- What should your intern cover letter include?
- What should you include in the introduction of your cover letter?
- What should you write in the cover letter body for an internship position?
- How to write a cover letter closing
Landing an internship can be a great way to start on your path to success. Learn how to present yourself with a stellar intern cover letter. We walk through how to highlight your skills, lay out your goals, and demonstrate the value you’d bring.
While you might think being an intern consists of fetching coffee and performing “busy work,” it’s actually a great opportunity to gain valuable work experience and develop professional contacts. Being an intern may not be the most glamorous position, but it can help create a solid foundation at the beginning of your career. An internship allows you to experience many facets of a company’s operations, giving you valuable insight to help you define your future career path. To land that perfect internship, however, you need an effective cover letter showcasing your talent, goals, and skills.
If you think of it like writing a term paper, where your thesis is that you’re the best person for the job, you’ll need a clear strategy to support it.
In this cover letter guide, along with the corresponding intern cover letter example, we’ll examine the best way to draft a cover letter that can get you an internship, including:
What should your intern cover letter include?
What you should include in the introduction of the cover letter
What should the body of the cover letter consist of?
How write a cover letter if you don’t have any relevant experience
How to close your cover letter (hint: it’s more important than you think!)
What should your intern cover letter include?
Cover letters include several different sections, beginning with a header—with your contact information and the name and address of the company to which you're applying. Then, you’ll write a greeting; this is trickier than it looks, so check out our article on how to address a cover letter.
Then comes the cover letter itself. As with a term paper, your intern cover letter will consist of three sections that support your thesis (i.e., you are the best candidate): the introduction, the body of the letter, and a closing.
What should you include in the introduction of your cover letter?
Your introduction should say, “Hello! Read me!” and encourage the reader to keep reading your cover letter. But instead of shouting those words, you’re going to shine a spotlight on your top skills and traits.
Don’t bother with platitudes or gimmicky tricks. Right off the bat, state your interest in the internship position. After that, tell them why they should hire you. Do you have relevant experience? Are you interested in learning about the company? Did you have any significant achievements from volunteer work or a summer job? Include it in your introduction! The most important thing to express here is your enthusiasm and authenticity. That’s the “secret sauce” that will get the hiring manager to keep reading.
06/11/2024
Dear Ms. June Hunter
I am writing to express my enthusiasm for the Internship opportunity at your organization. As a motivated individual with a passion for learning and gaining real-world experience, I am eager to contribute to your team while expanding my knowledge and skills in a professional environment. My educational background has equipped me with strong transferable skills that I am excited to apply and further develop during this internship.
What should you write in the cover letter body for an internship position?
The body of the intern cover letter is where you get more in-depth about what makes you a great candidate, your skills and background, and Unique Selling Points (USP), which is what makes you different from the rest of the applicants.
A good way to approach this is to break down into three different sections:
Why you? Provide an overview of your education as well as any experience and skills you might have. Incorporate concrete accomplishments when describing them. If you led a team during a summer job, performed relevant volunteer work, or acted as a leader in a school club or organization, include it here. That’s your USP! Companies want to choose an intern that can contribute something to the organization, and the cover letter is a great place to show them what you can bring to the table.
Why here? Why are you applying to this company? Are you interested in the work that they do, or admire their contributions to the community? Are you excited about the industry? Do their corporate values align with yours? Provide genuine words of praise, but let them know why you’d be a great fit for the company as well.
Why now? Why is this internship the right move for you? Is this a field in which you want to make a career? Will you learn valuable skills? Don’t be shy; mention your career goals, what you’ve achieved in your academic career, and how that all has prepared you for the opportunity this internship presents..
Need more information? Check out our blog: What should you write in a cover letter body
Worried that you don’t have enough experience? These articles should help: How to get a job without experience and Underqualified for a job? Here’s how you can still land it.
- Highlight relevant coursework or projects you’ve worked on.
- Share your goals and what you’d like to accomplish with the internship.
- Perform research on the company before writing your cover letter.
- Tailor your cover letter for each potential employer.
- Be negative or apologize for your lack of experience.
- Copy your resume and paste it into your cover letter.
- Use a generic greeting such as “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To whom it may concern” unless absolutely necessary.
- Make your cover letter longer than one page.
Throughout my academic journey and extracurricular experiences, I have honed valuable skills such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and time management. I understand the importance of working effectively in a team, and I thrive in environments that challenge me to adapt quickly, multitask, and think critically to achieve goals. My ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines has been essential to my success in various projects, both academic and personal.
What excites me most about this internship is the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and learn from professionals in the field. I am eager to take on new challenges, contribute to the success of your organization, and grow both personally and professionally. I am confident that my strong work ethic, enthusiasm for learning, and adaptability will make me a valuable addition to your team.
How to write a cover letter closing
The closing of your intern cover letter should motivate the hiring manager to get in touch with you. Keep this closing to 1-2 sentences, and make sure to express appreciation of their time. That part might be obvious, but did you know that the closing of your cover letter can get you one step closer to landing the internship (or at least an interview)?
Make a connection between the position and your skills and talents. Let the reader know how you can make an immediate contribution to the team or company: “With my experience leading the student-alumni fundraising group, I would be a great asset to the sales team due to my communication and organizational skills.”
Include a Call to Action. Motivate the reader to take the next step in the process “I look forward to meeting you and discussing my background more in-depth. Thank you for your time and attention.”
Learn how to give your cover letter a strong ending. Learn more here: How to close a cover letter.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how I can contribute to your team and learn from this experience.
Sincerely,
Michael Wright
If you need a little help finding your next job, check out career.io’s job search strategy tool to help you navigate the job search process with confidence!
