There are several ways in which writing a cover letter for an internship can differ from a traditional cover letter. Although an applicant’s professional experience might be lacking, they can still cite transferable skills, showcase their passion, and explain why they are the best candidate for the position.
While cover letters should detail your past work experience and inform an employer why you are the best fit for a position, it might not seem clear what is expected when you are writing a cover letter for an internship. Since internships can be an opportunity for inexperienced applicants to get their foot in the door within a potentially unfamiliar field, it’s worth considering how to write a cover letter.
When you apply to an internship, a hiring manager is likely to put character first, ahead of any potential accomplishments you might have had. A cover letter can allow you to personally introduce yourself to a hiring manager. As your resume outlines your background, including education and general attributes, a cover letter provides the chance for an employer to get to know you.
In an article on LinkedIn titled “The Importance of an Internship for Your Future Career,” Rose Olesen, a marketing officer at Griffith University, says, “A common misconception about internships is that you will be peeling potatoes or making coffee, but this is far from the truth. It’s about gaining the skills, confidence, network and the small details that make a HUGE difference when you want to land your first job.” With this in mind, you can feel reassured that it’s normal to not know quite where to start with a cover letter for an internship.
Step 1: Establishing Paragraph
Before delving into your qualifications, you should open your cover letter by establishing the internship for which you are applying. Although the cover letter should contain multiple paragraphs, your first paragraph should be a succinct pitch, setting up additional reasons for why you’re right for the role. This can help distinguish your application from others, as it proves to the hiring manager that you have invested your time in crafting an original cover letter, and have not repurposed the same general template for various internships.
Step 2: Transferable Skills
Thankfully, hiring managers are aware that internship applicants may lack professional experience in the field they are applying for. It’s possible that they would even deem some experienced applicants as being overqualified.
However, it is still valuable to incorporate any experience that you believe has contributed to your qualifications in any way. There are certain transferable skills a hiring manager could be interested in while searching for the right candidate. These attributes do not need to come from the field to which the internship pertains.
Instead, qualities such as “detail-oriented” or “creative thinker” can be cited to volunteer experience, classes you have taken, extracurricular activities, or even your personality. This can be especially relevant advice when an internship relates to a creative field. For instance, if you were a part of your college newspaper staff, your experience working with deadlines could easily transfer to the professional realm. Similarly, if an internship involves the use of Photoshop or other editing software, a photography or design course would catch a hiring manager’s attention.
During an interview on the LinkedIn News podcast Get Hired, Christopher Taylor, founder of The Occupation Optimist, shared advice on how to identify your unique skillset. Even without corresponding past work, your ability to convey that you know yourself and your strengths can be notable in its own right. Taylor also highlighted LinkedIn’s many available learning courses, which can show a hiring manager that you are knowledgeable, even if you haven’t had previous employers to help prove what you are capable of accomplishing.
Taylor went on to recommend emphasizing other aspects of your education in a cover letter, saying, “You want to make sure that you’re also digging into your academic achievements. Maybe you had a sky-high GPA… You want to point out any kind of on-campus leadership. Oftentimes, that goes a long way… Any kind of community involvement, that goes a long way.”
Step 3: Show Your Passion
Despite any qualifying experience you might bring to the table as mentioned in your cover letter, it might not stand out unless you demonstrate that you are passionate about the line of work the internship entails. Whether it is an unpaid internship or a paid internship, the core reason for your qualification is that you care about the opportunity to get in at the ground level.
In part, because you might have limited experience relating to the internship, you may benefit most through how you convey your own story. By including an ethos in your cover letter, you can make a strong impression on a hiring manager. Although this should not be the main draw of your application, it can be a significant component.
You should take a few sentences to elaborate on your journey and general interest in the internship, apart from objective experience. This could be a quick childhood story, in which you explain that you have always known the job you would like to have someday, or this can be an explanation of your educational pursuit.
Step 4: Opportunity For Growth
Just as it’s important to explain to a hiring manager the various ways you can contribute to an internship, it’s also important to explain how an internship can provide you an opportunity for growth. Employers are aware that internships are first and foremost a learning experience. Entry-level positions can be a chance for inexperienced people to become educated within a field. Unlike a full-time position, an internship is understood to simply be a season of life in the professional world.
As you conclude your cover letter, it can be integral to present how you believe the position can benefit you and your career goals. Although a job listing might not present straightforward details of what the internship entails, the overarching experience and connections you would gain do not have to adhere to a specific skillset. This can show a potential employer that you have ambition and are proactive as you contemplate a vision of the future.
Regardless of the field to which it pertains, writing a cover letter for an entry-level position can feel like a challenge. However, each step can exemplify why you might be the best candidate for an internship. If your letter can make a lasting impression on a hiring manager, you will be setting yourself up for success.
