A cover letter is a one-page document that you submit for internship application, scholarship application or job application. A well-written internship cover letter is a plus when applying for an internship.
One of the major requirements and very important aspects of applying for an internship is the cover letter. A well-written cover letter should highlight your skills relevant to the company you are applying for and the experience that make you ahead of other applicants.
Your cover letter is the part you want to prove to your employer that you are the perfect person for the role you are applying for. It should capture the employer’s attention and convince them you are the perfect person for the job.
To help you stand out among others and make your application successful, we have come up with industry proven ways of writing internship cover letter that converts.
What is an Internship Cover Letter?
SchoolGistSA refers to an Internship cover letter as a written tool you use to sell yourself to your employer, it shows why you are the perfect fit for the job and what makes you stand out among others.
Another tool that serves this purpose is the Curriculum Vitae, many employers will tell you to submit both your Cover letter and CV. You can’t afford to get it wrong at this stage as it is representing you in your absence and your aim is to create a good impression with your employers.
Starting your internship is like starting a job, it is the first real-life experience in your chosen career. That being said, you have to treat your internship application like you are applying for a job.
How To Structure My Internship Cover Letter?
The structure of your Internship Letter is the best first shot you have at securing an intern position at a company. Whether you have been writing letters to your friends before (informal letter) or you are familiar with formal letters, you should know that there is a distinct difference between a formal and informal letter both in structure and content.
With the tips we are about to provide for you, writing an internship cover letter will soon be one of the easiest things you can do. Internship cover letters are formal letters, each paragraph should address the points your employer is looking for.
Below is the checklist of what you should look out for while writing your internship cover letter.
Tips to Write outstanding Internship Cover Letter
Below are the topics we will cover in this post
- State the role you are applying to
- Use the right keyword
- Include relevant coursework
- Call out relevant skills
- Talk about why you are the best for the job
- Describe what you want to gain from the internship
- End with a CTA
- Review your cover letter
Take note of the steps below to write an awesome internship cover letter that will get you a job;
1. State the role you’re applying for
Before you write an intern cover letter, make sure you have deliberate on the position you want to apply for putting your skills and experience into consideration.
Stating the position you want to apply for in your cover letter gives the impression that you know what you are applying for. It also prepares the mind of your employer on what you really want. It is good to write a cover letter that is specific than a general cover letter.
2. Use the right keywords
In your cover letter use words that are related to the position, you are applying for to make the content of the letter in accord with the position you are applying for. Use action verbs that make your cover letter stand out.
Make sure you review the job description and the company website carefully to find clues you need to include in your cover letter.
3. Include relevant coursework
This is for applicants with no or little job experience, you can state your coursework that is relevant to the post you are applying for in place of job experience. Include all the courses you have done related to the industry or relevant activities you have engaged in.
4. Call out relevant skills
The body of your cover letter is to highlight the relevant skills, education, expertise and knowledge that will benefit the company. You can include the industry you have worked in the past, previous job, projects and any volunteer experience.
Even if you don’t have experience in the industry, your best shot is to include skills you have gained in the past from previous jobs, classes or extracurricular activities.
For example, If you are applying as a Software Engineer in a Tech company, you can discuss some of the software you have developed in the past. Discuss your experience and challenges while developing the software.
5. Talk about why you are the best for the role you are applying to
The main reason for your Internship cover letter is to tell your employer you are the best person for the role you are applying to. In a few sentences, talk about qualifications that are related to the internship role you are applying for. Make sure you review the post you are applying for to know how best to relate your qualification with the role.
6. Describe what you want to gain from the internship
Apart from talking about what makes you stand out among others and what you will offer the company, one of the major reasons for the internship is for you to gain experience. Many companies make internship programs to support students and young professionals to gain good experience and skills in their chosen field.
Make sure you highlight what you intend to gain from the bursary in a few sentences in relation to the role you are applying to.
7. End With a Call to Action (CTA)
After the above steps, you will want to end your letter with a good Call To Action. It’s not all about impressing your employers, your main goal is for them to invite you for an interview.
8. Review your cover letter before sending
After you are done writing your cover letter, set a time to proofread it to make sure it is free of spelling or punctuation errors. You can also send it to friends or an expert to proofread it for you
Sample Internship Cover Letter
Dear Mr Solanke,
I am submitting my resume for consideration for the summer application design internship program at ABC Company. Given the skills and experience outlined in my enclosed resume, I believe I will be a worthy asset to your team.
In my three years at XYZ College, I’ve completed a great deal of coursework on cutting-edge design trends and best practices, including Principles of User Experience Design and Mobile Application Design, where I learned and applied skills such as user journey mapping, application wireframing and designing software for a variety of mobile devices and operating systems.
In addition, I spent the past semester volunteering my time with a local non-profit that collects donated clothes and furniture and redistributes it to families in need. I helped the web team update and re-launch an application that allows people in the community to locate nearby drop-off points and schedule pick-ups.
Finally, my two years working as a barista at the student centre has taught me the importance of building a convenient and memorable consumer experience that aligns with the brand. It also helped me grow my skills in team collaboration, verbal communication and project leadership.
I believe I would make an excellent addition to your team. This internship would help me grow my real-world experience in the technology industry and help me further develop and refine my application design skills.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Josh Smith
How to send a cover letter?
Most time you will have to send your Internship cover letter digitally via mail unless you are delivering your resume by hand. Also, employers might demand that you should attach your cover letter with your application letter.
Below are the two ways you can submit your internship cover letter to your employer:
Attach your cover letter to the email:
If you are asked to attach the internship cover letter with your application form, you can attach the cover letter file on your PC (Doc format). You can Use your name carrying ‘cover letter’ to save the file to make your cover letter distinct because the company will be receiving many applications.
For Example “Emmanuel-John-cover-letter.doc”
Insert your cover letter in the email body
Another way you can use to submit your cover letter if you are not asked by your employer to attach it is to paste it in your email body. Make sure you do this right and update the greeting to tally with the person you are greeting in your salutation.
The internship cover letter is the summary of your skills, experience and knowledge about the role you are applying for. Make sure your cover letter shows all that it is required of in the best presentable way.
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