How to Write a Cover Letter for Internship - Tips & Format

What is an Internship Cover Letter?

An internship cover letter is a way to show your capabilities and qualifications to employers and get noticed. It’s not about your abilities; it will describe how you have the quality to use your skills effectively and contribute to the company’s success. It allows to highlight your skills and educational background, explain gaps in your resume, and show enthusiasm for this role. Highlight your communication skills and show interest in the role and the company for the internship cover letter.

This article will discuss tips for writing an effective cover letter for internship without experience. By following these tips, your application can reach the right people.

How to Write a Cover Letter for an Internship Tips

Here are the following tips for writing a cover letter for an internship include; 

1- Choose the Right Format

Your format is the presentation of your application; choose the correct format for writing a letter. If your application looks scrappy, it is challenging to read. Here is the format for your cover letter for the internship; 

• Include your full name, phone number, email, and LinkedIn profile. You can add information about the receiver’s names, titles, and name of the organization/company.
• Address your recruiter by “Dear Smith” or “Dear Mr. David.” We know it is a common approach, but addressing them with their names shows that you’ve researched the company and their team. 
• Your opening statement should be brief and precise. Introduce yourself clearly and mention the internship role to which you’re applying. It should be professional and attention-grabbing. Show one or two accomplishments and skills that stand out from competitors. 
• This section contains two to three paragraphs emphasizing your educational background and skills or describing how you and the company would benefit each other.
• The closing paragraph is crucial for you, in which
• You can say “thank you” to recruiters for your time and effort. You can also mention anything in this section if you’ve forgotten to describe it. 
• You can end your cover letter with “Most Sincerely” and “Regards.” How to Close a Cover Letter with a Call to Action You can follow guidelines on how to close your cover letter. 
• Include the right keywords

When you’re applying for an internship, employers fillter your resume and cover letter with ATS (Applicant Tracking System) software. Both applications should contain proper keywords so the scanner can scan your application or reach the employer’s hand. 

Do you have difficulty in how to put keywords in a cover letter? Don’t worry; it’s so easy. Just read the Job description and check the required responsibilities and skills. Research the top soft skills of the role and the employers looking for. While mentioning technical skills in your resume, you can highlight your soft skills in your cover letter, such as time management, communication, collaboration, etc., which skills or experience you mentioned in the cover letter must align with the role description.

For example, if you describe leadership ability, mention some examples of your projects where you played the role of leader or got good results. 

2- Highlight your Extracurricular Courses

If you’ve no employment experience, you can include your extra courses related to your internship. Any volunteer work or internship you’ve done during your studies, you can describe it in your cover letter. Whether you gained these experiences, paid or unpaid, the combination of these achievements can make you stand out. When you include them, you can discuss all accomplishments during the interview.

For example, if you’re applying for social media marketing, you can mention all relevant courses and achievements that make your cover letter strong. 

3- Include your Skills and Abilities

When crafting a cover letter for an internship, pay attention to your skills. If you have no employment history and want to start your career with an internship, should focus on the soft skills. Here are some points to follow when highlighting skills:

• Before including abilities in the cover letter, align with the Job description.
• Give some examples where you apply these strengths or to get achievements. 
• Highlight soft and hard skills and give examples of accomplishments where you used these skills.
• Do not overemphasize abilities; be honest about your talent, and only mention those abilities that you have. 

4- Explain Why you’re Good for this Role

After highlighting skills and qualifications, the next step is to define why you are perfect for this role. You should understand the internee role’s responsibilities and the company’s demands. Explain how to fulfil the company’s requirements using the abilities and qualifications in your application. 

For Example

I believe I’m eligible for the marketing internship due to my experience with digital marketing and creative project management. Last summer, I worked as a social media assistant for a local non-profit at company ABC, where I helped create content for their social channels, increasing engagement by 20%. My role required Intelligence and the ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities, which I believe will be an asset in your energetic environment.

5- Proofread of Your Cover Letter

Before sending it, you should review it once or twice so that the recruiters cannot catch any mistakes in writing. Some tools, such as Grammarly and Quill Bot, can be used to correct grammar mistakes, sentences, and punctuation. You can read it from relatives, friends, and colleagues who know this.

If you don’t proofread it, and any spelling mistakes are noticed by hiring managers, it will leave a negative impression and increase the chances of application rejection. 

6- Show your Passion and Interest

As you and companies know, internships are entry-level positions. Employers can understand that you’ve no employment history or professional experience. Hiring managers will prefer those candidates who are passionate and willing to learn. 

A resume does not have enough space to explain your passion and interest. Still, a cover letter is the best option to describe to employers why you’re passionate about this post and interested in the role or company. Show interest in the company and explain how this position aligns with your career goals. 

7- Match with your Resume

When pen down a cover letter for an internship, ensure all details match your resume. A cover letter is a mirror image of your resume. If your qualifications, abilities, and achievements differ from what you put in your resume, then hiring managers will be confused about which details are correct, or it will leave a negative impression, or you can face rejection. 

Key Takeaways

We hope you have understood all the tips for writing a cover letter for an internship. Now, we share the outline of all our discussions: 

• A cover letter is necessary to create value for your resume for the internship
• Follow the cover letter structure, including contact information, salutation, opening paragraph, body, closing paragraph, and conclusion
• Follow the extra tips to write a cover letter for the internship: include the right keywords and extracurricular courses, highlight your skills, explain why you’re fit for the role, show your passion and interest, and proofread it. 

Recommended reading

How to End a Cover Letter with a Call to Action

Boost Your Cover Letter: 70 Words You Put on an Application to Get Hired