How to Write a Cover Letter for an Internship
An internship cover letter is a 1–page business letter that describes the reasons you’re uniquely qualified for an internship position. When you’re applying for internships, sending a cover letter along with your resume shows initiative and sets you apart—as long as your cover letter has the right information.
The purpose of a cover letter for an internship is to show employers that you’ve already demonstrated the required skills through a variety of academic experiences. Internship cover letters include details about course projects, extracurricular activities, volunteer work and academic awards in addition to or instead of work experience.
The step-by-step guide, examples, and template below will show you how to write a cover letter for an internship that gets results.
What to include in an internship cover letter
The cover letter format for internship roles is the same as cover letters for permanent roles. However, an internship cover letter usually includes school-related details whereas the cover letters you’ll write later in your career will focus mainly on past employment.
Within a concise, 1–page cover letter length, include the following components in the cover letters you submit for internships:
- A heading with your name, email address, phone number, and LinkedIn profile (if you have an up-to-date profile that’s applicable to the internship)
- The date you’re sending the letter (e.g., “March 30, 2025”)
- A salutation to address your cover letter to the person or team who will be reading it (e.g., “Dear Wesley Jones,” “Dear Hiring Manager,” or “Dear Accounting Team”)
- Introduction paragraph with the title of the internship you’re applying for, reason(s) why the internship or company appeals to you, and a claim about why you’re uniquely qualified
- 1–2 body paragraphs to develop the reason(s) why you’re a great fit—with evidence of relevant course projects, academic awards, extracurricular activities, volunteer experiences, or past jobs/internships
- Conclusion paragraph that restates your enthusiasm and fit for the internship and motivates the company to interview you
- Complimentary close (e.g., “Best regards”) and your full name
Cover letter for internship step-by-step guide
Writing an effective cover letter for an internship involves several steps, and it starts with analyzing the job posting for the internship requirements.
Review the job posting for keywords
Before you start writing your internship cover letter, review the job posting for keywords about the required skills. The required hard skills (e.g., Excel, AutoCAD, Adobe InDesign) and soft skills (e.g., problem-solving) are usually located in bulleted lists of duties, requirements, “nice to haves,” or similar headings.
Your internship cover letter should include the required skills you’ve demonstrated at work or school with the same keywords as the job posting. Many companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to scan your cover letter and resume for how well they match the job posting. The closest matches are then reviewed by human recruiters.
For each skill, make a list of 2–3 achievements—from your coursework, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, or previous internships—to use as evidence in the body paragraphs.
Write an engaging introduction
After you brainstorm skills, draft an engaging introduction with the following details:
- The name of the internship or role you’re applying for
- The main reason you’re drawn to this company and/or role
- Your claim about why you’re uniquely qualified
For example, you can start a cover letter with a sentence like “I am thrilled to apply for … because … ” If you know someone at the company who’s referring you or who you met at a career fair, mention this person’s name too.
You might also research the company’s mission statement or the “about” section of their website to choose a main reason why the company/role appeals to you. Of all the companies where you could intern, why is this company most relevant to your goals or values?
In your claim at the end of the cover letter introduction, state 1–2 reasons why you’re well suited to the role. These will be the topics of your body paragraphs (e.g., “With an academic track record of impeccable writing and a collaborative working style, I’m confident that I will thrive in your summer internship program”).
Provide evidence of your qualifications
In the body of your cover letter, develop the 1–2 reasons why you’re a great fit (with each body paragraph focusing on a separate reason. The following steps will help you write concise body paragraphs with just the right amount of detail.
- Write a topic sentence that focuses the paragraph on a single reason (e.g., “My detailed knowledge of quantitative research and academic databases has set me up for immediate success in your summer research program”).
- Provide 2–3 examples from coursework (e.g., essays, action research, group presentations), extracurricular involvement, volunteer work, or previous jobs/internships.
- Explain how the examples ensure your future success at the internship. How are the examples relevant to the internship requirements?
- A market analysis for a new app
- An analysis of a large financial dataset using Python
- An analysis of how the pandemic affected a local brewery’s profits
Close with a call-to-action
After you write body paragraphs, end a cover letter with a concise conclusion of 2–3 sentences.
- Reiterate your enthusiasm for the company and reason(s) you’re qualified.
- Thank the reader for reviewing your application.
- Call the reader to action (e.g., “I would love to discuss the role further in an interview” or “I’m eager to talk more about how I can support your goals”).
Proofread your internship cover letter
After you’ve written a draft, always proofread your internship cover letter carefully. For example, you can run the draft through the QuillBot Grammar Checker to instantly find and fix errors. Double check the names of people and/or the company for correct spelling and formatting (e.g., “QuillBot,” not “Quillbot” or “Quill Bot”).
Internship cover letter examples
These fictitious internship cover letter examples illustrate the most common cover letter format for internship roles. Each sample cover letter for an internship includes examples from coursework, volunteer work, and/or extracurricular activities.
Sample cover letter for internship in accounting
The fictitious student in this example describes business administration coursework and accounting experience gained from volunteering for a local nonprofit and bookkeeping for a school club.
Tate Miller
tatemiler@email.com | LinkedIn/tatemiller | (123) 321-5432
March 15, 2025
Dear Angelica Torres:
As a huge fan of Catalyst Investment’s forward-thinking approach, I was thrilled to learn about the Accounting and Finance Internship at the BSU career fair. When I spoke to Adonna Onyeabor about the internship’s focus on data analysis and reporting, I knew that this was an ideal fit. As a junior in Business Administration with strong analytical and organizational skills, I am confident that I will enhance the Accounting and Finance Team’s ongoing success.
