When you are applying for an internship, you must provide a resume, cover letter, or recommendation letter with the job application as requested by the hiring manager/employer. Writing a great cover letter can give you an advantage over other candidates.
A Cover Letter is a document you use to highlight and show your skills, qualifications, and relevant experiences for the internship position.
The cover letter also enables you to indicate your goals, ambitions, and passion for the job. A cover letter for an internship should be thoughtfully written to ensure that it meets its objectives. The main goal of your cover letter is to obtain an interview with the employer. It also aims to advertise your professional skills and accomplishments to the employer to help increase your chances of getting a position for an internship. Your cover letter should aim to interest the employer in reading your resume by illustrating your understanding of the position and expressing your interest in the organization.
Cover Letter Examples
Writing a Cover Letter for an Internship
When writing your cover letter, you should ensure that it contains the relevant information. The information provided will help you stand out from other candidates by ensuring a personalized cover letter.
A well-crafted cover letter for an internship should contain the following information:
Focus on the concerned role and company
It should focus on the role and company you are applying for. This helps you show the employer that the letter has been drafted specifically for his/her company. It also helps you provide information tailored to the requirements stated in the job posting.
EXAMPLE
I am delightedly writing this letter about the summer marketing program at Griffiths Marketing Agency.
Address the manager by their name
You should ensure that the cover letter addresses the hiring manager by his/her name. This enables you to demonstrate your seriousness concerning the position and your resourcefulness. The hiring manager’s name can be obtained through the company’s website, LinkedIn, Google Search, or a phone call or inquiry to the company.
EXAMPLE
Dear Mr. Hugh,
note
You can only address hiring managers in general, such as Dear Sir/Madam or ‘To whom it may concern’ if all your efforts to identify the names are futile.
Use the right keywords to grab attention
Hiring managers receive several applications. Therefore, you must ensure that your cover letter contains specific keywords that the hiring manager may be looking for. These keywords can be obtained from the job description of the internship advertisement. Using keywords will grab the attention of the hiring manager. Suppose the job description states that you must be creative and have strong organization and planning skills. In that case, you must ensure that these keywords are included in your cover letter.
EXAMPLE
As a marketing student at New York University, my time has enabled me to acquire excellent communication skills and strong organizational and planning skills. It has also helped me develop creative marketing skills.
Show ambition
You must ensure that the cover letter shows your ambition for the job. Employers are attracted to candidates with ambition because it demonstrates their drive and enthusiasm to do the job and often leads to high productivity, which results in a profitable business. Therefore, you must ensure that your cover letter demonstrates your desire to advance and accomplish set goals, which will enable you to stand out from candidates who are likely to focus more on experience, especially if you have less experience.
EXAMPLE
In the future, I hope to manage a creative marketing team motivated by four main marketing goals, which are profitability, market share, growth, and promotional objectives.
Include relevant coursework/projects
You should include coursework, projects, or classes relevant to the job description, position, or company if you have little to no work experience. Significant academic accomplishments can compensate for the lack of experience. You must ensure that the coursework, project, or classes are relevant and demonstrate areas of strength.
EXAMPLE
Last semester, I enrolled in a short course in psychology, which helped me cater to the customers’ needs and improve relations with them. It’s also helped me formulate marketing strategies for a variety of customers.
Emphasize relevant skills with passion
The cover letter should demonstrate your skills relevant to the position you are applying for. You can mention skills gained from volunteering for other jobs or projects. The skills mentioned should be beneficial to the company and illustrate how you can use them when you occupy the position.
EXAMPLE
Last semester, I spent a month volunteering at a local start-up where I led a small team of my classmates to create a targeted advertising campaign. We also developed pricing strategies based on research and demographic data.
Explain why you consider yourself a good fit for the role
You should review the job posting and identify the primary qualifications an employer is searching for. You must then link the information to why you believe you are suitable for the position. Finally, you should combine the qualities identified in the job description with your unique attributes relevant to the role.
EXAMPLE
My creativity, excellent communication skills, and ability to multitask make me the perfect candidate for the position. This internship would help me grow my experience as a digital marketer and improve the quality of my work.
The aim of the internship
You must mention in the cover letter what you aim to achieve by interning in the company. This must include skills, experience, or relationships you hope to develop while interning in the company. This helps you demonstrate that you are goal-oriented and driven to be efficient at the job.
