A cover letter for an internship allows you to highlight your education, best experiences, skills, and qualities in a narrative format. A student cover letter shows potential employers you have the relevant skills and knowledge to excel in the position offered, and should emphasize your personal voice and details beyond the resume bullet points. Taking the time to write a well-crafted cover letter can make all the difference.
While you can always search for cover letter examples for students online, you must know what makes a great cover letter. So, let us dive right in and explore how you can create a cover letter for internships.
Steps to Create a Student Cover letter for an Internship
A well-written student cover letter will help you stand out from the rest of the applicants. Therefore, you must write a cover letter for internships that captures employers’ attention right away and convince them to offer you an opportunity to prove yourself. Follow these steps to create a strong cover letter for your internship.
Step #1 – Following the Student Cover Letter Format
You must know the format of a cover letter and follow it to a tee. A disorganized cover letter may confuse the employer and result in your resume being screened out. So the format of a cover letter is as follows.
- Header – this must include your name and other contact details such as email address, phone number, LinkedIn profile, etc. You don’t need to include your home address unless you choose to. Add a date under your contact info along with the recruiter’s details, including name, title, and organization name, followed by physical address of their office or business.
- Addressing the employer – always greet your potential employer with ‘Dear Sir/Madam’. Writing “To Whom It May Concern” is also a common phrase but not the best way to address a recruiter. A personalized approach of addressing the hiring manager by their name will show that you have done your homework.
- Opening Statement – this section must be brief, attention-grabbing, and written in a professional tone. Introduce yourself by mentioning the position you are interested in applying for. You can seek the help of counseling services to create a cover letter for internships.
- Body – this section should be two to three paragraphs highlighting your most meaningful moments in education, notable skills, and how you will bring value to the employer.
- Closing Your Cover Letter – write a closing paragraph by thanking the recruiter for taking the time to read your student cover letter and resume. Mention anything left out and include a call to action, such as ‘feel free to contact’, followed by your email or phone number if appropriate.
- Formal Salutation – end your cover letter for an internship with a salutation such as “best regards,” “sincerely,” or “kind regards.”
Step #2 – Focusing on Keywords
Employers may scan cover letters and resumes for keywords relevant to the internship role. Therefore, review the internship description, company’s website, and other cover letter examples for students on how to use keywords.
For example, if the internship description mentions “delivery on time” as a desired skill, you can list relevant time management examples in your student cover letter. Try not to copy word-for-word when you are highlighting your relevant strengths, but keep it on topic.
Step #3 – Mentioning Relevant Education
While you may not have any job experience, mentioning your relevant coursework is always a good idea when writing a cover letter for internships. This will help demonstrate that you have knowledge and skills that will help you perform job duties proficiently.
A college counseling service partnering with various employers can help you highlight the right educational background in your cover letter.
Step # 4- Highlighting Your Skillset
Apart from your education skills, it is always a good idea to include other skills and achievements such as volunteering experiences, class and community projects, languages, and more. This will help strengthen your overall cover letter for an internship.
Wondering how your skillset measures up against other students on the same level as yourself? You can take the Empowerly Quiz to receive a general forecast on your college readiness.
Step #5 – Convincing the Employer Why You are the Best Candidate
Read the internship description carefully to understand what an employer is looking for in a candidate. Write a sentence or two about your qualification and skills that are a perfect fit for the internship role. The next step is strategically aligning your skills and education with those requirements and proving that you are an ideal candidate for the internship role.
Step #6 – Mentioning How the Internship will Benefit You
Internships help students understand the industry while building connections and gaining skills and experiences. However, in addition to what you will bring to the table, it is good to explain to the employer how the internship will benefit you.
Once you have written your student cover letter for an internship, it is time to review it one last time. Make sure there are no grammatical, spelling, or punctuation mistakes. You can ask a family member, friend, or professor to review your final draft to get a third party’s perspective.
Consulting Empowerly
Whether you are an aspiring student trying to get into college or a student applying for an internship, consulting with Empowerly can give you a competitive edge. You can take a quick quiz, which is a shortened version with fewer inputs and gives a broad result on your college preparedness. The Empowerly Score is only available to students in the Empowerly Portal — it’s a separate form and result process that gives you an actual score. The score will show you, based on past student data and other admission criteria, how likely you are to gain admission to various schools. This insight will allow you to tweak your resume and cover letter for an internship and improve your chance of bagging the opportunity that kickstarts your career.
