Cover Letter for Internship | Examples + How to Write Yours

Cover Letter for Internship: Examples + How to Write

Landing an internship isn’t difficult if you can put together a good cover letter. We’ve outlined how to write a cover letter for an internship that will land you the role you want, and provided an internship cover letter example to give you ideas when writing your own.

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[Today’s Date]

[Hiring Manager’s Name]
[Company Address]
[Company City, State xxxxx]
[(xxx) xxx-xxxx]
[hiring.manager@gmail.com]

Dear [Mr./Mx./Ms.] [Manager’s Name],

I’m writing to you regarding the marketing role that opened up recently. I came across the job description on [Website Name], and was delighted to find that my academic accomplishments meet all of the necessary requirements. I am seeking a challenging but rewarding internship, which is why I was drawn to this exciting opportunity.

As a junior marketing student at the University of Georgia, I have acquired skills in advertising, PR, product development, and market research. Currently, I hold a 3.8 GPA and have been on the Dean’s List every semester. While in the college of business I have strategically focused my coursework in the following areas:

Marketing Analytics
Marketing Management
Survey Research
Strategic Internet Marketing
Integrated Marketing Communications

Using my knowledge of the above, I designed a marketing campaign for a local pet grooming business that yielded the highest return on investment based on a budget. The campaign was so well received that I was awarded third place in UGA’s business plan competition.

I would be delighted to have an opportunity to personally interview with you. Please accept the enclosed resume and feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience. I appreciate your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

If you’ve already written a flawless internship resume, it’s time to pair it with a persuasive internship cover letter that explains why you’re the perfect candidate.

Companies seek specific traits when they choose interns. Learn how to write a cover letter for an internship with our insider tips so you can apply for any internship with confidence.

1. Remember that motivation is more important than experience

You don’t need extensive work experience to be an intern. Instead, hiring managers want to see enthusiasm and a willingness to learn in your internship cover letter. These qualities show you’ll take full advantage of the training you’re given.

Here are three ways to prove your motivation:

Show passion by describing relevant interests. For example, if you’re applying for a beauty internship, talk about how you’ve been giving family and friends make-overs since you were 13 years old.
Give an example of when you showed initiative. For instance, talk about how you took the initiative to campaign for green issues during college.
Don’t lie or stretch the truth. It’s easier than you think for hiring managers to catch those lies.

If you’re lacking in the experience department, try mentioning relevant college coursework, extracurricular activities, and volunteer work experience in your cover letter. These examples make you appear eager to expand your knowledge, and help you seem more qualified.

List these experiences in bullet points somewhere in the body of your letter. For example, you could say you raised $4,700 for your church during a fundraiser.

2. Showcase your ambition in the field

Not all interns make coffee and organize filing cabinets. Many companies give promising interns real projects that affect the company’s bottom line, and then offer them jobs once their internship has finished.

Your intern cover letter should show you’re capable of the responsibilities in the job listing, and are driven to get work done. One way to emphasize this drive in your cover letter is to add hard numbers.

For example, if you were active in local politics in college and are applying for a political internship, you might write a bullet point like:

Organized fundraising event for Congresswoman Harriet Lopez, raising $38,000 for her re-election campaign.

3. Address the hiring manager by name

Here’s another cover letter tip to impress the hiring manager as you start writing your cover letter:

Instead of writing “Dear Sir/Madam,” or “To Whom It May Concern,” make a phone call to the company you’re applying to and find out the hiring manager’s name (if you can’t find it on the company’s website or on LinkedIn). If successful, you can then address your intern cover letter to them directly, highlighting how serious you are about the opportunity.

Just by knowing how to address a cover letter properly, you’ve already made your application more impressive than those submitted by other potential interns.

4. Use the proper cover letter format

A cover letter for an internship position should follow certain guidelines. For instance, it should be four paragraphs long. Anything much longer or shorter than that will come off as unprofessional.

Don’t worry, the standard cover letter format still offers plenty of space to express your talents. Simply follow the same structure as written out in our modern cover letter template to strike a balance between personality and professionalism:

Paragraph 1

First, formally introduce yourself, and say where you heard about the internship. Add some information about your background and explain why you’re applying.

Paragraph 2

In the second paragraph, sell your skills and the accomplishments you’ve added to your resume. Prove your passion for the industry, and give examples of when you’ve excelled in a professional or academic capacity.

If you’re writing an internship cover letter with no experience, focus on your academic credentials.

Paragraph 3

Here you can mention anything that makes your application unique. Do some research about the company, and describe how you’d personally be a good fit for the company’s culture. Or, elaborate on its positive impact on your community (or society at large), and explain why that attracts you to work there.

Paragraph 4

Finish your application with a call to action. Say you’re ready to be interviewed, and thank the reader for their time. Finally, close your cover letter with “Sincerely,” followed by your name.