How to Write an Internship Letter that Works

With all the competition for internship positions, a well-written internship letter could be the secret weapon that sets you apart from the rest. If you're applying for an internship, it's pretty much understood that you don't really have much of a skill set or job history at this point. You can always tout your college majors or GPA, but these won't really tell your prospective employer anything useful apart from your academic qualifications. And as important as these might be for demonstrating your drive and intelligence, they don't really offer much information about you as a person.

A proper internship letter does more than express your interest in working for the company. It reveals who you are to the employer, demonstrating your character and personality in a professional manner. The person who reads your internship letter should be impressed with your ability to think independently and express yourself clearly, in an original manner.

Internship Letter Basics

Introduce yourself and explain your interest in applying for the internship. Tell your prospective employer a little about your background, and mention that you are seeking an interview. If you've taken any specific classes, held any jobs, or participated in any extracurricular activities that would help you in the workplace, feel free to mention them. However, remember to be as brief and to the point as you can with all of your personal details. Recruiters may pore over several of these each day, and an internship letter that's long and wordy might end up in the reject pile without being read.

Making Your Case

The best way to build a case for yourself as an intern is to use specific examples. Research the job description and find out what exactly it entails. Then, after introducing yourself and stating your interest in the position, explain to the recruiter how you would be successful in each part of the job. If you have any personal anecdotes or success stories involving similar situations, you might include them as well. Just be careful about being too wordy. When in doubt, your best bet is to get to the point.

There's No “I” in “Internship Letter”

Well, okay. There's two of them. But the point is, your internship letter shouldn't be all about you and the benefits you hope to reap from this position. Instead, think about what's in it for your potential employer. You'll be more likely to catch the recruiter's eye if you explain how hiring you will be good for the company. Explain how your experience can help solve an existing problem, or suggest a new service you can provide if you're hired. If you can strike the right balance between enthusiasm and self-promotion, you'll stand a better chance of impressing the recruiter.

Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!

Once you're finished writing your internship letter, go back over it and look for spelling and grammar mistakes (especially those that might be missed by your word processor's spell checker). Triple-check the name of the recipient to make sure it's spelled correctly, and if you're using a title such as “Mr.” or “Ms.”, be sure you've got it right. With competition as tight as it is for internship positions, one careless mistake in your internship letter could be enough to take you out of the running!