How to Write an Internship Cover Letter [Expert Advice & Examples]

It’s been a number of years since I utilized for my first internship, however I nonetheless keep in mind the difficulties I encountered. After I lastly crafted an eye-catching resume, I confronted the daunting prospect of making an internship cowl letter for each utility; I truthfully didn’t know what to incorporate or the tone I ought to strike.

Though I bought the internship, in the long run, I by no means discovered whether or not my tutorial achievements, expertise, or well-crafted cowl letter bought my foot within the door. Nevertheless, I’ve at all times been curious.

With the advantage of hindsight — and a few steering from cowl letter consultants and hiring professionals — I’m right here that will help you write a profitable internship cowl letter. Let’s dive in.

Desk of Contents

I’ve seen some creatively designed cowl letters, however for my part, you may’t go incorrect with the standard enterprise letter format, which you’ll discover in our free cover letter templates.

Download our cover letter templates …

Enterprise professionals use this format fashion to use for full-time roles and different functions, so it’s one thing you may reuse sooner or later.

Bear in mind to make use of formal phrases akin to “Expensive” and “Sincerely,” and lean in the direction of knowledgeable tone in your physique copy. Even when the recruiter personally, at all times use formal salutations as a substitute of “Hey!” or Hello [name].”

1. Embody your title, date, location, and phone info.

Make sure you present your contact info, akin to your telephone quantity, electronic mail, and placement, in your internship cowl letter.

Because you’ll in all probability be sending your cowl letter on-line (by means of an electronic mail or net type), you don’t want to offer your full house tackle — your metropolis and state ought to be sufficient for many positions.

Your Identify

Your Tackle

Your Metropolis, State, Zip Code

Cell: 555-555-5555

E mail: title@electronic mail.com

Date

2. Embody the corporate title, division, and tackle.

Together with your private info out of the way in which, it’s time to showcase your analysis abilities somewhat. Do an web search to seek out the complete title and tackle of the corporate you’re making use of to. Attempt to dig deep to seek out the division title, however depart it out in the event you’re uncertain.

If the internship will likely be distant, use the corporate’s normal headquarters tackle if the internship will likely be distant.

Division

Firm

Avenue

Metropolis, State Zip

3. Tackle the hiring supervisor.

Tempted to kind “To whom it might concern” or “Expensive hiring supervisor”? In your hunt for an internship place, you’ll stand out from the group by being resourceful. So, channel your interior sleuth by monitoring down the hiring supervisor’s title.

You may discover their position description on the corporate web site, but when not, your finest guess is to look by means of LinkedIn.

If you happen to can’t discover the hiring supervisor’s title, otherwise you’re uncertain in the event you’re addressing the correct particular person, depart the title out. I believe it’s secure to say that sacrificing a little bit of personalization is a lot better than addressing the incorrect particular person in your cowl letter.

4. Set the context to your utility.

The primary paragraph could make or break your internship cowl letter and your whole utility.

I’ll admit: I’ve at all times discovered opening paragraphs difficult, whether or not they’re for a canopy letter, common electronic mail, or a weblog submit, however they’re important for creating a powerful first impression and fascinating the reader.

First, clarify the way you discovered in regards to the firm or place. If anybody on the firm, you may point out them right here. Subsequent, specific your curiosity within the firm and the way it pertains to your targets and passions. Additionally, ensure you get your primary info down, like your title, schooling degree, main, and pursuits.

Relying on the corporate and place, you could possibly strive a inventive strategy to get your reader’s consideration. Right here’s one which labored for me early in my profession:

“Can I let you know a secret? I’ve been telling tales since I used to be 5 years outdated. No, not fibbing — actual storytelling …”

A phrase of warning, although: Remember to analysis the corporate’s tradition earlier than taking an strategy like this. Whereas this opening assertion labored properly for startups and extra laid-back corporations, an enormous accounting agency may discover it culturally off-beat.

Professional tip: Geoffrey Scott, hiring supervisor and authorized skilled resume author at Resume Genius, says, “The quilt letters that stand out to me are ones the place the candidate’s pleasure clearly comes by means of. After all, the tone should keep skilled, however it shouldn’t be uninteresting. While you’re obsessed with what you do, it comes by means of in your cowl letter.”

5. Promote your expertise and personalize your cowl letter.

Your cowl letter isn’t speculated to be a abstract of your resume, so go deeper and personalize it to your internship utility.

To begin, learn by means of the particular place’s description and select a number of qualities that you simply suppose apply to you. I don’t suggest selecting all of the descriptors talked about, because it might seem disingenuous and make your cowl letter too lengthy.

As an illustration, if I see an organization in search of somebody who’s “outgoing, organized, hardworking, and keen to take criticism,” I might decide the qualities that finest describe me and give attention to offering examples within the physique of my cowl letter.

It is best to cowl issues like:

• Related coursework.
• Comfortable abilities (e.g., teamwork, problem-solving).
• Extracurricular actions (e.g., volunteering).
• Work expertise (if any).

