An internship is a great way to kick-start your career. But to get there, you need an internship cover letter that’s not like the other 378 on the manager’s desk.
Career Expert
Most intern cover letters say, “I’m a hard worker, and I fit the job.” Yours should prove that you fit the job like you were born to do it.
Sounds complicated? Don't worry, we've broken up the entire process of writing a cover letter for an internship into eight simple, actionable steps, plus we give you an internship cover letter example you can use for inspiration.
Here’s what you’re going to discover:
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Or head straight to our extensive collection of cover letter examples for all professions and experience levels.
Meet Apryl, a fresh university graduate with outstanding academic credentials. Apryl is applying for an internship at Stanley Black & Decker, a manufacturing company. The company is looking for someone with deep interest in engineering, and knowledgeable about tools & techniques used in improving manufacturing processes.
Fortunately, Apryl is highly educated in this matter and her love for engineering runs deep. And she perfectly highlights these qualities in her cover letter.
4109 Diane Street
Hartford, CT 06101
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
1723 Lochmere Lane
Hartford, CT 06182
Dear Mr. Daugherty,
Dr. Whiting encouraged me to apply for the position of Engineering Intern after I received Brown University's Outstanding Senior Award for my project on smart morphing surfaces.
Engineering has been my passion since I was nine. That passion helped me graduate with a 4.0 average across all my engineering coursework. It also led me beyond the assigned curriculum with:
Stanley Black & Decker is a leader in the manufacturing world with good reason—I was deeply impressed when I learned how you’ve reduced waste by 30% and increased customer satisfaction by 20% by implementing Kaizen best practices. This internship is an unmatched opportunity to grow among outstanding professionals.
I'd love to put my skill and passion to work for you. Could we set aside some time for a call to discuss how my success so far can translate to engineering excellence at Stanley Black & Decker?
P.S. — I'd also like to tell you how my design of fiber-optic bundles threaded through a working coil saved a freelance client $2,500.
This internship cover letter follows the best practices in cover letter writing. It’s concise, focused on the right things, and structured using a proven cover letter template.
In fact, this is the same cover letter structure used by experienced professionals across all fields. So master it early on in your career, and you’ll stand out among the other interns as someone who clearly knows what they’re doing.
Now, let’s go through the entire process of writing a great internship cover letter. Here are the steps in a nutshell.
Ready to get started?
There’s no second chance to make that first impression. The hiring manager who receives your cover letter should know you’re a competent young professional even before they start reading.
And that’s where proper cover letter format comes in:
Consider using a dedicated cover letter builder to make cover letter formatting as pain-free as possible. Most builders come with matching designs for resumes and cover letters to make your internship application look professional. In addition, the best cover letter builders provide you with pre-written chunks of text that you can customize to your liking—no more staring at a blank screen!
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
If you’re sending your internship application via snail mail or handing it in personally, your cover letter needs to follow the conventions of a typical business letter. That is, it needs a proper cover letter header that looks like this:
Title (e. g. Marketing Student)
Hiring Manager Name (if possible)
Hiring Manager’s Job Title
If you’re applying for an internship position, you probably don’t have a job title yet. Just put “Engineering Student” or “Computer Science Graduate” or whatever accurately describes your educational background.
The entire header of your internship cover letter should be justified to the left so that your name is in the top left corner.
What should you do if you’re not sure who your hiring manager is? Check out our guide on how to address a cover letter. You’ll learn how to find out who’s responsible for hiring you—and what to do if your research yields no results.
The most surefire thing to write after the cover letter header is:
Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You’re the perfect candidate and we’ll prove it. Just pick one of 21 resume templates and get started now.
Writing a cover letter for an internship follows the same steps as writing a cover letter for any job. Here’s the process:
Need more guidance on how to write a great cover letter? Got a question about applying for internships? Leave a comment. We’re happy to reply.
At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.
Written by Olga BerOlga is a career expert with a background in teaching. At ResumeLab, she writes actionable guides to help job-seekers highlight their unique strengths and unlock their career potential.
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