Writing a Cover Letter for an Internship Application: (Along with Examples)
An internship application may require you to submit your CV, references, and a covering letter. Some organizations have a condition of submitting a cover letter. The employers want to see how the candidate portrays himself/herself when asked to tell more about them. It is also a great way for the candidate to showcase his/her skills in a more elaborate way.
We are here to help you craft a perfect cover letter to go with your internship application. This article covers the ideal format to follow for a cover letter, key points to add, and a free sample that you can use for your own application.
Cover Letter Format and Outline:
A cover letter must have the following things:
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- Date and contact information
- Salutation
- First/opening paragraph
- Middle paragraph
- Last/Closing paragraph
- Complimentary Closing and Signature
How to: Write a Cover Letter for an Internship Application:
A good cover letter should have all the relevant skills and qualities that the employer wants in an intern. It should make him/her want to seriously consider you for the job. Below are some essential points to include in your cover letter that will help you meet these goals.
- Clearly Mention the role you are applying for:
Mention the role you are applying for at the start of your letter. It makes the employer think that you take the position seriously. It also confirms that you made the cover letter exclusively for their internship position rather than using the same cover letter for 20 other organizations. It also puts the audience in the right frame of mind and gets prepared for what is coming next.
- Choose the words Carefully:
Many employers, in order to save time, skim and scan the CVs and cover letters for relevant keywords. You need to carefully go through the job description of the internship position. For instance, if the job description says that they are looking for somebody who has some experience with spreadsheets and PowerPoint, try including examples of the relevant work you have done.
- Add related Coursework that you have taken:
Remember, a cover letter for an internship is also meant to compensate for the lack of professional experience. If you have no prior job experience, you can add the relevant courses that you have taken during the course of your studies. For example, if the employer is looking for a marketing intern, you can include the relevant courses and accomplishments in the field of marketing.
- Think of all the Relevant skills that you have:
In the main body of the cover letter, you are supposed to list down all the relevant skills, qualifications, knowledge, and expertise that you possess that will make you the right fit for the job. You can compensate for professional experience by adding examples from your class or voluntary work that you may have done.
For example, if the job description requires the prospective intern to handle multiple tasks in a small amount of time, you can discuss your job as an event manager for one of the events at your school whereby you efficiently handled big responsibilities.
- Explain what they would gain from hiring you:
Again, go through the job description. See what the employer is looking for. Align their requirements with your own skills and qualifications. Prioritize listing the most relevant things and skipping the ones which are not as relevant.
- Describe how the Internship would shape your Professional Life:
In a lot of cases, the organizations offer internships to help students gain applicable industry experience and to develop certain skills. In addition to telling the employer what you are able to bring to the organization, also mention what you are hoping to get out of that internship. It shows your passion and seriousness toward your career.
- Proofread:
After finishing the cover letter proofread for sentence structuring, grammar, typos, spelling, and punctuation. Ask any trusted third party to go through your cover letter and give feedback.
Cover Letter Sample for Internship Application:
Dear Mr. Ross,
I am submitting my application for the design internship at XYZ Company. Given my qualifications and skills, I seriously think that I am the perfect fit for this role.
In my two years at ABC College, I have completed coursework that introduced me to state-of-the-art design technologies and trends. I have first-hand knowledge of journey mapping and designing software. I also have made various applications and software programs that are being used in cell phones and operating systems.
Moreover, the last summer, I volunteered at the local NGO and helped in collecting clothes and furniture that people donated and distributed among needy people. I also developed a software program that helped them maintain a database for the donators, donations, and expenses. That software resulted in saving 50% of their time which was previously put into manually handling all the paperwork.
I have also worked as a barista at a local coffee shop for two years. That experience helped me understand the importance of building a memorable consumer experience. It also helped me in building my skills as a team worker and perfected my communication skills.
I honestly believe that my addition to your organization will only be fruitful. Doing an internship in a reputable tech industry like yours will further grow my professional experience and will sharpen up my application formation skills
I am looking forward to hearing back from you.
Yours truly,
Stella Garcia.
Sending a Cover Letter to a Company:
Gone are the days when people used to hand-deliver their job applications and cover letters. You are most likely to send out your cover letter digitally. There are two ways to do this:
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- You can include your cover letter as an attachment to the email. Be sure that the file name explicitly mentions your name, for example, Erica Spector’s Cover Letter.
- You can also paste the cover letter in the body of the email.