That stated, ensure you tie them to the internship alternative. For instance, you could possibly say, “I perceive that this position requires that I persistently meet deadlines. I held down a part-time job whereas maintaining with my school assignments, which demonstrates my time administration abilities.”

Professional tip: If you happen to lack related expertise, use your analysis and data to point out enthusiasm. Daniel Space, a human assets enterprise associate who has labored with corporations like Spotify and WebMD, informed me he as soon as employed a French main as a substitute of an HR main for an HR internship.

Why? He explains, “Not solely did she clearly articulate how she understood the position … she additionally spent a number of sentences describing the corporate going by means of a merger and accurately assuming that her work can be in serving to with that.”

6. Take into consideration your cowl letter’s readers (people and machines).

In keeping with Jobscan’s research, 487 out of 500 Fortune 500 corporations (97.4%) used an Applicant Monitoring System in 2023. If you happen to’re not acquainted, it is a device used to streamline hiring duties.

Why do they matter for internship cowl letters? Properly, corporations use these programs to filter resumes and canopy letters based mostly on key phrases.

Ben Lamarche, normal supervisor at recruiting agency Lock Search Group, informed me that his firm screens internship functions utilizing an utility monitoring system.

After I requested how candidates might get their cowl letters seen by a human, he advisable “avoiding extreme formatting, sticking to a primary textual content format, and together with a number of essential phrases from the internship description, such because the exact necessities for abilities and data.”

Professional tip: Questioning how lengthy your internship cowl letter ought to be? I like to recommend you restrict it to underneath a web page or round 250 to 400 phrases. Additionally, use shorter paragraphs to interrupt up the textual content.

Right here’s what Indrė Padegimienė, expertise acquisition specialist at Omnisend, has to say on the matter: “Recruiters are fairly busy folks with a whole bunch of functions to overview, so clear and concise communication is essential. A five-page cowl letter gained’t get you a job.”

7. Shut the letter with grace and a name to motion.

If the internship utility doesn’t explicitly state “please don’t contact,” you may select to conclude by specifying how you’ll comply with up, akin to, “I’ll name subsequent week to see if my {qualifications} are a match,” or “I’m keen to satisfy with you to debate this chance, and am out there for an interview at a mutually handy time.”

In your closing paragraph, thank the hiring supervisor for taking the time to contemplate you, and finish on a optimistic, assured observe, akin to, “I stay up for talking with you quickly.”

Professional tip: Chances are you’ll even go a step additional and provides the hiring supervisor a call to action. I don’t suppose it hurts to incorporate a hyperlink to your online portfolio, web site, or perhaps a YouTube channel the place you show your work and character.

To see how usually hiring managers comply with by means of in your calls to motion, observe the variety of clicks in your hyperlink utilizing a URL tracker like Bitly.

8. Proofread, proofread, and proofread.

After I requested Scott (Resume Genius) in regards to the cowl letter pitfalls he encounters probably the most, candidates’ lack of proofreading stood out.

After describing the duvet letter mistake of merely summarizing what’s in your resume, he shared, “One other widespread error that would find yourself costing you a place is having spelling and grammar errors, particularly if the internship is for something that requires shut consideration to element, like information entry. This appears apparent, however you wouldn’t imagine how usually I see it.”

Even with the supply of spell-checking instruments like Grammarly, internship candidates nonetheless submit cowl letters riddled with typos. Let me put it this fashion: You’ve achieved the arduous a part of really writing your internship cowl letter, so don’t let small errors put employers off.

Professional tip: Some corporations present AI cowl letter mills. You merely enter your resume and the job description, and it is best to get a decent-looking cowl letter in seconds.

Simply do not forget that whereas AI mills can prevent time, it is best to test over every part they produce to make sure the AI hasn’t informed any tall tales about your hands-on expertise or ability set or made any errors. As you’ll see in these ChatGPT-generated internship email examples, warning and revisions are suggested.

If you happen to’re nonetheless uncertain after your check-up, get a pal or classmate to proofread your cowl letter for readability and spelling earlier than you lastly log out on it and hit ship.

Writing My Personal Internship Cowl Letter

Now, I’ll use the ideas I gave you above to craft an internship cowl letter. On this pattern, I will likely be making use of for an occasion planning place. I begin by together with my contact info. That features an tackle, telephone quantity, and electronic mail tackle.

I additionally included the recipient’s contact info together with the division I’m making use of for.

I begin with a greeting and the hiring supervisor’s title. If you’ll find a direct contact, referring to the particular person by title is most well-liked. From there, I point out that I’m a referral and point out my contact on the firm. I can then introduce myself and talk about related faculty expertise regarding the position.

Within the subsequent part, I seek advice from related skilled experiences. Whereas these could not apply to an occasion position in company, I point out membership work that I’ve achieved that pertains to the position. I additionally reference an orientation job I held on the college that matches the occasions skillset.