Through BSU coursework and community volunteering, I have honed the analytical and problem-solving abilities that you’re seeking in a summer intern. In a recent accounting course, I conducted a detailed financial analysis of XYZ Company’s income statement and balance sheet, identifying key areas for financial improvement—such as reducing operating costs and improving inventory management practices. Additionally, while volunteering as an accounting assistant for the Rural Community Food Pantry, I assessed the organization’s spending patterns and identified ways to streamline delivery and storage costs. These experiences sharpened my ability to analyze complex data and provide actionable insights. They also inspired me to learn more about the positive real-word impact of sound financial analysis on 401K investments.
In terms of organizational skills, I have completed multiple projects that involved extensive use of Excel and Tableau to organize and present complex data. One project required me to create a comprehensive financial model to forecast revenue growth for a small business. I used advanced functions such as pivot tables and data validation to ensure accurate calculations. Additionally, while serving as the bookkeeper for BSU’s disc golf club, I successfully used Excel to manage financial records, track travel and equipment expenses, and generate reports for monthly meetings. My team could always count on me to keep our records up-to-date and our travel expenses to a minimum. With these organizational skills, I am ready to help your team on Day 1 with impeccable reports and accurate data.
If you are seeking a summer intern with academic and real-world accounting experience who is eager to learn from Catalyst experts, I am available for an interview at your earliest convenience. Meanwhile, thank you for your consideration and your efforts to meet face-to-face with BSU students. It means all the world to us to network with such talented professionals.
Sincerely,
Tate Miller
Sample cover letter for internship in public relations
The fictitious journalism student in this example crafts an internship cover letter focusing on web design and writing skills for a public relations internship.
Blair Palta
bpalta@email.com | LinkedIn/com/blairpalta | (444) 555-7777
March 20, 2025
Dear Eleanor Craigie:
I am writing to express my deep interest in the public relations internship with the city of Louisberg. As a journalism student at Louisberg University with a passion for civic engagement, I admire our city’s innovative and approachable branding strategy, and I’m eager to learn from your team. The web design and copywriting skills that I’ve demonstrated thus far have prepared me to make meaningful contributions to the city’s website and newsletter.
The web design projects that I completed in my Digital Media and Web Content course helped me develop detailed expertise in the web design and software skills your internship requires. For one project, leveraging my proficiency with WordPress and PremierePro, I redesigned the website for the Louisberg Farmer’s Market, which involved managing the content and ensuring that graphics and visuals were engaging, user-friendly, and consistent with the organization’s branding. Specifically, I incorporated reels, photographs, and web copy that tapped into the latest foodie trends as well as Gen Z and Millennial lifestyles. Shortly after these updates, the farmer’s market reported a 20% growth in unique visitors and improved website rankings. This experience aligns closely with the city’s goals for updating graphics to improve civic engagement across multiple demographics.
I’ve also developed impeccable writing and editing skills through LU courses and volunteer work. In a recent journalism class, I researched and wrote articles about a local charity auction that were featured in the email newsletters of multiple local artists who participated in the event. Through all of my writing courses, I’ve consistently produced organized and error-free articles with minimal supervision or revision needs. While volunteering for Louisberg High School’s robotics team, I wrote and published a weekly newsletter to keep parents, students, and community supporters informed about the team’s upcoming events and fundraising needs. As a result, the team saw a significant increase in community support and exceeded their fundraising goals. As a public relations intern, I’ll work tirelessly to craft compelling newsletters that inspire community engagement because in the end, I know that it makes our community stronger.
I can’t think of any better way to further my academic goals and promote civic engagement than your summer internship, and I’d love to discuss the opportunity further. It would be my honor to learn from your experienced professionals. Thank you for reviewing my application.
Sincerely,
Blair Palta
Internship cover letter template
To help you get started on your own internship cover letter, QuillBot offers an internship cover letter template, which you can customize with details about your own experiences.
The template includes spaces for you to add your contact information, a greeting, an introduction, body paragraphs, a conclusion, and a complimentary close.
Frequently asked questions about how to write a cover letter for an internship
- What does a cover letter for an internship with no experience include?
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A cover letter for an internship with no experience includes reasons why you’re a great fit with evidence of course projects, academic achievements, or extracurricular activities rather than past jobs.
In each body paragraph of your cover letter, focus on a separate qualification that you’ve successfully demonstrated through school-based activities. Strive for 2–3 school-based examples in each body paragraph.
When you write a cover letter for an internship, proofreading is also important. QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker instantly fixes typos so that you make the best possible impression.
- How long should a cover letter be for an internship?
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A cover letter for an internship should be the same length as a cover letter for any other type of job. The ideal cover letter length is a single page with 300–400 words or three to four paragraphs.
In the one-page cover letter for the internship, include a heading, greeting, introduction, one or two body paragraphs, a conclusion, and a signature.
In the body paragraphs, explain why your coursework or previous work experience qualifies you for the internship.
When you’re revising and editing a cover letter for an internship, QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you use concise and effective word choices.
- Should cover letters be double spaced?
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No, cover letters shouldn’t be double-spaced. A cover letter is a type of formal or semi-formal letter, and double spacing is not necessary.
Standard cover letter format calls for single spacing, except when you need an extra space between elements (e.g., between the salutation and first paragraph).
Remember to review your document layout and content before sending a cover letter.
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you make sure your cover letter is free of spelling and grammar errors.
