How To Write The Perfect Cover Letter For A College Internship

As a college student with zero to little experience, it may be challenging to convince recruiters you are the right fit for an internship with your resume alone. Enter internship cover letters–the perfect tool to communicate how passionate you are about the position and elaborate on the relevant skills and experience you highlighted on your internship resume. It’s the cherry on top of your application that will help you secure an interview.

So, writing a cover letter for an internship, how exactly should you go about it? In this article, we'll cover (pun intended) tips on how to write one that will capture recruiters' attention and paint you in the best possible light. At the end of the article, we also added a cover letter example you can take inspiration from. 

Let’s dive right in! 

1. Make it unique for the application. 

Writing is no easy task, we get that. You might be tempted to send a general cover letter to several applications, but don’t give in. Customize your cover letters to fit the requirements of the role you are applying for.

A good rule of thumb is to start your internship cover letter with the position you are applying for. This does three things. It shows you carefully thought about what makes you the right choice for that position, it implies you wrote the letter specifically for the position, and it contextualizes the letter better. 

2. Your letter should be an answer to the internship posting. 

Interns are hired to solve problems and provide solutions. Your cover letter should assert your value to the organization. One way to successfully do this is by using keywords from the internship listing. 

Say the listing mentioned interns should have excellent time management and social media management skills. Make sure to demonstrate a few examples of how you meet that requirement in your letter. This will show the recruiter you have just the right skills they need for the role. 

3. Include relevant work.

If you have no previous experience, you can highlight your completed courses relevant to the role or the industry. Building on our content marketing internship example, include your writing and marketing courses. Got significant accomplishments? Make sure to throw them in as well. 

4. Focus on what your passions and motivations are. 

Hiring managers aren’t expecting internship applicants to have fancy or extensive formal work experience. Internship roles are designed to be entry-level positions after all. Recruiters value interns’ enthusiasm, trainability, and willingness to learn. Traits that signal how likely you’ll make the most out of the opportunity. 

Here are a few ways you can communicate your passions and motivations: 

• Share a relevant skill or activity you’ve always been interested in. Say you are pursuing a writing internship, and talk about how you loved writing stories as a kid. 
• Express why you’re excited about joining the industry. For example, you can mention how you believe in the power of advertising in telling important stories to a wider audience. 

5. Mention your expectations and what you think you’ll gain from the role. 

Internship programs are meant to help students understand better an industry they are eyeing. These roles are meant to train college students like you to develop relevant skills you can use throughout your career. Expressing what you feel you will gain from the internship will show the recruiter how serious you are about making the most out of the position. 

6. Proofread!

Check your letter twice, thrice, four, or five times! Have it checked by another set of eyes if you must. The goal here is to send a spotless letter. You wouldn’t want to lose your shot because of a spelling or grammar error right? 

Here’s a sample internship cover letter for college students.

Dear Mr. Wyatt,
I am writing to apply for the Summer marketing internship. I believe my experience handling our sorority’s online presence for the last 2 years will make me a worthy asset to your team. 

I manage all our social media coverage and promotions for our events including recruitment and philanthropy. For example, we spent the last semester collaborating with a local non-profit that helps victims of domestic violence. We focused extensively on our social coverage to raise money for them. By the end of it, the profits came up to a total of ~$5000 which were promptly donated to the organization. 

Being part of a sorority that puts up a number of events per semester taught me the value of delegation and proper communication. It also developed my collaboration, project management, and leadership skills. 

I believe I will be an excellent addition to your program. This internship will allow me to help your marketing team while having first-hand experience in the ______ industry.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Casey Langdon 

________

There you have it! You are a few steps closer to your dream internship. While waiting for your interview schedule (yes, let’s manifest it!), you can read up on how to answer common questions a recruiter might throw at you. You got this!