EXAMPLE
An internship in your company can help me improve my team-building and strategizing skills. It will also provide me with first-hand experience dealing with a client and improve my skills.
Internship Cover Letter Format
When writing your cover letter, you must ensure that the letter is formatted correctly. Proper business letter formatting demonstrates professionalism and seriousness, which is likely to evoke a positive response from an employer. In addition, the format used in the letter is your attempt to make an excellent first impression on the employer.
It is therefore essential to consider the following information as important when formatting your letter:
Follow the business letter format
A cover letter is an official document; therefore, you must follow the business letter format. Using the business letter format will require you to provide your contact information along with the date and address. You should also include the employer’s name and address at the top of the letter and a salutation.
Be mindful of the length
You must ensure the cover letter is one page long. If it is too short, the employer might assume that you don’t care about the job, and if it’s too long, the employer may fail to read the entire letter. In addition, writing a one-page letter limits you from writing a lengthy letter while enabling you to focus on relevant information only.
Margins, line spacing, and alignment should be catered to
You should ensure that you use Times New Roman font with a font size of 10 or 12 in your cover letter. The letter should have a line spacing of 1.15, and the content should be left-aligned. This ensures that the employer can easily read the letter. It also gives the cover letter a professional look.
Try to write a unique cover letter that stands out
For you to stand out, you must ensure that the cover letter contents are unique. This is likely to have a positive impact on the employer and help increase your odds of obtaining an internship with the company you are interested in.
You can ensure you provide unique information by adhering to the following process when writing a cover letter:
Paragraph 1: an introduction of yourself
An introductory paragraph plays a significant role in forming the employer’s perception of the applicant. It allows you to introduce yourself to the employer formally. You must also specify the internship you are applying for and, possibly, where you found or heard of the internship vacancy. This is because employers like to know the channels applicants use during their job search.
Paragraph 2: skills and accomplishments
The second paragraph of the cover letter should focus on your skills and accomplishments when applying for the role. Again, you can provide examples to support your skills and achievements. The stated skills and accomplishments should be drawn from your academic or work experience stated in the resume to ensure your application documents complement each other.
Paragraph 3:explain why you consider yourself suitable
The third paragraph of the cover letter should explain why you believe you are best suited for the internship. The reasons provided should be based on the research you conducted concerning the requirements for the job and your knowledge of the business. You should also state how best you can contribute to the goals of the company.
 Paragraph 4: call to action
You should express your readiness/interest or availability for an interview. This demonstrates that you are confident in your abilities to fulfill the needed job requirements. Your call to action should be a single sentence.
You must first review the advertised job description for any academic experience demanded by the employer. You should also state any extracurricular experience. The extracurricular experience mentioned must be in line with the job description. Academic or extracurricular experience helps you demonstrate that you have the necessary qualifications for the job.
Proofread/edit your cover letter
Once the cover letter is completed, you must proofread and edit grammar, spelling, or syntax errors. Hiring managers or employers are keen to note poorly written letters because it quickly gives them a reason to eliminate you. You can also request that a friend or family member review the final draft of the letter.
Things to Avoid While Writing the Cover Letter
A well-crafted cover letter should persuade the employer to consider you for the internship position. You must avoid anything that can jeopardize your chances of acquiring the position.
Therefore, it is essential that you avoid the following:
Do not state lack of experience
You must not state your lack of experience. This mistake would present you as an amateur and diminish the employer’s perception of you. You must also ensure that the tone of the cover letter is not apologetic, because the aim of the letter is not to appeal to the employer’s empathy but rather to persuade him/her to consider you.
Do not copy a template for your ease
You should avoid copying templates. This is because a hiring manager has already been exposed to a variety of templates used by other applicants. In addition, applicants who copy templates can be perceived as lazy and unwilling to put effort into a personalized cover letter.
Do not restate your resume
You should not restate your entire resume in the cover letter. If you provide repetitive information, you can overwhelm the hiring manager, creating a negative perception. Instead, the cover letter should complement the information contained in the resume and motivate the employer to read the resume.
Template for a Cover Letter for Internship
[YOU NAME]
[STREET ADDRESS]
[CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE]
[YOUR PHONE NUMBER]
[YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS]
[DATE]
[RECIPIENT’S NAME]
[RECIPIENT’S JOB TITLE]
[COMPANY NAME]
[STREET ADDRESS]
[CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE]
Dear [Name of the Recipient]
I am writing to express my interest in applying for the [position] at your [company name] as advertised on [name of the place you found the job advertisement]. I am hardworking and determined, and I believe this makes me a suitable candidate for the position.
