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How do I Write a Internship Cover Letter?

B. Miller
B. Miller

Writing an internship cover letter is very important to secure an internship and make a good first impression. To write an internship cover letter, it is important to sound as professional as possible, to use perfect spelling and grammar, and to demonstrate why you would be a good fit at the company. Keep in mind that writing a cover letter for an internship should be just like writing a cover letter for any other job.

First, you may choose to use a business letter template to create an internship cover letter. If you do not choose to use a template, keep in mind that the letter should include your full address as well as the full address of the business and the date on the top right of the letter, in a block format. The salutation should be addressed to the person who will be reading the letter; call the company if necessary and find out the name of the human resources or hiring manager, do not simply address the letter to "To Whom It May Concern."

A student should sign off on an internship cover letter with "Sincerely," and a signature.
A student should sign off on an internship cover letter with "Sincerely," and a signature.

In the body of the internship cover letter, include brief information about how you discovered the internship, and why you think you would be a good match for the position. Chances are, you do not have much experience if you are applying for an internship, but try to use any work experience and knowledge from classes at school to illustrate your qualifications. Enthusiasm and demonstrated knowledge about the company and the industry should be your focus when writing a cover letter such as this.

Internship cover letters should sound as professional as possible.
Internship cover letters should sound as professional as possible.

Remember, when writing an internship cover letter, keep it concise and brief. No one wants to read a two or three page letter; keep it to one page, and do not try to do anything creative or cute unless specifically asked to. For instance, an art internship might ask for a design portfolio. At the end of the letter, specify contact information, and note if you will follow up with the company with a phone call or email in a week or two, for example.

At the end of the letter, specify contact information, and note if you will follow up with the company -- with a phone call or email in a week or two, for example.
At the end of the letter, specify contact information, and note if you will follow up with the company -- with a phone call or email in a week or two, for example.

Once you have written the internship cover letter, proofread it, and then have someone else proofread it for you. There should be no spelling or grammar mistakes at all. In addition, if you are applying for more than one internship, write individual letters for each application. You can include much of the same information, but be sure to tailor the letter to the company in order to appear knowledgeable and interested.

Discussion Comments

robbie21

With any cover letter, remember that it's your chance to give them a sense of who you are. Obviously, it should be a formal letter, but it should also be engagingly written.

And for goodness' sakes, *check it over.* I once worked in an academic office and I was looking to hire a student assistant. I can't tell you how many letters I got that referred to an internship rather than a job - because the person was too tailor to check over and tailor their letter. Proofread, proofread, proofread! I know it's tough when you have to send out a lot of letters, but it would be better to send out fewer that were really correct than to send out a hundred that all had errors!

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    • A student should sign off on an internship cover letter with "Sincerely," and a signature.
      By: Andres Rodriguez
      A student should sign off on an internship cover letter with "Sincerely," and a signature.
    • Internship cover letters should sound as professional as possible.
      By: ocskaymark
      Internship cover letters should sound as professional as possible.
    • At the end of the letter, specify contact information, and note if you will follow up with the company -- with a phone call or email in a week or two, for example.
      By: Kurhan
      At the end of the letter, specify contact information, and note if you will follow up with the company -- with a phone call or email in a week or two, for example.
    • Internship cover letters may list any summer job the applicant has had.
      By: Sachs500
      Internship cover letters may list any summer job the applicant has had.