who you've been writing to, but haven't met yet.

hear from (someone)

"Hearing from" someone means that they contact you. For example, if you can tell someone this:

Hey, if you hear from Tamara, tell her I said "Hi."

You can "hear from" someone through email, social media, over the phone, or in a letter. Meeting someone face-to-face is not usually considered "hearing from" them.

I look forward to hearing from you.

This is a set phrase that we use in business communication. Write this when you're contacting someone who you don't know well and hoping that they will respond.

For example, you can write this if:

  • You're a salesperson sending an email to someone that you hope will become a customer.
  • You're writing a cover letter to apply for a job.
  • You're trying to get a magazine to write a story about your business so you're writing to one of the magazine's editors.

"I look forward to hearing from you" sounds polite but also confident.