Currently, I am in a [position] at [institution of learning], and I will be receiving my degree in the spring. In the meantime, as a student, I have acquired skills in [name skills].
Last winter, I successfully [name a relevant achievement]. This led to [the result of the achievement]. I also used my [state skill] to [illustrate how the skill was used].
I believe that my [name relevant ability or qualification] would make me an excellent fit for [company name]. This internship program will help me [your reasons for interning for the position].
I would be delighted to discuss my application further in person at a mutually convenient time. Attached is my resume, which provides further details concerning my qualifications. I appreciate your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your signature]
[Your name]
Sample Cover Letter for Internship
Within this section, you will find a free sample cover letter tailored specifically for internship applications. The provided example serves as a valuable reference point, illustrating how to effectively express one’s qualifications and aspirations. As individuals embark on their letter-writing journey, this sample provides insightful guidance without overshadowing personal expression.
Sample
Dear Ms. Foster,
I am writing with great enthusiasm to apply for the Architectural Internship position at Architectural Visions Ltd., which I learned about through the American Institute of Architects’ job board. As a dedicated and innovative architecture student in my final year at Rivertown University, I am eager to apply my academic knowledge and creative skills in a professional environment, especially within a renowned firm like yours, known for its commitment to sustainable and community-focused design.
My academic journey has been marked by a consistent pursuit of excellence and innovation in design. A highlight of my studies was my involvement in a collaborative project to design a low-cost, eco-friendly housing model for underprivileged communities, which won the Rivertown University Sustainable Design Award. This project not only sharpened my skills in using AutoCAD and Revit but also deepened my understanding of how architecture can positively impact society. Furthermore, my role as Vice President of the Student Architectural Society honed my leadership and teamwork abilities, organizing seminars and workshops on emerging architectural trends.
The ethos of Architectural Visions Ltd. in merging modern design with environmental stewardship deeply resonates with my personal and professional aspirations. I am particularly inspired by your recent project, the Green Skyline Initiative, and its innovative approach to urban sustainability. I am confident that my blend of technical proficiency, creative thinking, and passion for sustainable design aligns well with the goals and vision of your firm.
I am excited about the prospect of contributing to the dynamic team at Architectural Visions Ltd. and would be honored to discuss how my skills and aspirations align with your projects. I am available for an interview at your convenience and I look forward to the possibility of joining your esteemed company.
Thank you for considering my application. I am eager to contribute to and learn from the esteemed team at Architectural Visions Ltd.
Sincerely, Â
Samantha James
Analysis
The accompanying cover letter offers several crucial components that set it apart and serve as a useful model for creating a compelling application for an architectural internship.
Firstly, its adherence to a professional format, with clear contact details and a personalized greeting, establishes a formal and respectful tone. The opening paragraph succinctly states the purpose, highlighting the candidate’s enthusiasm and the source of the job listing, demonstrating proactivity.
Crucially, the writer effectively showcases relevant academic achievements and project experience, like the award-winning eco-friendly housing design, underscoring their technical and creative skills. The inclusion of leadership roles further bolsters the applicant’s profile by demonstrating teamwork and leadership qualities. A standout feature of this letter is its alignment with the company’s values, showing the applicant’s knowledge about and compatibility with the firm’s ethos.Â
Finally, the letter concludes with a polite call to action and an expression of gratitude, indicating eagerness and readiness to engage further.
These aspects collectively form a compelling and targeted narrative, making this letter an effective sample for anyone seeking guidance on writing effective cover letters for internships in architecture or related fields.
Key Takeaways
- An internship cover letter is your first impression of the employer. It is, therefore, essential that you ensure your cover letter is carefully written and formatted.
- If you have no prior work experience, you can use the cover letter to persuade the employer that your skills and qualifications are relevant to the position. This also helps them demonstrate how you stand out from other candidates with no work experience.
- A cover letter p helps you prompt an employer’s interest to read your resume. Suppose your cover letter is interesting to the employer. In that case, he/she is also likely to read your resume, increasing your chances of occupying the position.
- Finally, a cover letter enables you to provide details that will not appear on the resume. It can strengthen your weak resume by enabling you to creatively demonstrate your professional skills.
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