From there, it’s time to wrap up with a conclusion. I additionally used Preview’s signature operate on my Mac to incorporate a handwritten signature adopted by a typed model of my title.

Now, let’s discover another cowl letter examples for inspiration.

Internship Cowl Letter Examples

To encourage you additional, I’ve curated further internship cowl letter examples tailor-made to totally different industries and positions. I’ll additionally clarify why every instance works and what you are able to do to evoke an identical response.

1. Hospitality Internship Cowl Letter

Why This Cowl Letter Instance Works

I like that this cowl letter demonstrates the applicant’s ardour, willingness to be taught, and former trade expertise. If I had been the hiring supervisor, I’d shortlist them based mostly on their internship cowl letter.

How one can Incorporate That Into Your Internship Cowl Letter

I like to recommend you begin by analyzing your individual transferable abilities and expertise and seeing how they relate to the internship you are making use of for.

Do you may have any examples, info, or figures which you can embody in your letter? It will assist the hiring supervisor perceive your curiosity within the place and provides them extra of a purpose to rent you over the competitors.

I usually see candidates use statements like, “I helped improve my group’s scores by [X]%.” When you’ve got any figures like this, use them, however be trustworthy in regards to the position you performed.

2. Provide Chain Internship Cowl Letter

Why This Cowl Letter Instance Works

I might simply inform that, like many internship candidates, this pupil had but to realize skilled expertise within the subject. Nevertheless, the applicant does a terrific job of exhibiting enthusiasm for taking up real-world experiences.

In addition they exhibit their data of three areas of provide chain administration: forecasting, stock administration, and logistics.

How one can Incorporate That Into Your Internship Cowl Letter

Undergo your course notes and write down a listing of matters and phrases related to the internship you’re making use of for. After I’ve accomplished coursework, I generally have to remind myself of what I’ve lined.

3. Trend Design Internship Cowl Letter

Why This Cowl Letter Instance Works

The coed wrote a terrific second paragraph discussing their expertise taking part in design tasks with unique items that present their “inventive imaginative and prescient.” I additionally like that the scholar highlights how their design philosophy aligns properly with Sleeves and Thread’s dedication to “pushing boundaries.”

How one can Incorporate That Into Your Internship Cowl Letter

Do your analysis on the corporate you’re making use of to. You possibly can praise them on awards they’ve gained or point out how you’ll match properly inside their firm tradition.

4. Finance Internship Cowl Letter

Why This Cowl Letter Instance Works

Rebecca takes the time to focus on her skillset, however she additionally balances her cowl letter with the explanation why Banking Company will likely be a terrific match for her profession. She provides loads of the explanation why the corporate appeals to her, which helps stability the duvet letter.

How one can Incorporate That Into Your Internship Cowl Letter

Don’t be afraid to clarify what an internship will do for you. Sure, corporations wish to know the way an intern may also help them, however they know you’re primarily there to advance your profession.

5. Advertising and marketing Internship Cowl Letter

Why This Cowl Letter Instance Works

If you happen to work in advertising or one other inventive trade, you’ll have extra freedom relating to drafting your cowl letter. Right here, Robin takes a novel strategy by weaving in colourful language that virtually jumps off the web page. With simply sufficient pizazz, their character shines by means of. I believe any advertising hiring supervisor can be desirous to be taught extra.

How one can Incorporate That Into Your Internship Cowl Letter

Let your inventive facet run free! On a clean web page (a inventive’s nightmare, I do know!), kind out loads of eye-catching phrases and sentences to showcase your writing abilities. Subsequent, see if you’ll find the correct locations so as to add them to your internship cowl letter.

Internship Cowl Letter Templates

If, as a substitute of examples, you’d like a jump-off level, don’t fear — I’ve bought you lined. Listed here are some internship cowl letter templates to get your inventive juices flowing.

Commonplace Internship Cowl Letter Template

This extremely customizable internship cowl letter is generic however can function the inspiration for all of your functions.

Knowledge-Pushed Internship Cowl Letter Template

In case your main is data-driven, like STEM, advertising, or accounting, I believe that is the internship cowl letter template for you. With this template, you may embody the info highlights of your class tasks and assignments to point out the hiring supervisor which you can assist your expertise with credible info.

Entry-Stage Cowl Letter Template

As you strategy your senior yr of faculty, chances are you’ll be in search of entry-level roles relatively than internships. Cowl letters are simply as essential for full-time roles as they’re for internships, so use this template to make the transition in your job search.

Wrapping Up Your Internship Cowl Letter

Apprehensive about not having sufficient expertise or abilities to get your most well-liked internship? Don’t stress over what you haven’t achieved but — and keep in mind, everybody begins someplace.

As a substitute, take inventory of your tutorial and extracurricular achievements and see how one can apply your abilities and expertise to an internship.

Then, you’re able to craft a compelling cowl letter that reveals you’re competent, enthusiastic, and keen to go the additional mile for each place you apply for. Whether or not you get your most well-liked internship or not, you’ll be comfortable that you simply gave it your finest shot.