You have found the perfect internship to learn and gain experience in the real world but wondering how to secure it for yourself? Are you looking for something that can make your application for internship stand out among the others?
An internship is going to shape your future by providing you with the necessary training and experience. It is, therefore, necessary for you to make a good impression when submitting your application for internship. You need to put in some extra effort to get selected from the large pool applying for the internship.
In your application for internship, you are going to need a cover letter for internship and your detailed resume. A cover letter can make your application different from the others. Even though you do not have any on-job experience to show on your cover letter, you can still write about your skills, ambitions, projects, and why you want this internship. A cover letter for internship is similar to an actual cover letter instead of job experience, it is going to highlight your achievements and experiences throughout your learning period.
But first, you need to understand the skills that employers require from their interns. It is going to help you in matching your skills with their requirements. It is also going to show them why you are the right candidate for this job.
What are the skills required by employers for an internship?
Every employer looks for certain basic skills in the candidates. These skills are necessary for the function of any organization. Therefore, you can highlight those skills in your application for internship. Some of those skills are mentioned below:
Communication Skills
Communication skills are one of the most sought-after skills required in any professional domain. Whether it is your application for internship or a regular job, the employer can assess your communication skills. You can demonstrate your written skills in your cover letter and resume and your verbal skills in your interview. You must demonstrate good communication skills to impress your employers.
Team Player
When you work as an intern, you are most likely to work under a supervisor and with other interns in the team. Hence, you need to tell your employers that you can be a good team player. A good team player can understand and communicate well with other team members. He can collaborate and work in sync with the team. You can write about any group projects that you did during your classroom training in your resume. It can showcase that you can be a team player to your prospective employers.
Time Management
Being an intern, you are responsible for completing various tasks and meeting strict deadlines. Therefore, your employer would need you to multitask and manage your tasks proficiently. You are already having the experience of meeting deadlines by completing your assignments and syllabus during your course. However, during your internship, you need to manage a lot more tasks in less time.
Initiative
While you learn and gain experience through your internship, you can also contribute to the team by being proactive and sharing your inputs with your team. Employers lookout for candidates who can both learn and share during the internship. You can share your instances wherein you contributed to any group projects or events during your course time. You can explain in detail how your inputs made the difference and why you can be the right candidate for the internship.
Adaptability
In today’s ever-changing world, adaptability is a very sought-after skill in the professional world. As an intern, you need to be adaptable to different roles and situations. You may work with various teams during your internship period. You may also require to multi-task or do different tasks regularly. Therefore, you need to be flexible and adaptive in performing different roles. You can highlight any such instances in your cover letter or resume wherein you were required to do different tasks or change your role in group activities during your semester. It can give an insight to your employers that they can trust you to be flexible in the work environment.
What should your cover letter for internship include?
Now since you have understood the requirements of your employers, you can prepare your application for internship accordingly. You know now what you can include in the cover letter to secure your internship. But before discussing the contents, let us look at a cover letter sample below:
A cover letter can give an insight into your background, skills, and achievements to the prospective employer. While you must include the following in your cover letter:
Your introduction
It would help if you made a good impression on your application for internship. Your introduction is the first thing that an employer is going to read about you. Therefore, you must give a summary of yourself and your qualifications in this paragraph. Write your introduction in a manner that catches the interest of the employer.
Your reasons for applying
While writing your introduction, you must write clearly about the job role you are applying for. You can also include the reasons for your interest in that particular job role. It is going to show your interest and passion in the internship.
Your background
In your application for internship, you need to provide your educational background. You can add this in your cover letter detailing your qualifications. Do include any short-term courses that you have pursued or any other specific skill that you have learned.
Your research about the company or its projects
It is going to be an essential part of your cover letter. You can write about the organization’s previous projects that have inspired you or write about future projects you are interested in. This part can show your interest in the organization’s activities and leave a good impression on the employer.
Your goals
You must specify your short-term and long-term career goals in your cover letter. Also, you can mention how this particular internship is going to help you achieve those goals.
Your skills and experiences
You must briefly explain your skills in your application for internship. For example, you can write about your communication skills, analytical skills, or any other skill you learned during your graduation. Try to write all the relevant skills and experiences you have in this paragraph.
Closing statement
Your closing statement must reflect your confidence and passion and why you are the right candidate for this position. Your closing statement should make an impact on your employer. It is going to impact your application for internship.
Your cover letter can highlight your application for internship. You must write your cover letter carefully and highlight all the relevant information. Now let us go through the structure of the cover letter samples.
Structure of the cover letter (along with cover letter sample)
In the above image, you can see all the information you need to write in your cover letter for your application for internship. It includes the following details:
Your contact information
You need to give your contact details including your home address, contact number, and email id in your cover letter. The employer can contact you through these details to ensure that you have given accurate details before submitting the cover letter.
Employer contact information
You also need to mention the contact details of the employer. This is going to include the name and position of the person you are sending the cover letter and his contact details. This is to make sure that the right person receives your application for internship.
Date
The next thing that you need to mention is the date of your application.
Salutation
This is where you are going to address your employer. It must be formal and the spelling of the contact person’s name must be correct.
Body of the letter
As discussed earlier, the body of your cover letter can include your introduction, experiences, and goals. Work hard on these contents and write them concisely and accurately.
Closing
The closing is going to include your closing statement and your sign-off.
You must remember the following things while writing your cover letter:
- The information must be accurate.
- The sentences must be concise and not lengthy.
- Write in points wherever possible.
- Do not exaggerate your achievements.
- Keep your language formal.
- Try to keep it short and to the point.
- Proofread and edit your cover letter at least twice before submitting it.
As discussed above, while submitting your application for internship, you can include a cover letter to give yourself an edge over the other candidates. The employers seek such candidates who are ready to put in some extra effort for their work. You already have your qualifications and experiences but you need to present them appropriately to your prospective employer. The cover letter and resume are the documents that are going to sell your story to employers and help you in getting your dream job! Whether it is an writing internship format or a regular job, you must work hard and put in some extra effort to achieve it!
